Threat Has City on Edge-Heavy Police Presence Follows Report of Terror Plot;(are we that prepare and alert..VT)

Threat Has City on Edge
Heavy Police Presence Follows Report of Terror Plot; 'Go About Your Business'




By SOPHIA HOLLANDER and SEAN GARDINER

Reports of a "credible" terror plot targeting New York became the latest in a series of dire warnings New Yorkers have shouldered in recent weeks, unsettling some in a city already on edge as it prepared for the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

"We've had an earthquake, hurricane, floods and now a terror alert, said Antoinette Lauro. But, she added, "This too shall pass."
Photos: New York City Tightens Security

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Associated Press

Police officers rode the shuttle between Times Square and Grand Central Station on Friday amid a credible but unconfirmed al Qaeda threat.

New Yorkers wavered between the stoic attitude that has sustained them through the past decade and a worry that this time could be different. It was hard to ignore the armed guards patrolling landmarks, sparser crowds on subway cars and stilled traffic around Times Square, where the New York Police Department installed vehicle checks and inspected the contents of every passing truck.

"This is the fifth time I've been stopped today," said a driver of a large white van on Broadway, wearily. "I just want to do my job."

In response to the bomb threat, the NYPD increased the size of the on-duty force by a third and tightened security in the subways, a spokesman said.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey canceled all off-days for its police force and issued a "heightened alert" for all its transportation facilities and the World Trade Center site, officials said.

Security guards at Midtown banks discouraged people from milling around entrances. There were twice as many reports of suspicious vehicles and three times as many reports of suspicious packages to 911 than on an average Friday, police said.

In Lower Manhattan, police blocked off some streets near Ground Zero. For some, the visible security presence stirred memories of the 2001 attacks.

"I'm scared of the bridges blowing up," said Hubert Hoyos, 20, a dispatcher for Gray Line New York who noted that some of its buses go over the Manhattan Bridge. "I'm just nervous."

Despite the threats, officials sought to reassure residents and tourists.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg traveled by subway Friday morning to Lower Manhattan. "It's serious, but I think the right answer is: Go about your business," said Mr. Bloomberg, while speaking on his weekly radio show. "I feel comfortable walking the streets. I take the subway. And I think everybody should feel just as comfortable."

Not all New Yorkers agreed. Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials said ridership was "a little bit light" on Friday, though they credited the decrease to the suddenly sunny weather after a stretch of rain. "We think it's a summer Friday phenomenon," spokeswoman Marjorie Anders said.

Tourist sites teemed with people. Crowds wandered along the Brooklyn Bridge, unconcerned about helicopters streaking overhead. In Lower Manhattan, tourists snapped photos of the rising towers at the World Trade Center site. Street performers sang and staged dance performances to capitalize on the swell of visitors.

Those who work in Lower Manhattan tried to go about their regular routines, eating lunch outside and taking their regular cigarette breaks. But the terror threat was hard to avoid.

Jason Dow, who works in a consulting firm downtown, said the possibility of another attack dominated conversations during his commute from his home in New Jersey on Friday morning.

"People were definitely talking about something happening," said Mr. Dow, 25. "I was a little nervous, but what are you going to do about it?"

It was a common attitude expressed throughout the day: New Yorkers have steeled themselves to a new reality of terror alerts, many said; they would not treat this weekend differently.

"It's a bit of mayhem, but I'm a vet, nothing fazes me," said Rob O'Connor, who has worked as an engineer on Broadway for 32 years. "I was here for 9/11, I know you just have to be careful and keep your eyes open."

It helped to have more sets of eyes, some said.

"Y'all are making me feel safe, thank you," called out Troy Leathers to police as he passed a checkpoint near Times Square.

Mr. Leathers, who worked in the World Financial Center during the terror attacks in 2001, said he was initially concerned when learning of the possible car bomb this weekend.

But he quickly calmed down, he said. "We're New Yorkers," he said. "We're used to this."
—Jessica Firger, Shelly Banjo, Joseph De Avila and Michael Howard Saul contributed to this article.