Newsstand - Terror alert in NY and DC raised from Orange to RED

I just heard it from two independent sources (one of which is my Dad). I can't find it on any major news source.

I also hear that NY subways are empty and no one is going to work.

Confirmation anyone?

Couple this with the evac of LGW - what the hell is going on?!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by mspman:
I just heard it from two independent sources (one of which is my Dad). I can't find it on any major news source.

I also hear that NY subways are empty and no one is going to work.

Confirmation anyone?

Couple this with the evac of LGW - what the hell is going on?!</font>

The subways were a bit lighter than normal. Not sure about the red warning. Haven't heard much. I'm just going about my normal stuff. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

You know, reality check, folks: you are more likely to die in a car crash than a terrorist attack. I'm concerned, but not really all that frightened. I like to believe that any release of toxic materials would be quickly dissipated to non-toxic levels by the wind. I would bet that another attack would result in an immediate commencement of hostilities in Iraq. If these people are so concerned about justice and human life, they'll "give peace a chance," but I'm not optimistic.

Maybe I'll walk home! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

I'm just a little worried b/c I'm scheduled to fly out of LGA today.

I dunno, maybe I'm paranoid, but I just have a bad feeling, that's all.

Been listenting to radio all morn at the office. No mention of moving to RED. Subway was normal this morning. Think this is a rumor. You have to go about your business as usual just keep alert.

I heard this morning that all trains are being inspected before they are allowed to enter Penn station

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by mspman:
I'm just a little worried b/c I'm scheduled to fly out of LGA today.

I dunno, maybe I'm paranoid, but I just have a bad feeling, that's all.</font>

I feel the same way. I am scheduled to take my first mileage run next week. I will be leaving from LGA and flying into Gatwick. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif


[This message has been edited by Always Travel Ready (edited 02-13-2003).]

Let's hope the red in question is for Valentine's Day.

DH works for a utility in NYC - a prime target for terrorists..

He's sitting at his desk.

Mary

[This message has been edited by Mary2e (edited 02-13-2003).]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Always Travel Ready:


I heard this morning that all trains are being inspected before they are allowed to enter Penn station</font>

Not my train, which entered Penn Station with no delays of any kind at 6:25 or so, right on schedule.

Bruce

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Mary2e:
DH works for a utility in NYC - a prime target for terrorists..
(edited 02-13-2003).]</font>

DH?

Sorry, who is DH?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Billiken:
DH?

Sorry, who is DH?

</font>

DH = Dear Hubby or Dear Husband

The 4/5 was lighter than normal (I actually got a seat!). Before I left the Chrysler Building to go back to the Wall St. area, CNBC reported that the Brooklyn/Battery tunnel had been shut down due to a suspicious package.

I'm guessing the Red Alert is a rumor... have not heard anything other than Orange. And if they did upgrade it to Red, I'm not sure what I would do differently anyway. When it's your time there is not much that you can do...

It is false that the subways are empty and no one is going to work. I take the IRT everyday to lower Manhattan and nothing is abnormal with respect to ridership.

The subway ridership has been inconsistant since the one-two punch of the recession and 9/11. Somedays very light, somedays very heavy just like pre-9/11. Go figure.

Mike M

Screw rumors. Verify at the source. As of this posting, we are still Orange.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/

Might want to check your sources..although shouldnt DC and NYC always be pretty close to red seeing that they are always the 2 mentioned US targets?

As far as the subway goes, I left around 8 am and was stuffed like cattle (as usual) all the way to midtown from brooklyn. Nothing but a rumor on that topic.

Aww heck, raise the alert level to "triple magenta plus" so all the wimps will stay at home and increase my odds at an upgrade.

Remember folks, those soldiers waiting to go to war are facing much more danger than any of us will face here on the homefront.

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I live in the DC area and things are a bit edgy around here since actions taken yesterday. If you are going to post something like this, at least indicate in the title that it is a rumor or post it in a more appropriate forum. There is no news story here.

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"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Ben Franklin

deleted


[This message has been edited by Mary2e (edited 02-13-2003).]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by tazi:
There is no news story here.</font>The real story is the threat posed by DHMO (http://www.dhmo.org/).

I was on Amtrak today WAS-PHL and nothing abnormal anywhere along the way, or in the station. I went by the Pentagon and there were a few more police vehicles, an additional big gun pointed at traffic, nothing much visible beyond that.

The black helis continue buzzing my house though.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by richard:
The black helis continue buzzing my house though.</font>

I live less than 3 miles from NSA and work less than a block from another of their 'facilities'. Ft. Meade is just down the road a piece.

I feel a greater urge than normal to run off to the islands ... and not come back.




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"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Ben Franklin

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by tazi:

I feel a greater urge than normal to run off to the islands ... and not come back.

</font>

As long as the islands are not Hawaii...North Korea reportedly has missles that can reach us here...

