Police and Watchful Private Citizens Keep NYC Safe During Times Square Bomb Scares

The fact that these incidents did not wreak greater havoc than they did does not diminish the threats to our security in post 9/11 New York City. Rather the relative lack of damage is testament to the continual efforts of our police force and the watchful eyes of private citizens to keep us safe.

The first bomb scare incident occurred Saturday evening May 1 when police found a crude car bomb inside a smoking Nissan Pathfinder (as reported by New York Times). I was actually in Times Square that evening, though at the time I was unaware of what was going on.

Because I was inside the train station making a transfer, I did not actually witness the streets of Times Square being evacuated. I did not hear about the bomb scare until I arrived home and saw the reports on my news reels.

In retrospect, I did notice a frenzied atmosphere inside the train station. The trains were crowded even by Saturday evening Times Square standards, and I saw police patrolling the terminals. In my cart, I saw cops remove and reprimand several passengers who had tried to sneak into the train just as the doors were closing.

I am thankful that the police responded so quickly during the first Times Square bomb scare. I'm also grateful to private citizens such as t-shirt vendor and Vietnam veteran Lance Orton who had quietly exercised his patriotic duty by reporting the suspicious SUV to the police (as reported by New York Times). Everyday, New Yorkers see signs reminding us that "if you see something, say something." It's a relief to see private citizens putting this principle into practice.

Given today's Times Square incident, I am reminded of the importance of safety and heightened security even if it means have to sacrifice temporary convenience.

Although I do not live in Manhattan and have not been back to Times Square since the first incident, I've felt the effects of the Times Square bomb scares. On Wednesday, the NYPD briefly closed the Triborough Bridge (which connects Manhattan, Queens, and The Bronx) because of an abandoned U-Haul truck.

This caused some inconvenience for motorists who drive across the Triborough (RFK) Bridge as well as delays in the M60 buses which travel to upper Manhattan (as well as the airports in the opposite direction). On the Queens side of the bridge, Astoria Blvd was even more congested than normal, likely due to the U-Haul scare.

Although the incident on the Triborough Bridge was determined to be simple car theft rather than terrorism (as reported by NY Daily News), I'm glad that police responded as quickly as they did. I'm willing to experience a bit of inconvenience in my commute in order to ensure safety.

Given the proximity of the Times Square bomb scares, one can't blame New Yorkers for wanting to see more attention to matters of local and national security. One writer at the Examiner criticized the lack of response from the four major TV networks, ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX in the wake of today's second Times Square bomb scare.

As he writes, "It's pretty startling to see that networks which would ordinarily lose a few advertising dollars to give us the latest update on a Nor'easter or celebrity health emergency didn't find the emergency dispersing of America's busiest intersection to be worthy of similar breaking analysis."

Given the enormity of the World Trade Center bombings, security threats in New York City are of national importance importance and should not be treated lightly. At the same time, if these networks (many of which are headquartered in Manhattan), do not see cause for alarm, then it's a sign that the police and private citizens are doing something right to keep us New Yorkers safe.

Sources:

Police Find Car Bomb in Times Square, New York Times

T-Shirt Vendor Takes On New Persona: Reluctant Hero of Times Square, NY Times Blogs

Simple car thief behind U-Haul truck that caused bomb scare on Robert F. Kennedy Bridge: cops, NY Daily News

Major networks tune out of latest Times Square bomb-scare evacuation, Examiner