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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!eagle!karn
From: karn@eagle.UUCP (Phil Karn)
Newsgroups: net.jokes
Subject: The Harding Township Bomb Scare
Message-ID: <1078@eagle.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 26-Aug-83 04:28:27 EDT
Article-I.D.: eagle.1078
Posted: Fri Aug 26 04:28:27 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 27-Aug-83 17:10:52 EDT
Lines: 47

The following is a TRUE story; there were articles in several local
newspapers on it.  This summary is stolen from an anonymous (physical)
bulletin board here at Murray Hill.


		The Harding Township Bomb Scare - 7/16/83

-Little old lady stops to use pay phone at Harding school.  Phone is
ticking.

-Little old lady notifies police, who confirm that phone is ticking.

-Police call N.J. Bell.  Regional supervisor, from New Brunswick, states
"Phones don't tick".

-Harding police call bomb detection dog squad, Morris County Bomb
Squad, & Harding Township Fire Department with Salvage Truck.  All
confirm phone is ticking.

-Salvage unit gets Jaws of Life to work to liberate receiver from phone.
 No luck.

-Morris County Bomb squad decides, in view of Clear & Present Danger,
phone should be blown up under controlled conditions.

-Explosives are taped to receiver.

-BLAM!!! Whole phone booth explodes.  Shards of glass litter parking lot
& become imbedded in historic pillars, metal twists, coins roll all
over, police cordon off blast area.

-New Vernon Fire Dept., First Aid Squad, police & Bomb Squad
congratulate themselves on saving lives & property.

-N.J. Bell man drives up, realizes he's a little late, states "Phones
tick when the coin box needs emptying.  Guess I know what I'll be doing
Monday morning!"


Only in New Jersey!  There are some discrepancies on minor details, like
whether or not the blast really opened the coin box, and whether the
unsuccessful attempt to use the Jaws of Life was made before or after
the blast.  Apparently the phone company also insists that the
"authorities" were told of the likely explanation for the ticking at
least an hour before the phone was blown up.

73, Phil