Attn race directors (don't do this): Running club members prompt massive bioterrorism response, face felony charges

Triathlon Forum
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Aug 25, 6:19 PM (ET)
http://apnews.myway.com/...70825/D8R8AMPG0.html

Running club members spread harmless lanes with baking flour connected by chalk arrows in parking lot prompting massive police anti terrorism response. They have been charged with first degree breach of peace, a felony. Let’s hope someone comes to their senses and drops the charges.

2

speechless…

although the hashers are a hell of a group to piss off

3

The apocolypse is near.

4

God Bless America.

These are troubled times.

One of my favourites? “Nobody ever went broke, underestimating the intelligence of the American People”

5

This is the stupidest quote:

“You see powder connected by arrows and chalk, you never know,” Mayoral spokeswoman Jessica Mayorga said. “It could be a terrorist, it could be something more serious. We’re thankful it wasn’t, but there were a lot of resources that went into figuring that out.”

Miss Mayorga is a former Miss Cuba. Which has nothing to do with her stupid quote – but which does add interesting flavor to the story.

7

I hope they get the death penalty! Bloody running pseudo-bioterrorists…

8

Those damn neighbor kids…
Flowers, hearts and clouds drawn in chalk on their driveway…just a coverup for some sinister bioterrorist plot, I’m sure.

I’m calling Mayoral spokesman Charo or whatever the hell her name is, first thing in the morning.

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Mayoral spokeswoman Jessica Mayorga said the city plans to seek restitution from the Salchows, who are due in court Sept. 14.
It is the Salchows who should be seeking restitution.

How does an out-of-proportion over reaction become their financial responsibility?

Daniel Salchow biked back to IKEA when he heard there was a problem and told officers the powder was just harmless flour, which he said he and his sister have sprinkled everywhere from New York to California without incident.
This is not the America of Franklin and Jefferson, this is the regime of the Bushes. Be afraid. Be very very very afraid. There are scary things out there. Everywhere. Just be scared of everything and give us all the power to control (err, protect) you.

I cry for the America that is fast fading from the memory of it’s inhabitants.

10

Just read this too…first thought was they couldnt be serious. Lets hope the powers that be come to their senses. Curious as to why terrorists would lay down their poison in the shape of road arrows.

11

Begin the unnecessarily slow-moving dipping mechanism!!!
.

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Curious as to why terrorists would lay down their poison in the shape of road arrows.
but ARROWS are SHARP, and very DANGEROUS, don’t you know…

maybe now they can be charged both with possessing counterfeit anthrax AND dangerous weapons…

13

So this happened in New Haven and was in the local paper. Just under the running article was this one…

“NEW HAVEN — The consultant’s report on the Police Department confirmed what detractors have been saying all along: That the Police Department, from the top down, is in total disarray.”

nuf said

14

we had an incident like this in chicago shortly after the whole anthrax in the mail scare. an organizer for a 5k race decided to chalk the grass as a way to indicate the course through a park by the lake. the office of emergency management communications (OEMC) was flooded with calls from citizens. several police and firefighters were called out, including the hazmat team. the whole area was shut down for a while.

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The Harriers also had this happen in Chicago–they shut down the Lincoln Park Zoo for a while. http://www.coolrunning.com.au/general/2002/2002e018.shtml

Key differences:

  1. This was 2002, right after the anthrax scare.
  2. Nobody was charged with a felony.
  3. It had never happened before–if the PD in New Haven had their heads out of their rears, they might have recalled the eerie similarities between the Chicago case (which got enough publicity as a false bioterror alarm that it should have been easy to remember. Hell, the Chicago Hashers do an annual “Anthrax Run” to commemorate the event), and their current one.
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“It could be a terrorist, it could be something more serious.”

i wonder what’s more serious.

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I’ve been accused of practicing voodoo magic, but never bio-terrorism.
And please never get us confused with a runnning club.
ON! ON!

1-Hung-Low
Pecan City Hash House Harriers

18

Washington Missouri has a small triathlon. One year they put down the power paint arrows for the run. Some old guy from out of town was looking for the farmers market and decided he should follow the arrows. This lead him to turn the wrong way down a one way street and he had an accident. He threatened to sue the city so the police chief wil not allow arrows on the road.

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“It could be a terrorist, it could be something more serious.”

i wonder what’s more serious.

A stupid politician.

Sergio

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So what’s the date for the 1st Annual Police Chief Francisco Ortiz Memorial Chalk & Flour Triathlon and Bioterrorism Awareness Rally in New Haven?

(Get it? Triathlon, then go to the BAR?? I crack myself up… ;))

Theme song for the race: The Doors’ “Peace Frog”

Sometimes these things just write themselves…

Later!

Brian

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Jessica Mayorga, Director of Public Information. 203-946-7660, 203-627-4224 (cell); jmayorga@newhavenct.net

I found this info in a very quick search. I just sent her an email.