New Terrorist Plot? White Envelopes
Jan 9, 2010 | 1:05 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: DTW
Programs: Dirt Status w/ All
Posts: 5,049
New Terrorist Plot? White Envelopes
The NW253 paranoia continues to spread, now to courthouses.
http://freep.com/article/20100108/NE...be-womans-item
No mention of "out of an abundance of caution", so maybe things are really calming down.
A suspicious white envelope placed in the Detroit federal courthouse where a terror suspect had been arraigned caused a scramble by police today but proved to be a false alarm.
A U.S. Marshals Service employee noticed the envelope placed on the ledge of a ground floor window of the federal courthouse on the Fort Street side.
The incident happened just minutes after the suspect in the Christmas Day attempted bombing of a Northwest flight into Detroit was arraigned.
Agents cleared the sidewalk, shut the block down between Shelby and Washington Boulevard and closed the building's Fort Street entrance.
The Detroit Police Bomb Squad came on the scene and federal agents were combing the premises with bomb-sniffing dogs. Police appeared to have a robot on a trailer that is sometimes used to pick up and detonate suspicious packages.
Detroit Police Inspector Don Johnson just briefed the media about the suspicious package outside the courthouse.
Johnson said the origin of the package has been determined. He said an unidentified woman embarrassingly told police she was smoking a cigarette near the window and mistakenly left the envelope there, touching off the scare.
Johnson said the woman was very apologetic.
The bomb squad left the scene.
A U.S. Marshals Service employee noticed the envelope placed on the ledge of a ground floor window of the federal courthouse on the Fort Street side.
The incident happened just minutes after the suspect in the Christmas Day attempted bombing of a Northwest flight into Detroit was arraigned.
Agents cleared the sidewalk, shut the block down between Shelby and Washington Boulevard and closed the building's Fort Street entrance.
The Detroit Police Bomb Squad came on the scene and federal agents were combing the premises with bomb-sniffing dogs. Police appeared to have a robot on a trailer that is sometimes used to pick up and detonate suspicious packages.
Detroit Police Inspector Don Johnson just briefed the media about the suspicious package outside the courthouse.
Johnson said the origin of the package has been determined. He said an unidentified woman embarrassingly told police she was smoking a cigarette near the window and mistakenly left the envelope there, touching off the scare.
Johnson said the woman was very apologetic.
The bomb squad left the scene.
No mention of "out of an abundance of caution", so maybe things are really calming down.
Jan 9, 2010 | 7:26 am
#3
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: SXB
Programs: FB Silver, BD Gold rememberer, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Hilton and Marriott Gold, Accor Gold
Posts: 2,604
a suscipious white envelope
Or was it because the envelope was white? I'd guess the current Administration would be prejudiced against brown envelopes instead.
Jan 9, 2010 | 8:55 am
#5
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 34
The NW253 paranoia continues to spread, now to courthouses.
"Johnson said the origin of the package has been determined. He said an unidentified woman embarrassingly told police she was smoking a cigarette near the window and mistakenly left the envelope there, touching off the scare.
Johnson said the woman was very apologetic.
The bomb squad left the scene."
"Johnson said the origin of the package has been determined. He said an unidentified woman embarrassingly told police she was smoking a cigarette near the window and mistakenly left the envelope there, touching off the scare.
Johnson said the woman was very apologetic.
The bomb squad left the scene."
So maybe this kind of caution is not a totally new thing.
Oh...and I, too, was very apologetic.
Last edited by williamsg4713; Jan 9, 2010 at 8:56 am Reason: add final sentence
Jan 9, 2010 | 9:25 am
#6
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: DCA / WAS
Programs: DL 2+ million/PM, YX, Marriott Plt, *wood gold, HHonors, CO Plt, UA, AA EXP, WN, AGR
Posts: 9,386
Jan 9, 2010 | 11:13 am
#7
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: SEA
Programs: AS MVPG, MGM Rewards Gold, Hhonors ???, National Executive
Posts: 2,708
So you don't remember the anthrax paranoia from a few years back? I believe that paranoia still exists at all federal buildings.
And many state agencies freak out about these sorts of things too...
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index...to_police.html
Overabundance of caution can be taken to extremes, but it is almost always the best idea.
And many state agencies freak out about these sorts of things too...
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index...to_police.html
Overabundance of caution can be taken to extremes, but it is almost always the best idea.
Jan 9, 2010 | 11:41 am
#8
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 72,138
If the caution is targeted, thoughtful, and adjusted as necessary, I agree. The problem is, that isn't how our government is operating.
Jan 9, 2010 | 2:51 pm
#9
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: SXB
Programs: FB Silver, BD Gold rememberer, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Hilton and Marriott Gold, Accor Gold
Posts: 2,604
Out of an overabundance of caution, you don't have a job, since leaving home expose you to risks of car accident. Overabundance of caution is often the least appropriate response. Balancing risk and inconvenience is usually the better choice IMHO.
Jan 9, 2010 | 4:26 pm
#10
Moderator, Omni, Omni/PR, Omni/Games, FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Between DCA and IAD
Programs: UA 1K MM; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 72,574
Now, being cautious is one thing, as is sensible, measured responsibility. However, an "abundance of caution" (much less an "overabundance") is always Newspeak for "acting like chickens with our heads cut off.
Jan 9, 2010 | 5:02 pm
#11
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: SEA
Programs: AS MVPG, MGM Rewards Gold, Hhonors ???, National Executive
Posts: 2,708
I disagree 100%. It's almost never the best idea; a dose of common sense would filter out the vast majority of these overreacting, knee-jerk cases of idiocy.
Now, being cautious is one thing, as is sensible, measured responsibility. However, an "abundance of caution" (much less an "overabundance") is always Newspeak for "acting like chickens with our heads cut off.
Now, being cautious is one thing, as is sensible, measured responsibility. However, an "abundance of caution" (much less an "overabundance") is always Newspeak for "acting like chickens with our heads cut off.
Under the circumstances, it would apprear that the response was appropriate.
Jan 9, 2010 | 7:48 pm
#12
Join Date: Jun 2009
Programs: SSSSS
Posts: 867
Small white envelopes, big brown envelopes, cardboard boxes, assorted old newspapers and other litter are somewhat commonplace from Alter Road to Wyoming and 8 Mile to Jefferson. If the response is appropriate, they'd have to close the entire city for the next decade.
Jan 9, 2010 | 8:57 pm
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: DFW
Posts: 30,958
So you don't remember the anthrax paranoia from a few years back? I believe that paranoia still exists at all federal buildings.
And many state agencies freak out about these sorts of things too...
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index...to_police.html
Overabundance of caution can be taken to extremes, but it is almost always the best idea.
And many state agencies freak out about these sorts of things too...
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index...to_police.html
Overabundance of caution can be taken to extremes, but it is almost always the best idea.Luckily TSA was not in charge.