posted on October 18, 2001 06:52:30 PM new
Well, as some of you may know, I just got a new job, and when I went shopping today at the mall where I will be working, one of the sales clerks at another store in the same mall was on the phone to another employee talking about THE THREAT for Oct. 31st. I waited until she decided to ring up the boots I just bought, and when she finally got off the and began to ring up my purchase, I asked her what that was all about (yes, Im nosey). She then commenced to get all excited with big ol bug eyes glaring with fear and said "Havent you heard? The Mall in Santa Maria got the warning and they have hired extra security, and one of our stores are also in that mall. They are going to confer with security for THIS mall, to up the force. See, there was this girl at one of the stores but nobody seems to know which one at the mall, and she had a boyfriend who was middle eastern and right after Sept 11, he disappeared but he left a note for her to NOT got to ANY MALL on Oct. 31! So since she worked at the Santa Maria mall, they are taking it seriously!! Can you imagine? We are all SO SCARED".
Isnt that the same story being told all over the USA and was a hoax?
posted on October 18, 2001 07:03:51 PM new
I wasnt panicing. I was laughing. She was all excited and spreading it to other stores and they in turn were panicing and actually hiring extra security for BOTH malls. I did tell her to check the websites and maybe...just MAYBE check with the local authorities before passing on such tales. I left, she stood there with her mouth agape.
posted on October 18, 2001 07:15:36 PM new
This is the sort of thing that off line people have no way to discover it is an urban legend. They are doomed to get their news at 6 and 11 in whatever form the networks are selling that night.
Makes you understand why the internet scares the snot out of the Chinese leaders.
posted on October 18, 2001 07:55:55 PM new
Even the media is confused.
Fear escalates when there is no reliable communication. What happened to the
new head of homeland security, Jim Ridge? Shouldn't he have a press secretary on the job? When there is no consistency in the news it creates a lot of anxiety.
Just yesterday, as Bush was on his way to China, several conflicting reports were made about the kind of anthrax in the Senate building.
We don't even know if this is bioterrorism. Ashcroft says it is and Ari Fleischer says it may not be. For example, Ari thinks that it could be criminal if it doesn't involve other countries.
That may be a silly distinction but it indicates confusion in the White House.
