Philip Fibiger

While I appreciate the heightened security at airports and other critical buildings, I think that some people are taking this post 9/11 hysteria a little too far. On saturday morning, just after finishing my breakfast, there was a knock at the door. I figured it was the guy who was supposed to be here on friday to fix the gas fireplace. I opened the door to a uniformed L.A.P.D. officer.
Sir, we’re evacuating the building. There was an unknown package found in the parking structure. Do you own a brown Samsonite suitcase?
By the time we got our shoes on and left the apartment, the officer in the courtyard said that some woman said she’d already opened the suitcase, so we could go inside while she was interviewed. Now, our apartment complex has around 70 units. I don’t think anyone particularly famous or important lives here. It absoultely boggles my mind that someone’s first reaction to seeing a suitcase in the parking garage is “Bomb! call the police!” I either would have ignored it, or opened it up to see if I could find out who owned it so I could put it in front of his or her door. This seems like just the kind of fear that’s going to keep this war going a lot longer than it should.