fun with tides

[John Denker <jsd@AV8N.COM>]

Hi --

I stumbled across a page of Frequently Asked Questions
about lunar tides:
  http://www.astronomycafe.net/qadir/amoont.html

Pride of place goes to the following question:
>  Why are there no ocean tides at the equator?

  Note that the same question can be found in several
  other places, including the Illinois Institute of
  Technology:
    http://www.iit.edu/~johnsonp/smart00/lesson4.htm

So ...

1) Can you answer this question "closed book", using
general physics principles and well-known facts?
Hint:  If you can't solve the problem quickly, you
are missing the point, so don't waste time on it.

2) Then compare your work against the "official" answer
provided on the Astronomy Cafe web-site:
  http://www.astronomycafe.net/qadir/q2792.html

3) Then take a look at:
  http://www.mobilegeographics.com:81/locations/2324.html