New York's major train station evacuated over bomb alarm

[WhiteTara]

I love it that our news comes out faster in other countries.

NEW YORK, July 24 (Xinhuanet) -- Pennsylvania Station, a major train station in New York city, was evacuated and train service disrupted for about an hour on Sunday.

The busy commuter hub was evacuated after someone threw a backpack at an Amtrak agent and said it was a bomb, said Marissa Baldeo, a spokeswoman for New York City Transit. The threat was a false alarm, and service on all lines was restored about an hour later.

snip

The incident was over as quickly as it began. One minute, camouflage-clad soldiers were shouting, "Penn Station is closed indefinitely," and the next minute they got the all clear and started letting people into the station.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-07/25/content_3261716.htm

[bemildred]

1. Starting to take me back the to 70s now.

We had bomb threats all the time back then.

[cal04]

2. Just heard it on Air America's news. two incidents.

Separate incidents spark terorrism concerns
Terrorism scares triggered separate evacuations of Penn Station and a tour bus in Midtown Sunday, as a jumpy New York prepared for the first full work week under the city's bolstered security plan.

Both incidents were prompted by reports of suspicious behavior, which proved to be unfounded. The bus scare began when a supervisor of the Grey Line Bus grew concerned by five passengers who appeared to be of Middle Eastern decent, police said. She said they were carrying backpacks and had stuffed their pockets, police said.

http://www.nynewsday.com/news/nyc-penn0725,0,3890272.story?coll=nyc-homepage-breakingheadlines

New York's Penn Station Evacuated After Bomb Scare
http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGB5VVLYJBE.html

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

3. That didn't take long.

[Divernan]

4. Trunk left in front of Metropolitan Museum of Art this am.

We were waiting at the top of the steps for the Met to open this morning and there was a large bus loading kids to take them to a camp in the Adirondacks. Parents brought them and unloaded duffel bags, etc., which the the bus driver put into the bus. When the bus pulled away, there was a large steamer trunk and a soft sided bag just sitting on the sidewalk. Parents walked over and looked at it. The museum guards were called and were checking it out - by the time we came out three hours later, they were gone - just another of many incidents nowadays where our first reaction is to decide whether we're in danger or not.

Other than that, Saturday & Sunday were beautiful summer days in NYC, and Central Park was full of people enjoying themselves. I didn't know about the incident at the train station until I logged on here tonight.

[LynnTheDem]

5. "camouflage-clad soldiers"? SOLDIERS???

Posse Comitatus, anyone?

[jwcomer]

6. Probably national guard.

They've been there for the past 4 years.

[TomClash]

8. National Guard

at Penn Station and Grand Central. And there aren't many of them.

After 9/11, there were scores of soldiers, double checkpoints and armored personnel carriers on Wall Street.

Ah, the good old days.:sarcasm:

[ConfuZed]

7. This happens almost everyday in Los Angeles as well