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Lokahi:
As long as the islands are not Hawaii...North Korea reportedly has missles that can reach us here...</font>

North Korea reportedly has missles that can reach the west coast of the U.S. and possibly further inland.

I'll be heading to the Caribbean if I go.

Save the bales!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by mspman:
I just heard it from two independent sources (one of which is my Dad). I can't find it on any major news source.

I also hear that NY subways are empty and no one is going to work.

Confirmation anyone?</font>

Regarding the above, and the changing of the terror alert from Orange to "RED" as indicated in the subject, is in my opinion rumor-mongering of the worst sort. This sort of behavior is exactly how mass panic gets started.

Now that a day has passed, can mspman follow up on his two sources as to how it was reported that the threat level was raised to Red in NYC and DC, the reported fact that NYC subways were empty, and the reported fact "nobody" is going to work?

I have no reason to believe that the original poster had any ill intentions, but this is exactly how rumors get exaggerated: partial information gets expanded upon and taken out of context, untrue "facts" get inserted along the way, and so on.

Considering the tense situation the US is in these days, I think it's especially important that none of us contribute to spreading false rumors. It does nobody any good, and the "joy" of being the first one to scoop the story is quickly dissipated once the truth comes out. Consider this: how many people mentioned these rumors to others based on this posting to FlyerTalk?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Couple this with the evac of LGW - what the hell is going on?!</font>

This has been adequetly covered elsewhere, but there was a single terminal at LGW evacuated because an arriving passenger had a live grenade in their luggage. This had nothing to do with any wider terror alert affecting the US.

And it appears that all this nonsense was based on a lie. They keep on telling us to remain vigilent and report suspicious activities to the police, regardless of the threat level. So then we shouldn't even bother with it, should we?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Steve M:
Considering the tense situation the US is in these days, I think it's especially important that none of us contribute to spreading false rumors. It does nobody any good, and the "joy" of being the first one to scoop the story is quickly dissipated once the truth comes out. Consider this: how many people mentioned these rumors to others based on this posting to FlyerTalk?</font>

LOL - it would take a lot more than this to get me going. I didn't think too much of it. I ALWAYS question people with "news" and who their sources are, so I guess I'm really not so easily frightened by rumors.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by kb0fhp:
Save the bales!</font>

LOL! That phrase certainly brings back fond memories from time spent living in the Keys http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif



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"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Ben Franklin

Today's Washington Whispers (http://www.usnews.com/usnews/politics/whispers/whisphome.htm) from US News (link will change tomorrow) says it's possible that the alert may change to Red in DC today. Certainly hasn't happened yet. <font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Indications from government sources are that the already heightened Code Orange security alert Washington, D.C., is operating under may be increased to Code Red in the next 24 hours because of heightened concern about a possible terrorist attack. While a top Bush aide said that a change from orange to red–the highest alert–isn't imminent, other moves suggest otherwise. Whispers learns that lawmakers are being encouraged to send their families back to their home states. Other government sources are freely talking about the increased security alert possibly coming as soon as Friday. Also: Equipment that can detect chemical and biological weapons has been deployed in Washington. And some government workers have been warned that if terrorism strikes, agencies might not be able to provide enough water, food or clothing.</font>

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More Room Throughout Coach: the Website of Free Miles and Free Markets (http://neat.blogspot.com)

Dear MSPMAN:
You should be ashamed of yourself for starting these rumors. I have made it a point to be nice to others on these boards, but this type of action really gets me going.

Please state facts, no what someone "heard".

Thank You

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by mspman:
I just heard it from two independent sources (one of which is my Dad). I can't find it on any major news source.

I also hear that NY subways are empty and no one is going to work.

Confirmation anyone?

Couple this with the evac of LGW - what the hell is going on?!</font>

"Whispers learns that lawmakers are being encouraged to send their families back to their home states."

America would be a better place if our Congress Critters weren't allowed to move to/buy homes in the D.C. area but instead had to take a hotel room or executive apartment.
Leave the "home" back in the place you claim to represent!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by NoStressHere:
Dear MSPMAN:
You should be ashamed of yourself for starting these rumors.</font>The shame is equally shared by those who take the bait.

Hold on here.

I think starting a thread with "I've heard" indicates that there's not going to be an Official News Story on the topic at hand, and that those who prefer only linked articles might want to stay away.

That said, I "heard" something similar, which appeared to hold some water upon a cursory investigation. It also may have been related to the story linked below.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/story/59410p-55640c.html

Hope this helps.

For those of us in the dC area at aleast, what would help is if this thread were locked since the title is very misleading.

Okay, the thread title is false.

There is a lot to be learned: see what panic does. It removes all rationality. Anything seems possible. Is there a lesson here http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by richard:
Okay, the thread title is false.

There is a lot to be learned: see what panic does. It removes all rationality. Anything seems possible. Is there a lesson here http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif</font>

It makes me fidget and twitch! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/tongue.gif




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"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Ben Franklin