"Bomb scare"

[Blackcloud6]

Yesterday I had a a little "bomb scare" at my house. I got to check the mail and open the mail box, reach in and notice there is an odd object in the box and no mail. I quickly pull out my hand and notice a plastic baby wipe can sitting in the box. Now, my job with the Army involves force protection so the worst runs through my mind. I can't tell if there is anything in the can or anything else. It could be garbage, a prank or something worse but I know it should not be in there. I'm not a panicky type but its better to be safe than sorry so I call the police. Heck it could have poop in it or something like that, all I know its odd that it was in my mailbox.

About 15 minutes later a patrol car pulls up and the police man talks with me and we walk over to look at the can. He asks me if I'm having trouble with any neighbors or kids and I tell him no. He looks at the can for a few minutes then suddenly and without warning grabs it. He then opens it but at least had the sense to at least point it away from us when he did so. It was empty. He tossed it into his car, took down my name and number and told me that I was smart to call, better to be safe than sorry etc. and drove away.

I wouldn't have grabbed it or at least I would have told the homeowner to walk away before doing so.

It turned out to be nothing. It may have been a kid's prank but geez, for a split second it was kinda shocking when he grabbed that sucker.

 

[Chipperman]

Was he from the bomb squad?

 

[dev_null]

That's their idea of how to handle a possible bomb???

What do they do with suspected anthrax spores, sniff them to see if they smell funny?

I would have called the chief and pitched a fit.

You're lucky you're here to type this.

-0-

 

[Tamara]

He looks at the can for a few minutes then suddenly and without warning grabs it. He then opens it but at least had the sense to at least point it away from us when he did so.

I probably would have looked a little funny diving face-down on the lawn when he did that.

 

[Blackcloud6]

Well, he grabbed it so fast, I didn't have time to react.

 

[larry_minn]

Well now you know to take care of it yourself next time.
IMO some Duct Tape to string to pull it out of box from 50' away would be a good start. I know when we had mailbox bomber I would check the box every day and only open a small amount and look for trigger unless right after mailman droped off mail.

 

[Ala Dan]

Gee Fred Ole' Pal-

I'm certainly glad everything turned out O.K.!

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

 

[Coronach]

I got sent out on a suspicious package run once and ran into the Basic Rule of Bomb Squad. More on this in a moment.

The 'package' was a shoeshine box left unexpectedly and inexplicably on a porch in a nice neighborhood. I was instantly dubious- ok, this ain't no bomb. BUT, I ask the people why they're suspicious, and well, they came up with a Pretty Good Reason:

"We both work for *INSERT NAME OF MAJOR INSURANCE CORPORATION HERE* and do claims adjustment out of our home. We've had extremely angry customers show up on our doorstep demanding that we change the status or dollar amount of their claims."

Well...okey dokey then!

I call up the Fire Department (they do bomb and arson runs) and give them the low-down. I'm still skeptical and say as much, and I am informed of the Basic Rule of Bomb Squad.

"Officer, you willing to go up there and give it a kick?"

"Uh, no."

"Well then, you need bomb squad. We'll be right out."



So, we shut down the neighborhood, called Bomb Squad out, and blew up a shoeshine kit and a few cannisters of Kiwi.

Mike

 

[M1911]

I thought the Basic Rule of the Bomb Squad is: "It ain't my @#%! building!"

 

[dev_null]

I thought it was "Nobody talks about Bomb Squad!"

Seriously, I don't know what people think a bomb is "supposed" to look like, but after having been in HongKong during the Cultural Revolution, I can tell you that they may look like *any* package.

-0-

 

[spacemanspiff]

shortly after 9/11 i had to drop some certified mail at the post office. while in line, i noticed a duffel bag is sitting in front of one of the counters. no ones noticing its been left there, and the clerks had no idea what to do with what can only be described as a 'suspicious package' in their building. must not have been anything bad as there were no 'booms' heard when i left.

a couple years ago there was a paper bag left in front of my mothers house. the neighborhood kids were poking at it, so a couple of the parents took a look inside. under some clothes was a loaded 9mm. police came to pick it up, and just a few hours later someone came back around looking for the bag.

