SALT LAKE CITY'Police on horseback, bomb-sniffing dogs, snipers on top of buildings, helicopters hovering overhead and even camouflaged National Guardsmen.
Welcome to the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City'not only the largest winter Olympics ever, but also the biggest security venture of any sporting event in history.
\I'm protecting the perimeter,"" said a guard who wished to remain anonymous while standing on guard outside an Olympic event.
Even before many fans get to Salt Lake City, they know the safety measures are not to be taken lightly. Passengers aboard planes traveling to Salt Lake City are instructed to remain in their seats for a half an hour before landing or face the possibility of the plane being redirected.
Airspace was restricted above Rice-Eccles Olympic Stadium during the four-hour opening ceremonies Friday and will also be during the closing ceremonies Feb. 24.
If fans did not already arrive at the Olympics by plane, they might have mistaken entering an Olympic venue for entering an airport. At any Olympic venue, everyone is required to walk through a metal detector.
""They've checked me every time I've gone through the metal detectors,"" J.R. Whitby of Muskegon, Mich., said while in attending the opening ceremonies with his wife, Melody. ""The metal detectors are very sensitive and I'm glad they are.""
Video and still cameras are also checked at the entrances to see if they are actually dangerous devices disguised as cameras.
In addition, if fans choose to bring a water bottle to an Olympic event, security requires patrons to take a drink before bringing the bottle into the venue.
Long lines are not uncommon before entering an Olympic venue. It is possible for a person to have to wait 30 to 45 minutes to be searched prior to entering Olympic Square in the evening.
Although security guards surround every corner and concrete barricades line the streets, the feeling surrounding the Olympics is far from sterile. Fans are happy, collectors are trading their pins and music generally can be heard reverberating through the streets downtown.
""We've felt very safe and secure since we've been here,"" Mrs. Whitby said.
Some attendees are having so much fun that they do not even care about how long they wait.
""I think the security has been terrific,"" said Marilyn Jensen, a resident of Salt Lake City. ""Security checks are taking much faster than I thought they would.""
Before the Olympics even started, Salt Lake City was designated a National Special Security Event. This means the Secret Service is running the show. Several weeks ago, Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge visited the Salt Lake area to make sure things were going as planned.
Some visiting athletes have also wanted to take extra security measures before coming to the United States. The Japanese team originally wanted to bring its own gas masks to Salt Lake City, but decided against it.
As it turns out, Japan has not needed those gas masks thus far. However, the success of the security will not be measured until the Olympic flame has been extinguished.
