Riding herd on the planes:
Airport Rangers at
Houston Intercontinental
Since December 2003, the undeveloped parts of
Houston’s 12,000-acre George Bush Intercontinental Airport have
been patrolled by badged Airport Rangers civilians who want to
exercise their horses while keeping an eye out for suspicious
activity.
The brainchild of avid horseman Richard Vacar, director of the
Houston Airport System, the program offers badges for $50 to riders
who pass extensive background checks. More than 700 rangers take to
the wooded trails, mostly on weekends.