Empty Suitcase Shuts Down 42nd Street at Rush Hour; Tensions High After Bombing

[MowCowWhoHow III]

Source: NBC

An empty suitcase shut down part of Times Square at the height of the morning rush Wednesday after someone called police to report a potentially suspicious package, the latest sign the city's jitters have not eased from Saturday's bombing in Chelsea.

The bomb squad responded as a precaution and 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues was shut down while authorities investigated.

Photos on social media showed both ends of the highly trafficked street closed to cars and pedestrians, and city officials put out a notification advising New Yorkers to expect delays in the area.

Suspicious package reports have been common since Saturday night, when a bomb exploded on 23rd Street, injuring 31 people, and a second bomb was found on 27th Street.

Read more: http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Suspicious-Package-Closes-42nd-St-at-Rush-Hour-394263141.html?_osource=SocialFlowTwt_NYBrand

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Was:

Suspicious package found near Times Square
Source: Metro

A suspicious package was reported in Manhattan on 42nd Street and 7th Avenue.

NYPD Bomb Squad is on the scene and the streets are closed off.

This is a developing story.

Read more: http://www.metro.us/new-york/suspicious-package-found-near-times-square/zsJpiu---uinGJXe0KKAwg/

[leftynyc]

1. Lots of subway lines

cross right there - incredibly busy at all times of the day and night.

[Renew Deal]

2. There are suspicious packages all over NYC all the time.

Probably nothing

[Helen Borg]

3. Oh now we'll have breaking news

each time someone reports a suspicious something in NYC.

[onehandle]

4. Are they sure it's not just an unlicensed Elmo? nt

[Renew Deal]

5. lol

[Tom Rinaldo]

6. It makes sense for citizens to report them, but not for media to report on them

The former is caution, the latter is senseless spreading of fear without due cause.

[leftynyc]

7. The NY press should report it

It's incredibly helpful to know which streets are currently shut down when trying to get around the city.

[Tom Rinaldo]

10. Good point. OK, as part of traffic reporting then n/t

[Historic NY]

8. UN is in session too .

[jumptheshadow]

12. That means traffic is already nightmarish

Midtown East is very difficult to maneuver during UN Week, with huge security, blocks condoned off and motorcades speeding in different directions. Many heads of state are in town. This situation will yield one of those once-in-a-while, classically frustrating New York days. Even the concierges will have trouble dealing with it. It's best just to grab an early seat at Happy Hour.

[Historic NY]

14. They have the planes stacked like cord wood at Stewart Airport.

[JackRiddler]

16. Yeah, an annual mess.

[MynameisBlarney]

9. I remember seeing a clip of a "suspicious package" on the news years ago

And it was a soda bottle or something stupid like that.

I tried to find it and post it, but no luck so far.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

17. It was crazy here in Chicago after 9/11

It reached absurd levels.

The police rousted our entire building over some garbage blown up against our building. I'm certain there were some folks getting their jollies calling in "suspicious" packages.

[freebrew]

11. Was it tRUMP???

Oh, I thought you said 'Empty Suit'...

[bigwillq]

13. Flying out of JFK early tomorrow morning

Hope everything goes smoothly for all travelers.

[JackRiddler]

15. Oh for fuck's sake, this city's streets...

are and always have been FULL of discarded boxes, suitcases, plastic bags, containers... also garbage bags, garbage cans, dumpsters, etc. all of which are legit. Are we not going to be able to put out the garbage on garbage day now?

Come to think of it, that's any city. There is absolutely nothing constructive to be done about this. Let's hope it blows over (not blows up, ha ha).

It's like that time back in 2002 when they shut down the Brooklyn Bridge and declared Code Orange because of a PLASTIC BAG.

This is as dumb as the "burka panic." (Only people in burkas could possibly be disguising a bomb -- ban those to stop terrorism!)