October 9, 2001

11:15 AM

Chemicals used in DC?It's pretty new still, anyone seen anymore info on this?
posted by Snotty (14 comments total)

A bit more info in this story.
posted by sudama at 11:27 AM on October 9, 2001

I just heard on NPR that the man who supposedly sprayed the stuff into the air in the Metro just sprayed perfume. At least that's what the police are saying the lab tests are coming back with. And the poeple who got sick were suffering from mass hysteria.
posted by raintea at 11:49 AM on October 9, 2001

The latest AP Wire story indicates the substance may have been perfume.

While not a terrorist act per se, wearing too much perfume can be annoying, and this site will help you tactfully point this out to an offender.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 11:51 AM on October 9, 2001

From the Fragranced Products Information Network: Perfumes and fragrances are known triggers for asthma, rhinitis, sinusitis, allergies, migraine headaches, and an array of symptoms for those that suffer from chemical sensitivities."
posted by Carol Anne at 12:02 PM on October 9, 2001

Actually, they used pepper spray so it may not be mass hysteria but that the passengers are suffering the effects of what the transit police directed at the suspect.
posted by Renee Pelagie at 12:03 PM on October 9, 2001

The frequently-updated wire article now mentions that the people who got sick probably ingested some of the pepper spray the cops used to subdue the steak knife wielding guy.

Capt. Chauncey Bowers, spokesman for the Prince George's County Fire Department, said the people were complaining of nausea, headache and dry throat, which could also be symptoms of exposure to pepper spray, which officers used while trying to take the man into custody.
posted by barkingmoose at 12:04 PM on October 9, 2001

Aww man, I was hoping it'd turn out to be a homeless man dropping his urine/log jar.
posted by Snotty at 12:04 PM on October 9, 2001

I don't think this merits a front-page link, but this thread will probably be read pretty heavily, so I'm posting here.

A CNN article entitled "White House clamps down on classified information" has this to say:

He also called the four leaders to explain his decision and said he was furious that sensitive intelligence material that was shared with Congress was being repeated to the news media, two sources familiar with the calls told CNN.

There's something so funny to me about attributing the last sentence of a paragraph concerning increasing security and confidentiality to "sources familiar with the call."

I now return you to your previously sheduled thread. All apologies for the disruption...
posted by Sinner at 12:10 PM on October 9, 2001

Take with a grain of salt, but the New York Post is "reporting" that a 3rd American Media employee has tested positive for anthrax.
posted by phatboy at 1:03 PM on October 9, 2001

how's that for sound journalism? the post says that someone who works for the sun said that this was "confirmed"...

wow.
posted by elsar at 1:55 PM on October 9, 2001

It was nothing more than house cleaner. (However, he did shoot a gun.)
posted by Steven Den Beste at 2:25 PM on October 9, 2001

A friend of mine was trying to get home on the DC Metro at the time, she said it was pure hysteria in there when that was going on, and everyone was pissed off to find that it was only some kind of cleaning fluid.
posted by iamjacksamnesia at 4:29 PM on October 9, 2001

Nothing more than house cleaner? You know that you can make MUSTARD GAS from nothing more than household cleaners? hmm.

Just the same way you can make TNT from fertilizer. Chemicals are chemicals. Mix em together and whadda ya got?

Bibbidy Bobbidy Boo.
posted by eljuanbobo at 6:43 PM on October 9, 2001

It is actually easy to make poisonous gas from things bought from the grocery store. Just mix bleach with ammonia, and you get chlorine gas.
posted by Steven Den Beste at 7:10 PM on October 9, 2001