NYC subway was diverted this morning "due to an anthrax scare"

Silly ^ | Oct. 31, 2001 | Silly

[Silly]

This morning, my subway conductor made an announcement that "due to the police investigation of an anthrax scare at 34th Street and 6th Avenue," our train would be rerouted from Queens to Brooklyn. This happened shortly after nine o'clock.

But I've seen or heard nothing about this on local media. Did a false story get passed around the MTA today? Was it a false alarm? I guess we might never know.

Let me state upfront that even if this were true, it would not bother me one bit. I think the anthrax story is over-hyped, and (at the moment) not a threat to most people. I'm certainly not an alarmist, but I do think the people spreading these stories ought to do it judiciously.

Instead of going to Manhattan, my F train from Queens switched to the G line to be diverted to Brooklyn. The rest of the E and F lines were sent to Manhattan, but they went local (making every stop), which slowed us down. I had to deboard at Queens Plaza and wait for the next E or F train.

It would be nice if the people responsible for spreading information like this through subway announcements actually had concrete information. Perhaps the police should be notified, so they can verify or debunk this story. If MTA workers are using anthrax as a phony cover story to explain train re-routings, the police should know about it.

But if there really were an anthrax scare at 34th and 6th this morning, the public should know.

[Silly]

Your thoughts?

Did anyone in NYC hear the same announcement?

Are there credible reports in the media that corroborate this?

[Silly]

And, by the way, I'm

Not being,

[firebrand]

There have been many subway scares since this whole thing began.

[hellinahandcart]

Have had television and FR on since 7:50 a.m. and have heard zip, zero, nada, "the hoop", about this.

Thinking the train could have been diverted for any number of reasons, but why would they say anthrax?

Thinking Empire State building too.

[hellinahandcart]

Although maybe there was just a "scare" in the station. You know. Detergent powder on the floor. We're not used to seeing cleaning products in the subways.

[KellyAdmirer]

I've seen anthrax scares during several walks through the city. One was at Worth Park, another at the Empire State Building. They are becoming pretty common. Haven't heard the media report on any of them. Nothing unusual here.

[anniegetyourgun]

Flight from Tokyo to Seattle out here has been detained. FBI took two folks off before other passengers were allowed to get off. Interesting things going on all around.

[Silly]

But if the scares are legitimate, why hasn't the media been talking about them? If they're false stories, why is the MTA spreading them?

That's my main concern.

p.s. to Sidebar Moderator: This is a firsthand account of an MTA subway announcement, made to hundreds of people in NYC. It happened about an hour ago. I do think for the moment it deserves breaking news status.

[Mixer]

Can you imagine how many false scares and hoaxes there are in NYC alone. WB and the major Network wouldnt be able to report them all. That is why it is always good to keep FR on at all times.

[hellinahandcart]

Instead of going to Manhattan, my F train from Queens switched to the G line to be diverted to Brooklyn. The rest of the E and F lines were sent to Manhattan, but they went local (making every stop), which slowed us down. I had to deboard at Queens Plaza and wait for the next E or F train.

So let me get this straight. Only YOUR train was diverted and the rest of the E and F trains proceeded into Manhattan making all local stops? Doesn't sound like the other trains were avoiding an anthrax investigation at 34th & 6th, does it? Just yours.

This is making less sense all of a sudden. Maybe they just wanted YOUR train not to go into Manhattan, for some reason. Did they make everyone get off the train before it went on to Brooklyn?

[Silly]

You have it straight. But I don't have more info than I've posted.

[areafiftyone]

There have been so many anthrax scares in Manhattan. Unless it is credible they are not going to put it in the news. If they did the local stations would be bombarded with false anthrax claims. I was on a bus the other day and someone spilled white powder on one seat. Everyone avoided the seat but the bus was still rolling along. Its so hard not to live on the edge of your seat in NYC.

[The Old Hoosier]

My neighborhood post office was shut down yesterday when they found Anthrax there.

Whatever motherf***er is doing this, foreign or domestic, I want a chance to spit in his face personally before sentencing.

[Neets]

Well glad you are IN and not OUT!!!!!!!

[NativeNewYorker]

Took downtown 6 around 8:15 am. Utterly mundane.

[zugerd]

There have been "scares" and "alerts" every day since the anthrax hit the Northeast. I've been diverted several times, and some of the delays have hit the newspapers (e.g., 79th St. station closed the other night for white powder). But I don't think mere train diversions are news any longer. There have been reports that subway security has been beefed up in unspecified ways, and I think these diversions are part of that. So far, it's all hoaxes or nervousness....

[firebrand]

There was a bomb scare at 34th Street about a week and half ago. People late for work, etc., including one freeper. The trains I'm riding on seem to be stopping more often for "police action" up ahead on the line, which in the past 8 years have been relatively rare. I'm guessing they couldn't possibly broadcast all to the public. No point to it either.

[firebrand]

This is the one that made me miss Marcel Marceau's talk at the 66th St. Barnes & Noble. For this alone we should pave Afghanistan.

[NYC GOP Chick]

There have been so many scares, hoaxes, whatever in the past couple of weeks, that I'm getting used to it already. Last Monday, I couldn't even get to work until noon. Every other morning, whatever train I'm on (usually a C or A) is held between stations for 10+ minutes at a time. The new 1/2 seems immune to that...so far.

[toupsie]

I was on the 'E' train this morning heading from SoHo to 53rd Street and it was a stop and go ride this morning. We would stop for about 5 minutes at a time in the middle of the tunnel after leaving a station the entire trip.

Last week, I was stuck in a 'E' train for 1 hour between the Spring Street and West 4th stations. It was kind of scary as I was the only person in the car and, of course, I couldnt understand a word from the conductor. They always sounds like an adult in a Charlie Brown TV cartoon. On average, my normal 20 minute commute has balloned to 40 minutes to an hour. I wish things would get back to normal. I can't get around the city without something in my way these days. Makes life frustrating.