Terrorist Toll on Gowanus from No-Toll Brooklyn Bridge

On Friday, October 15^th, in our post-9/11 society, terrorists took a toll on Gowanus from the toll-free Brooklyn Bridge.

At 9:38 am, someone reported a suspicious package on the Brooklyn Bridge. The police shut down both sides of the bridge to investigate, reports NBC. In this day and age, they have no choice.

The investigation backed traffic up "all the way to the belt merge," according to the report. Drivers had to use local streets or devise alternative routes. Talk about a TGIF spoiler!

It turns out the "suspicious package" was a flashlight with copper wiring. So, luckily this incident was a false alarm.

The Brooklyn Bridge is undergoing, and will continue to undergo, a lot of construction for the next couple of years. So, who knows what might be strewn about?

How do New Yorkers know what to report and when to report it?

If we are overly cautious, problems like this bridge scare will arise again. They take a toll on society. Every investigation involves security manpower which costs money and New Yorkers are usually inconvenienced.

If we are not cautious enough, the worst could happen.

On 9/11, terrorists put the average New Yorker in an awkward and confusing position. We are forced to live by the old standby, "better safe than sorry." We also must live with the toll this concept takes on us.

You're free to cross the toll-free Brooklyn Bridge, Gowanus.

Source:

"All Clear on Brooklyn Bridge After Police Activity Shuts Down Span," NBC