Terrorist purse-snatchers!

[plutherus]

This morning, as I got out of the shower, look out the window, and there's a helicopter hovering just outside. Very close to the building, just hovering there for several minutes. Unfortunately, by the time I got dressed and found a replacement battery for the camera, it left, otherwise I'd have a great picture. I've never seen one so close when it wasn't on the ground before.

I finally got downstairs, and the street's blocked off. So, no bus for me today. I start walking, get about a block and the whole sidewalk's closed, too, with barricades and police officers not letting anyone through.

End up having to go a few blocks out of the way, and just walk down to the train station. (It's too damn hot to walk all the way to work these days :)

So, once I got a free moment at work, I went online to see if I could find out what was going on. Didn't have to go to the BBC this time, as I found this short article about it in the local news:


From here

Purse found downtown causes security alert
By Bill Bryan
Of the Post-Dispatch
08/10/2005

A handbag found on top of a mailbox in the 200 block of North Fourth Street downtown caused a stir this morning.

As a precaution, St. Louis police closed off Fourth Street between Pine and Locust Streets, and Olive Street between Broadway and Fourth from about 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. The satchel was sniffed by a police dog and X-rayed and was found to be harmless, police said.

The handbag was removed by police bombing and arson squad detectives.

Yes, that's right, two blocks cordoned off for two hours, at least a dozen police cars and a helicopter, making me late to work because someone saw an unattended purse in the trash downtown.

Let me tell you how much I just love living in such a paranoid society...

Comments

[amritarosa.livejournal.com]

I'm having a vision of hundreds of unattended purses appearing mysteriously all over downtown some morning...on top of mailboxes, on benches at bus stops, right-there-in-the-middle-of-the-sidewalk...

that would be fun, wouldn't it
we could shut a whole fucking city down with a few hundred purses....

[laiadapila.livejournal.com]

I am SO there.

[reynard52.livejournal.com]

WHAT did I tell you about forgetting your purse in odd places? Hm? HM?? That's right mister: it's all fun and games until Homeland Security, Inc. pokes everyone's eyes out.

[31seel.livejournal.com]

I love how you pretend to not know what the ruckus was about.

[reynard52.livejournal.com]

I know. I mean, how many times did he just "forget" his purse when he was here last?

[31seel.livejournal.com]

Here, no one cared, but let some guy leave his purse out in public in St. Louis, & they make all kinds of ruckus...