BOMB SCARE HITS TIMES SQUARE NEW YORK

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A BOMB SCARE AND JAMES EDSTROM SPEAKS
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James Edstrom


A alleged bomb in Times Square led to the evacuation of all our tourists and customers at almost all the Broadway shows and area restaurants. There was no explosion.“It appears to be a car bomb left in a Pathfinder between Seventh and Eighth,” said Deputy Commissioner Paul J. Browne, the Police Department’s chief spokesman.The device, he said, contained “explosive elements” that included “propane tanks, some kind of powder, gasoline and a timing device.”“This is very much an active investigation,” Browne said.The device was discovered by a mounted police officer who saw a box with smoke pouring from it in the back of the Pathfinder, Mr. Browne said. The officer called for backup, and the Fire Department and bomb squad.The Pathfinder’s back window was broken out, Mr. Browne said, and the police sent in a “robotic device” to “observe it.” Police began evacuating packed Times Square, where everyone was enjoying a hot Saturday night in the Big Apple.The license plates on the Nissan were registered to a Ford, the police said. A New York City firefighter told Reuters, he arrived early on the scene and said that the vehicle was smoking and that he saw “a flash” from the back of the it. “We put two and two together” and the evacuation was ordered, he said.


Editors Extra:


NO MORE TRAFFIC IN TIMES SQUARE



The city has been very stupid with dealing with traffic in Times Square. They added a couple of years ago metered parking to certain areas in Times Square, including right where they drop the famous ball. I always said, and tonight Im saying again, this was the most stupid thing I ever saw. I told friends how stupid this was. I said, all you have to do it park with a bomb, pay the meter and walk away. Another thing I said to friends was, how stupid all the metal detectors are in the Empire State building, when all you had to do was use your ATM card at The Bank Of America's branch in the famed building and just leave a package. They have guards all over the Empire State building, but the bank, nothing. But anyway, back to Times Square. Seeing there was a propane tank in the car, could this be a hot dog vendor's car? Just wondering. Anyway, I think with all these tourists in Times Square every day, you can never be protected. Times Square should be shut down all together forever. No more traffic. Just tourists. They should plant trees, put in benches, and just make it a Disneyland once and for all. They should make the streets around Times Square, that still allows parking, no parking zones. The Police should also enforce the no parking laws. On 43rd street, where we live and work, there is no parking anywhere. But the Police refuse to enforce the parking laws. Cars are parking illegally day and night all over Times Square and the Police do nothing when we call. The Westin Hotel for instance, allows taxis, limos and customers cars to park illegally up and down the street. I can not tell you how many times I have called the Police to complain, they do nothing. Once in a blue moon, after we put pressure on them, they give out a few tickets, but this is very rare. Walking around Times Square, all I see is so many cops on their cell phones, when they should be watching the crowd and the traffic. The Police must be banned from using their cell phones while on duty unless it is a police emergency. They have radios and have no need to be chatting on their cell phones, plain and simple. I bet so many crimes have happened because the cops are not paying attention and talking on their phones. I watch them walk down 43rd street chatting away on their cell phones while paying no attention to all the illegally parked trucks and cars, that could carry bombs. The police department will say they saved us this time, but I call it luck. I think most of the Police in Times Square just are not paying attention.
The machine guns the drills are all just a show. And what a show it is !


Photo By: John Martini

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