[PRCo] Re: Tragedy/Question To The List

[John F Bromley]

Sounds like a wee bit of over-reaction.  No insult intended but I doubt
off-shore terrorists have ever heard of Cleveland (or Toronto for that
matter) never mind find it.

----- Original Message -----
From: <HRBran99 at aol.com>
To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2001 8:06 PM
Subject: [PRCo] Re: Tragedy/Question To The List


> In a message dated 9/12/01 1:12:50 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
> bobrathke at home.com writes:
>
>
> > Yesterday (Tuesday) in downtown Chicago, the tall, major, public and
> > government  buildings were evacuated and closed.  By Noon, most workers
> > downtown had left to go home.  CTA and Metra trains were running on
schedule
> > to get the people out of downtown, but the CTA Blue Line terminated at
> > Rosemont, and still does not go into O'Hare Airport.
> >
> >
>
> Thanks for all the replies to my post. This, of course, is not PRCo
material,
> however, the reason I wanted to know is because of how strange the past
two
> days have been here in Cleveland. This is a long explanation, so read on
if
> you really want to.
>
> The post by Bob in Chicago is almost what happened here in Cleveland
> yesterday. While watching the events unfold on live TV I was telephoned by
> Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) and told to report to
> work immediately. This was at 11:00 AM. My normal report time is 12:34 PM.
I
> had been watching a news briefing from Cleveland City Hall by Mayor
Michael
> White and just after GCRTA called the mayor indicated that he had ordered
the
> evacuation of downtown Cleveland, closing of all educational facilities,
all
> public buildings, all museums and the entire Tower City Center complex,
and
> had ordered implementation of the city emergency plan. Note that this plan
is
> put into effect only when a dire situation exists. The mayor then went on
to
> say that he had ordered the GCRTA (and the two intercity transit
authorities,
> Akron Metro and Laketran) to begin rush hour bus and rail service at 11:00
AM
> and the recall of ALL bus and rail operators and supervisors. Also a
parking
> ban on all downtown streets was in effect and police and tow trucks were
> standing by to remove any vehicle not in compliance.
>
> When I began my run on the 81-Scranton/Dennison/West Blvd. Rapid Stn route
> and entered downtown to find it looked like martial law had been declared.
> City police, Federal police, FBI and even suburban police were everywhere.
> Unmarked trucks (such as Pensky, Ryder, etc.) were being pulled over and
> searched. Even buses could only dwell for a short period at each bus stop.
I
> stopped mid-block, not at a bus stop, to wait for a customer signaling
that
> she wanted the bus and within 30 seconds two police cars and four guys in
> suits and sunglasses in a plain car were at the side of the bus wanting to
> know why I had stopped. This was in the Justice Center/Civic Center area.
> Downtown was empty by 1:30 PM.
>
> The west end of the Red Line heavy rail service was operating from
Brookpark
> Stn (one station short of the Airport station) eastbound to W. 25/Lorain
Stn
> and shuttled back and forth between these points. The east end of the Red
> Line and the Green and Blue Lines (light rail) operated from E. 55 Stn to
> their outer ends. The Waterfront light rail line was suspended. There was
no
> through rail service or Airport service. The shut down section operates in
> what appears to be a subway through the downtown, however, one is merely
> riding through the basement of the Tower City Center complex.
>
> Today, educational facilities (all schools, universities, etc.) remain
closed
> and many downtown buildings are still closed. The parking ban remains in
> effect. The city fire department, according to the evening news, responded
to
> thirty bomb threats in the downtown today. I saw three incidents where
trucks
> were stopped in the downtown, surrounded by police, drivers handcuffed,
and
> the trucks being searched.
>
> Another news conference by Mayor White today where it stated that the
> closings will remain in effect at least until Sunday. Reporters twice
asked
> the mayor why Cleveland had taken such major actions and twice the mayor
> replied that, "Security concerns will not allow me answer that question."
>
> Also of note is that gasoline prices rose from $1.85.9 (average for
premium
> grade) to anywhere from $3.50.9 to $5.00.9 overnight. They mayor then
placed
> an emergency ordinance into effect which prohibits excessive prices on
needed
> items, gasoline being one of the needed items.
>
> I am still mystified and concerned as to why Cleveland is still in
> "emergency" mode and have not a clue.
>
> HrB
>
>
>