AN ODD STORY: IT'S THE TERRable TUNNEL DANCERS

Pulling guns on kids, that is too much. These cops and their guns, I tell you, what are they thinking? When I was 16 I was a bad boy and used to hitchhike up to see this girl in a neighboring town. Of course this was when her parents weren't home. So one night after our secret rendevous, I went over to the local mall and slept in a telephone booth. I wake up in the morning and here is a cop with his gun pulled and aimed at me. Man that cop was sure in danger, a 16 year old kid sleeping in a telephone booth. Can't be too careful you know, who knows what mayhem I might've wreaked!

Wreek!...I know that might of scared you Adam!

Cops are a bit gun happy, I think all the mayhem has them on the edge to be trigger quick! Kids really haven't changed behavior a lot they are still young!

It ain't just cops. A home owner in Lancaster Texas emptied his gun (15 rounds) into an unarmed teenager who had wandered into his garage seeking directions to another address in the neighborhood. That this young man was Mexican was apparently enough to justify lethal fear, as there have been no charges filed.

What a terrible commentary on our society. No charges filed!!!

I agree Michelle-- it isn't just cops! Adults, moms, dads, kids and even senior citizens are really living by the gun! So, all to often they targeting the innocent youths in the process.

Here is the news story from the NY Post.

People here in NY know the reason why we need a heavy police presence. Just a few months ago, a devastating car bomb in Times Square that could have caused hundreds of casualites was defused.

The Lincoln Tunnel is one of the major targets. There is a regular police presence at both ends of the tunnel. Anything out of the ordinary--and the cops jump at it. With good reason.

IN this story, as soon as the police realized these kids presented no threat, they called BET and offered to clear the streets and give them a police escort to their gig. They would have done it--but BET said forget it.

It is an unfortunate story all the way around. Thank God nobody got hurt.

Here is the text to the news story:



Nov19 DANCE TROUP CAUSES SCARE IN LINCOLN TUNNEL
New York Post


A camouflage-clad Florida dance troupe desperate to make it to a live TV talent show set off a rush-hour terror scare when they ditched their cars in merciless Lincoln Tunnel traffic and tried to sprint through the tube.

The FBI-NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force was called in -- and a massive contingent of heavily armed cops surrounded the harmless performers, who stood teary-eyed in their showy costumes as hundreds of angry drivers were stuck in the snarl.

"They drew their guns on us at first," said Landon Burse, 24, the group's executive director who arranged the appearance on BET's "106 & Park" segment "Wild on Wednesday."

"It was terrifying. I was crying," said Eternity Odom, 16, one of the four girls who perform in the group.

The tunnel was closed for 45 minutes before cops realized the eight-member team was headed to the studio on West 57th Street. They eventually offered them a police escort to make the show.

But it was too late -- the hard-headed producers of the live talent show told them not to bother, sending them in a trail of tears back down the New Jersey Turnpike.

The group, called "Club Envy," had set out from Jacksonville about 24 hours earlier with stardust in their eyes as they hit I-95 for the 1,158 mile trip north -- a trip for which they spent three months holding local fundraisers.

The first 23½ hours went off without a hitch, but the trip hit a traffic snarl at the tunnel's New Jersey helix around 5:15 p.m. Wednesday.

That's when seven performers and a manager leapt from the two-vehicle convoy and attempted to hoof it for the last five miles.

Alarmed Port Authority cops saw the youths in costumes -- including unfortunate camouflage-colored shorts and vests -- and immediately called the Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Among them were Burse and three young men who perform in the group -- Ronnie Killing Jr., 20; Dontel Jabal Madison, 18; Darius Hutchins, 19.

In addition to Odom, three other 16-year-old girls also began sprinting toward Manhattan -- Adaya Foster, Kenya Clark and Courtney King.

They made it all the way to the Manhattan side -- and could actually see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel -- when cops stepped in and detained them.

They were able to explain the group's predicament to a Port Authority lieutenant, who tried to help them.

"The lieutenant called the guy at BET and told him, 'Hey, I can clear the traffic to get these kids there quickly,' but the guy from BET said, 'It's past 6 p.m. and we don't need them now,' " Burse said.

Pat Charles, a writer for the BET show, insisted they "didn't get a call from the cops until they were already supposed to be off the air."

"Unfortunately, the group could not participate in last night's show," added BET spokeswoman Marcy Polanco.

She said the station was willing to reschedule another appearance for the performers.

Odom said she learned a valuable lesson.

"There are a lot of fumes in that tunnel, and we could have passed out or gotten hit by a car," she said. "The next time we come here, we'll stay in our cars."

Wonderful...Thanks for the additional news story Richard!

How unfortunate for them they didn't get to appear on the BET's show.
--I can understand these times are really unsafe, and really I can understand the other side of initiating security in public areas.
I am glad no one was hurt...
Except of the teenagers disappointments in never making it on time for the show.
What a let down for them.