My short career in a Colombian security detachment

BOGOTA – I know plenty of people who read this blog aren’t into the FIFA Under-20 championships going on in Colombia. No problema. But you might enjoy this little bit:

I’m here in Colombia because I can get a little work and have a little fun – all at relatively little expense. I think they call it a “working vacation.” It’s on the cheap because my girlfriend is here on a top secret project attached to the FIFA event. Well, it’s not Super Top Secret – it’s just a little top secret.

As Colombia still has some security risks, there is a security element to her project. (As I mentioned before, I think it’s a pretty safe place these days. That said, this ain’t Wichita, Kansas. Security dogs are abundant. I was hand-wanded before I could enter a shopping area this morning. And the nice fellow patrolling outside our lunch spot seemed to have plenty of extra shells, a vest full of them in fact, for that shotgun at his side.)

So long story short, I happened to hitch a ride to the stadium area today with the nice fellows from our security attachment.  The head of security said they could loan me a gun for the ride.  I’m exactly 50-50 on whether he was kidding. Later, some of his local guys asked if I was from Texas; so perhaps they assumed I brought my own.

The bus full of people they were chaperoning got away in a logistical snag, an act compounded by the heavy and chaotic Bogota traffic. So it was fancy maneuvering time for our little SUV.  I would describe the driver’s actions as heavily aggressive, necessarily agile and impressively precise.  And pretty darn fast at some points, too. I had my elbow about two inches out the back window at one point; I considered this and pulled it back in, considering how close some objects were passing.

This is definitely not on the typical tourist program.

And speaking of “not on the tourists plan”: Since they were trying to make up ground, we took some short cuts through neighborhoods slightly off the main thoroughfares. I believe I’ve now seen parts of Bogota that many travelers might miss. Not anything too bad, mind you, just working class avenues with ample empanada stands and small markets and such.

Good stuff.

As one person said to me, “Security people see everything differently.” Event organizers see things through the eyes of the gracious and the hospitable. They scan for problems and then become problem solvers. Journalists like myself are hard-wired to look for stories, anecdotes and personalities. Meanwhile, security folks are on the vigilant watch for threats.

For instance, if the designated transfer option isn’t available from the Bogota airport, an event organizer might say, “Just take a cab to the hotel.” Natural, right?

A journalist might take a cab, but attempt to make conversation as a first stab at gauging local mood about the event, or learning a little about the prevailing cultural talking points. That kind of stuff.

Security? They’ll say, “Don’t take a cab. No way. It’s not safe.”

Again, none of this is on the FIFA program … but I’m happy I got to see a little different side of these events.