According to the FBI Director Robert Mueller, the possibility of a Mumbai-style attack in the US could be replicated seems to have the Government in somewhat nervousness. I work in the Hospitality Business and I am here to tell you that I am more than a little worried, I am scared shitless about the issue. By definition, hotel corporations are reactive in nature. They don’t want to change unless change falls on them like a mastodon in heat and then they will cry and complaint all the way to court. In a Hotel Security trade magazine a less than stellar article was written about the Mumbai attack and the genius writer came to the conclussion that the reason the attack was successful was because the terrorists gained access through a kitchen entrance thus laying the blame to an unlocked door. Are you frigging kidding me? A terrorist sporting an AK 47 and a backpack full of grenades has pretty much all the tools required to do an entrance anywhere in the hotel and using pretty much any door including the main entrance of the hotel.

Some less stupid and more insightful articles in different military and police website reveal that the first targets of the attack were anybody that looked like security. 99.99% of security officer that work at a hotel are unarmed and they may only have a radio for “defense” but still they were mowed down so the terrorist could have a wonderful time spreading the will of Allah via 7.62×39.

More and more people are now carrying a concealed weapon and although a sidearm is a poor match against a rifle, it beats being unarmed. If you spend any time in a hotel, you must now add to your list of security concerns the probability that a horny jihadist will decide that your trip to the latest amusement park off state or a business opportunity is a good time to crate mayhem.  Create a plan, be ready and be deadly if necessary. Again, do not depend on the hotel for your protection since we are trained only to be “good witnesses” and nothing else.

As for me, I’ll just bow my head and mumble quietly the Secret Service prayer: “Dear Lord. Not on my watch.”