Yesterday, an alleged child abduction led to huge traffic delays because of the confusion caused by the Amber Alert message put out on highways here around Baltimore.
From the Sun:
Traffic experts said electronic messages flashing above major Maryland roads — on the same day that Osama bin Laden's terrorist network appeared to encourage attacks — might have left motorists believing that police were searching for terrorists and not for a missing infant.
“We got word from 911 that people didn't know what Amber Alert meant,” said State Highway Administration spokeswoman Valerie Edgar. She said highway officials will meet with state and local police to review the program, which aims to alert the public about missing-children cases.
State police issued the Amber Alert, a nationwide police code for a missing child. Once set in motion, the alert signifies that authorities should disseminate information about the abducted child and any suspects.
About 2 p.m., a cryptic Amber message began flashing across more than 60 state highway signs. It read:
AMBER ALERT CALL 911
WHITE HONDA ACCORD
PARTIAL MD TAG JFK
Together with the apparent bin Laden threat yesterday and the upgrading of the nation's terror alert status last week from yellow to orange, the Amber Alert was apparently mistaken by many motorists for a terrorist warning.
“It is understandable people could think that,” said Maj. Greg Shipley, a state police spokesman.
Sean M. Gallagher 