Interesting News Item

It seems that common sense was a fatality of 9-11.

Certainly not the first time...

OK, I gotta tell this one - it's a true story.

I graduated from high school in 1970 (Wilmington, DE). Since I was in the concert band that was playing at the graduation, I had to get to the school early, and drove in by myself. When my dad got there, he was a little late, and didn't want to disturb the ceremony by walking up to the front (where his reserved seat was). So he stood against the back wall of the gymnasium.

Now, my dad was a Wop (Neopolitan), and he looked it. He was wearing a dark coat, a dark fedora, and brought along his Polaroid camera. The camera was hanging around his neck, and he set down the case (which looked like an attache case). He moved away to get a better view, and out of the corner of his eye, he noticed one of the teachers carrying the case out of the gym, holding it at arm's length. Dad assumed it was in the way - no big deal. A couple of minutes later, two big burly guys (one white and one black) in dark suits stood to either side of him and said "Come with us". They led him out of the gym and into the men's room, where my dad saw the case sitting on a sink. The two guys identified themselves as city detectives, and started to ask him questions: who are you, what are you doing here, etc. Finally, my dad noticed the black cop started to look embarrased (realized their mistake), and asked him what was in the case. My dad told them it was a camera case and showed them the camera. So now the black cop gingerly opened the case to check. My dad shouted "BOOM!".

Cops don't have much of a sense of humor, but eventually, they let my dad get back to the graduation. Well, he missed the chance to get a picture of me receiving my diploma, but the memory of that night?.... Priceless.

Joe

Joe excellent story I grew up in pa near claymont ,del I would not want the job that a policeman has but boy when you run accross a dumb cop they are usually really stupid . the same goes for some teachers especially now adays.. batw

A "question-and-answer session between mayoral candidates"?

Very interesting.

-gc

Bob Engelhardt wrote in news:r8CdnUimkpTMN7LYnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com:

Since before that even. Back in about 1999 a hiway bridge inspector spotted a CO2 cartrige laying on one of the concrete bases under a bridge on a major hiway here in northern wisconsin (hyw13). He was evidently so well trained in recognizing terrorist tactics that he called in the bomb squad from fort Mcoy 200+ miles away and shut down the hyway for the entire 4th. of july afternoon.

heheh pays to train well... granpaw

Yeah, that's what I got too. Figured I had lost something in the translation, lol.

Jim

Not long ago..on my way home, about a mile from my house..the CHP flagged me down. Sitting in the middle of the road was a busted bag of "suspected toxic substance"

I recognized the Baroid logo ..quite distinctive..

and has he was busy calling out the hazmat teams and fire department, I walked up, saw Bentonite on the bag, then simply tugged and kicked the bag to the shoulder of the road (90lbs). He is standing there watching in shock and horror..and I walked up to him, beating clouds of dust off me with my hat...and he is backing up as Im approaching....I told him to have dispatch look up Bentonite...then got in my truck and left..driving through the pile of clay dust on my way home.

Gunner

"A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences."

- Proverbs 22:3

Gunner wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Our tax dollars at work eh?

it really wasnt his fault..a bit over eager..young guy, trying to make his bones. There are places to call for hazmat info. Thats why there are placards on trucks carrying liquids and hazmat cargos. All he needed to do was read the bag, call it in..find out what it was. But he made the automatic assumption it was Probably toxic Stuff. However..damned little seriously toxic stuff is carried in brown bags like sack concrete, let along kept on the back of a truck where it was likely to fall off and bust open.

Shrug...ever seen the dihydrogen monoxide thing that goes around the internet on occasion?

Fear..too much of it..makes people do really stupid stuff. On the other hand..so does too little of it.

Fella has to find a balance..an informed balance.

Gunner

"A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences."

- Proverbs 22:3

Gunner wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

If not, a quick trip to will bring "enlightenment".

Gunner

He was doing what he's trained to do, be cautious. Bentonite and far nastier things look a lot the same to the untrained eye. You forget how much more you know than most of the world.

I remember one time running through a moderately busy commercial area and seeing white pellets scattered around from a sack that had burst in the street. I guessed it was injection molding plastic until I looked at the bag - Sodium Cyanide - probably headed for an electroplating shop. I'm a chemist so I've handled NaCN before and know it's not terribly toxic, but it's not something you want kicking around in the street either. I stopped at the next business and called it in to the Hazmat people. If that cop had found it, his caution would have been justified.

Jim