100's White (UN?) Trucks/SUVs Seen Stored In Kansas City Amusement Park December 31, 1999
On Dec 27, in Kansas City I was driving by Worlds of Fun amusement park.
Suddenly, off to the right, I saw many brand new white trucks (and some other colors) of the 4-wheel drive type. I was very startled to see them in Kansas City. So, I turned my own white truck around to get a better view.
Now, what made them stand out was the military precision of their parking. Normal people do not park vehicles that close and straight. So, I got out my video camera and 35mm camera.
I started taking pictures from the public roadside, and noticed that the vehicles had no plates, or stickers in the windows...which would leave out the possibility of a local dealership renting the lot. Dealers have to have plates and the window stickers on the vehicle until sale of the
vehicle is complete.
The security for these vehicles drove around in unmarked white trucks. It was cold and windy that day, even at noon. I parked my truck at the front driveway and decided to walk down to the front gate where people pay to enter the park.
I thought the park security would be the cheap rent-a-cop type that would not easily leave their nice, warm trucks. However, I assumed if they did come out, they would simply ask me to leave, and tell me to come back in the summer when the park would be open.
I stopped a couple of times as I went down the road to take pictures of the vehicles. My video camera has a 26x zoom, and if I did not brace it against a tree, the picture would jump all over the place. I was also taking pictures with the 35mm. The film was made for many times magnification.
In this world, if you do not have pictures, no one believes you.
I made it up to the gate which is really just 5 to 6 arches you stop at to pay your park entrance fee. I about to turn around and go back to my little white truck at the top of the hill when I saw park security coming fast through the park right toward my position.
There are no buildings nearby to hide behind the big 40 foot tall evergreens with 10 foot long branches where on the other side of the arches, the only cover was this small, 6 foot evergreen tree. It looked like a Charlie Brown Christmas tree.
I stood still behind this stupid little tree as both white vehicles pulled up to the arches. One turned right and went back into the park, the other sped up very fast (burning rubber) up the driveway. So, I quickly went over to the three larger evergreens to hide.
Now this is fun, I thought. I get to play hide and seek with the park patrol. Then the other truck which had turned right and went into the park came back fast. It stopped just past me. I was 10 feet from the left rear quarter panel of the truck. I thought for sure he saw me because I was wearing a gray coat with bright light blue pants and standing between 2 very green evergreens.
But it must be true what they say. People tend to look forward when Searching, not behind. I was tempted to yell BOO !. It would have scared the crap out of the park patrol.
But I was having too much fun hiding from these 2 guys.
So I backed into the third tree and went over the embankment towards my truck. The amusement park is near I-435 highway, and earthen embankments help deflect road way sounds, and block the view of the highway. So I had about 50 yards to go to get to my truck up on the road.
The little field was sunken and could not be easily seen from the park entrance. I thought I was home free.
Then 2 vehicles came flying over the embankments. One cut me off from the front, the other from behind. The one in front jumped out of his vehicle armed, but not drawn, not yet. Yelling, "Get down on the ground!" Then yelling, "Whats your name? What's your social security number?" My brain said, "What? Social security number?" I thought a social security number was not to be used as a form of ID.
This fellow wanted my social security number more than he wanted my name. I gave him the requested data and he quickly grabbed my video camera and 35mm camera.
After a quick search over my body, the first guy (the leader) asked me again for my social security number, but not my name. I have never heard of park patrols, or police, asking for social security number over your name. I was wary but I repeated the number again. I thought "I'm dead" if I forget my social security number.
I was then grabbed from behind. My arms were placed behind my back. Then, I was told to place my arms on the hood of the white truck and to spread my legs.
The search turns up my truck keys, a cell phone, but no billfold. I had left it back in the truck. The leader asks me what I am doing in his park. I did not want him to know that I was taking pictures of the trucks, so I told him I was taking pictures of the park. People take pictures of the park all the time.
But this upset him even more, and he asked me, "How far did you get into my park?" I told him only as far as the park entrance. Of course, he did not believe me. Then he said, "I can tell when people are lying to me."
I thought "What? He can't read minds." That is such an old trick. I used it against the kids when I worked at the YMCA as a camp counselor. It made the kids tell the truth...like you had some special powers.
Then, the 'fearless leader' says, "I can let you go if you tell me the truth." Now I started thinking, this is like an old WWII movie where the German SS man says, "If you tell me the truth, I will let you go." And I don' t remember his other questions, but the next thing to happen was placing me in handcuffs. Now, I must say that 'fearless leader' was well-trained in handcuffing and transporting people. He did it smoothly and comfortably for me.
