At 10:35 a.m., [Richard] Peters was walking around [Boston's] South Station when he spotted two small piles of white powder next to ticket dispensers. Within 30 seconds, dozens of people had been evacuated and subway cars were ordered not to stop at the station.
Before September 11, "we would have said 'get the buckets and clean it up,'" Said Peters, who gave the order to evacuate... "But I asked the cleaners about it, and they go 'no, we weren't working there.' You go into that mode, that new way of thinking."
By lunchtime, the station was open again and Fire Chief Daniel McDevitt said he was "90 percent sure it was some kind of soap."
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In [Boston neighborhood] Hyde Park, the same events were being played out at the US Postal Service carrier annex on Reservation road -- although this time, after a 45-minute colusre, the white powder was determined to be a "styrofoam substance," said postmaster Mike Powers.
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In an incident yesterday involving the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, a Green Line car was taken out of service after a suspicious white substance was spotted on board. A spokesman said it did not appear to be dangerous, but the substance was being tested.
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In Concord [Massachusetts] on Friday, two employees of a software company contacted a hazardous materials response team after they picked up company stationary and found white powder on their hands. Captain David Curran of the Concord Fire Department said the powder was probably a spray used by the printers to keep letterhead from sticking to other sheets of paper.
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Late that night, an employee at Home Depot in Canton [Massachusetts] drove to Brockton Hospital after she opened an envelope that contained white powder. The store was shut yesterday morning for investigation, but no powder was recovered....
posted on October 14, 2001 07:31:56 AM new
Its definately not something to laugh over I don't think after enough reports turn out to be false sooner or later this will turn in to the boy who cried wolf one to many times.
What any real terrorist are waiting for is for this to get so common and everyday that emergency works start ignoreing much of it so that when any real threat happens people will think little to nothing of it and there will be less responce.
IN the news paper today here in the albany area there must be a dozzen or more of these things letters received at radio stations hospitals and other places.
Most of the reports were real but turned out to be pranks on media and hospitals.
I think you will see the goverment pass far more tougher laws against prank terrist like activity like bomb threats and such maybe even make it a case for death penalty if caught.
posted on October 14, 2001 07:35:08 AM new
Some of these are probably something like someone who had a leaking box they were taking home from shopping - but where it is something put in an envelope and mailed it is going to have to be responded to just like the adulteration of items was addressed by sealed containers a few decades ago. We are going to have to make it a serious crime to
send a substance into a building that can precipitate the fear of contaimination.
posted on October 14, 2001 07:40:07 AM new
Another thing many of these false reports are doing is tieing up emergency works who in many places in the country they already dont have enough of they are looking in to false reports and pranks leaveing less attention to other things that could be happening.
takeing the foucus off of the main and real investigations..
posted on October 14, 2001 07:43:35 AM new
Also from today's Globe [sorry, can't get a link to work]:
Globe editor is tested for anthrax exposure
A Boston Globe editor was tested yesterday for anthrax after he recalled handling a suspicious letter similar to one received Friday by the New York times.
Initial results of the tests are expected today, with definitive results by midweek.
Kenneth J. Cooper, national editor at the Globe, said that sometime within the last two weeks he opened an envelope addressed to the national editor, with no name, and marked "personal and confidential."
The letter was three or four pages long, Cooper said, and contained vaguely threatening remarks about the Sears Tower, penicillin, and Jews.
Cooper says he does not recall seeing any powder in the envelope, and that he threw away the letter after scanning the first page.
Cooper yesterday complained of a low-grade fever. Physicians at Massachusetts General Hospital said he displayed no outward signs of anthrax exposure.
The Globe newsroom operated as usual yesterday, though Cooper's office was locked and staff members were briefed on the situation.
Police, FBI, and federal health officials said they would investigate further if Cooper tested positive for anthrax.
Barry
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The opinions expressed above are for comparison purposes only. Your mileage may vary....
[ edited by godzillatemple on Oct 14, 2001 07:45 AM ]
posted on October 14, 2001 08:56:01 AM new
I have no doubt this is terrorists. Once people get tired of testing powder, they'll pull out the real stuff more and spread it around. It would then become an epidemic.
Considering this can be treated with antibiotics, however, I'm confused as to what people are so worried about.
This nation has been separate for so long, I don't think a lot of the citizens know how to be "united."
posted on October 14, 2001 09:19:32 AM new
Anthrax is treatable, but only if caught and treated quickly. If you suspect you've been exposed to it, it's a relatively simple matter to get to a doctor, take antibiotics, and get yourself cured. But if you DON'T know you've been exposed, you might either wait awhile before going to the doctor [thinking it's just an allergic reaction or something], or else the doctor might not run the proper test to diagnose it.
But you're right -- it's not like we're talking about ebola or flesh eating bacteria. Thank heavens.
Barry
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The opinions expressed above are for comparison purposes only. Your mileage may vary....
posted on October 14, 2001 09:21:15 AM new
Also, this whole scenario makes a nice little test of our response times, treatment capabilities, and the psychological effect bio-terrorism has on the average American...
posted on October 14, 2001 10:48:25 AM new
Thank you for the info, Spaz....Sad to see that this is becoming a daily occurance; everyone here has had very good comments to make about it.
Toke: You are right; Laden and his group are watching our reaction...and laughing their head off...
But somehow, acts of terror, accident scenes, fires, always attracts copy-cats psychos; on the surface, it would seem a great number of those scares are caused by the "sickies"...On the other hand, those could ALSO be acts of terrorists, just TESTING the ground?
Yes, what a waste of time, money and human energy!
posted on October 14, 2001 11:08:36 AM newLaden and his group are watching our reaction.
Well, the thing is, I really don't see too many people feeling "terror" as a result of all this latest crapola [as opposed to the original attack on Spetember 11]. A lot of worry, anxiety and unrest, maybe. But terror? Naaaah.
Maybe we should refer to this as the act of worryists instead of terrorists?
Barry
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The opinions expressed above are for comparison purposes only. Your mileage may vary....
posted on October 14, 2001 11:35:14 AM new
Whomever the copycat sickos are, I hope they are caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent. Americans or not.
posted on October 14, 2001 11:55:33 AM new
I keep hearing various government officials say the anthrax mailings are most likely criminal wrongdoing rather than the work of terrorists. I find it stretches my imagination just a little too far to think a few average sicko copycats just happened to have a supply of anthrax around...and seized the opportunity to wreak a little havoc. Don't think I buy that one. From what I've read, anthrax is hard to get and risky to handle. Not to mention...one of the letters came from Malaysia, known as a place with a large al Quaida network.
As far as the hoaxes...I can sure believe a few nutcases running around with talc.
