'Body powder' found at post office; truckers postal workers forced to take lie detector tests

-- The Trucker Staff | Nov 14 2003

[Vanilla Witha 9]

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Greenville, S.C., postal workers and truckers are being forced to take lie detector tests after the poison ricin was found in an envelope in a Greenville post office in October and last week a mysterious powder was found in a mail bin at a nearby postal facility.

The Gaffney, S.C., post office was evacuated Nov. 7 after workers found an unidentified powder in a mail bin but it turned out to be "body powder."

In October, an anonymous letter threatening to take hostage the new Hours of Service rules was found in addition to a vial of the deadly poison, ricin.

Employees, truckers and others forced to submit to the polygraph tests have complained the tests are too personal, authorities said.

Dennis Zimmerman, president of Local 168 of the American Postal Workers Union, said during the tests one truck driver was so distraught he ripped the equipment off. However, FBI spokesmen wouldn't comment, saying the investigation is ongoing.

There have been several other findings of powdery substances but none except the ricin turned out to be dangerous, authorities said.