However, when I got in his truck, I realized he was not your normal rent-a-cop. He had in the truck a military yellow-green backpack with about 6 military patches on it. The backpack was removed from my view quickly and put out of sight. Also, the radio in the vehicle was impressive in 2 ways. First, it was hi-tech with what looked like a scrambler. Second, the radio was not attached beautifully to the dash, but to an ugly metal mount where a floor manual transmission stick would go. Strong, but not pretty.
I was then transported a short distance into the park to the 'fearless leader's' office. Where other military personnel were working. No one was wearing military uniforms, but I saw ROTC hats from different American universities.
Of course, ROTC college graduates come to Kansas City for Christmas to work in an amusement park. Yeah, right.
Fearless leader's office was for two people, and his assistant watched as he asked me questions about myself, not about my being on park property. I did not mind. I know who and what I am. I don't think he knows who and what he is. Or, who he serves or who he trusts.
He asked for my social security number again, and when I repeated it he said "You're wrong! You lied to me!" Now he was trying to rattle me.
Fortunately, I have learned from the book, 'The Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense,' when in danger, slip into computer mode. Don't show fear or pleading, that is what the other side needs for control.
You see 'fearless leader' was trying to use the Phony Leveler and Satir mode. It's a powerful combination, but tough to use. And since I was in computer mode, he was getting frustrated.
And his questions were stupid. They were phrased in such a way that any answer would only make me look worse. You know like the question "When did you stop beating your wife?"
Then the funny thing happened, Fearless leader's data base on me was 5 years old. It showed Steven Charles Laird living in Kansas City. Well I have lived in Omaha, Nebraska for 4.5 years. When I could not remember a Kansas City address from over 5 years ago, fearless leader was positive I was not Steven Laird.
He kept saying "You are not who you say you are."
Also fearless leader kept leaving the office and coming back. While he was gone, was he looking at the video tape and seeing his trucks plus my Christmas of 1999. I did not fit the mode of people that he has been trained to deal with. An honest person, who cares.
Living in the world of lies, makes things you don't understand, the enemy. Where in my world of computers, if you don't understand something, it is a puzzle to solve.
Then came the real obvious question, from fearless leader: "Why don't I believe you when you say your name is Steven laird?" That came right from 'Section G' of the verbal violence octagon. And Fearless leader's voice kept modulating up and down. He was not having a good day.
But I was. It was all I could do not to jump up and say, "Yeah, this is fun!" or laugh out loud in sheer joy.
Some other information fell in my lap. While fearless leader was writing up my trespassing ticket, the other park patrol officer said that he will be taking classes at another base starting Feb 1.
Fearless leader immediately walked him out of the office and across the hall into another office.
So this is a base, I thought. Then, the data my friend Jay gave me earlier this month, fell in place. You see, the home owners around Worlds of Fun in Kansas City have been complaining for years about the limestone mining that goes on under Worlds of Fun. The mining explosions cause damage to
ceramic pipes underground. Jay can even show me the old entrance in the middle of the park.
So, now it all fits: amusement parks are all over the USA and near every major city. They have there own sewer, water, power, and fences to keep people out. What a wonderful place to put a command and control center...(this is my guess).
Just before the local police arrived, fearless leader told me not to come back to Worlds of Fun. They have cameras everywhere, and will be able to pick me out of a crowd. How small are military cameras? And what kind of surveillance do they have?
When the local Kansas City police arrived with the patty wagon to pick me up, they accused me of being a Russian spy.
But my discoveries were not over yet. The ride out was long because amusement parks tend to use one way roads often. I got to see more of the park out of the back window of the patty wagon.
I saw 100's more new vehicles in all the parking areas inside the park, and that was only a few levels deep. I would love to see a picture from the air of the amusement park Worlds of Fun.
For those interested in viewing the military personnel, my court date is Feb 7th at 11:00 municipal court building 1101 Locust; Kansas City, MO; Room A.
One last thing: the two amusement parks in Kansas City are across the street from each other. Their present names are Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun.
How about we change the names to Worlds of Big Brother and Oceans of Lies.
STEVEN LAIRD for CONGRESS
by Steven Laird
midknight@radiks.net
222 S. 122 Plaza Apt # 222
Omaha NE 68144 USA
Phone 330-1905 Fax 555-9876