 

[Quantrill]

Cop was probably the local "gun expert" for the dept. It is about typical for that type. Quantrill

 

[larry_minn]

Coronach or others. Why do they always want to BLOW up a package that they don't know what it is?
In closed shoe box my same idea works. Stick a rope to lid and stand off around corner and pull lid off. Then you can see inside. OR put rope around and pull into trailer and get out in gravel pit. Why blow up a unknown in the middle of the city? A. if it was explosive you have increased its bang and provided a detonation source. IMO the explosive is easy but a reliable detonation source is hard. B. if toxic you have provided means to spread it around.
What really gets me is hearing where a package is found and owner shows up when bomb squad is making approach. He says "That is my bag that I forgot when loading family bags into car. I came back when I realized it was not in car"
They will not only let him go and open his bag and prove it is not a bomb but will blow it up to make sure. This happened about 6 months ago and I think was at a smaller airport in Kalif.
I had a former room mate who was Army Explosives disarm something. I set up a few (No caps) and he realized his speciality only worked with mass produced stuff.

 

[Average Guy]

At the height of the anthrax mailings, I rec'd at work a letter with the word "jihad" in the return address. I took it to my boss and told him I wouldn't open it. He took it to his boss, who shook it vigorously and then opened it. (While my boss and I watched from waaaay outside the office.)

It was a fan letter for our magazine, and the guy's last name was (improbably) "Jihad," and only "important" people get anthrax in the mail, but it was a bad scene all around.

I'm no longer with that company. Neither is my boss's boss.

 

[Navy joe]

So how does patrol officer Babywipe check to see if a gun is unloaded? Not sure I want to be around for that one.

 

[seeker_two]

Isn't the basic rule of the Bomb Squad "If you see me running, you'd better catch up"?...

If there HAD been something in that mailbox, that LEO's method could be entertaining to watch....from a far distance.

 

[Coronach]

Coronach or others. Why do they always want to BLOW up a package that they don't know what it is?

Short answer: I have no idea.

Long Answer: I suspect that it has a lot to do with how much info they can gather via remote means, what they see when they remotely open the lid, etc. But basically, I dunno. I was not even 'allowed' to watch the procedure...I was doing perimeter security keeping the neighbors out of fragging distance.

Mike

 

[Camel]

They blew it up right there? In the only experience Ive ever had with EOD they drove it out into the boondocks and blew it up.

Funny story there. Someone found a pair of large bombs and called the the EOD guys to dispose of them. EOD took them to the bottom of the cliff a "safe distance" from anything and blew them up. Apparently through some freak accident one bomb was launched into the air before it exploded, sending a large piece of shrapnel over the cliff and a pretty fair distance beyond. This chunk of steel landed inside a hangar. The EOD folks were notified and took it. The next day it was mounted on a plaque that said "Next time we wont miss".

 

[Coronach]

Like I said, I dunno. There was a bang, I was told to drop the scene tape.

I have no idea if it was done on the spot, moved a short distance, or what...but it certainly was not taken away and detonated. In retrospect, they may have just opened it up remotely and blasted some offensive cannister of kiwi with a shotgun, just to make sure.

I dunno. I am completely sane, so I'm not bomb-squad material.

Mike

 

[The Plainsman]

About a week ago, in one of the bedroom communities near Kansas City, we all got to watch a bomb squad blast a gym bag.

Apparently, someone left their gym bag on the roof of their car. As they drove away, the bag fell into the street. A short time later, a passing motorist saw the bag lying in the street, slowed down and picked it up and tossed it to the side of the street. Some neighbors saw the second driver toss the bag and they called the local PD. The PD arrived and called the bomb squad who used all sorts of state-of-the-art equipment to try to see what was in the bag - apparently to no avail. Finally, the bomb squad placed some kind of charges around the bag and set them off. There followed a shower of glowing clothing fragments as the contents of the gym bag floated back to Earth. The great part was - thousands of KC TV viewers were able to watch every exciting minute of the entire drama, courtesy of a couple local TV stations.

 

[Coronach]

Interesting. 'round here, they don't allow Bomb Squad activities to be witnessed by outsiders, when possible. That was part two of my duties...while I was preventing suburban housewives from getting spattered with kiwi, I was also keeping observers, some with cameras, from watching how Bomb Squad deals with packages. If you pause to think about it, such knowledge could aid in designing devices to take out first responders.

Of course, while I was doing that, I was also not able to watch myself. *sigh*

Mike

 

[Blackcloud6]

Plainsman:

Who got hit with the flying jock strap?