Camouflage in the City

So as I was about to leave to catch the train this morning, KYW says that all trains that go thru Market East Station (isn’t that all of them?) have been suspended due to a “bomb scare.” Apparently someone called the police after noticing a “suspicious person.”

Anyway, my first thought was, “Some Jackass was watching the news last night and read that there was a heightened terror alert in New York on their subway systems. That idiot just saw someone who was not a White, Anglo-Saxon in a pinstriped suit, so they called the cops.” I then refined the thought and made a bet with myself that it was a student with their iPod tucked into their backpack and it looked like a bomb. Sigh….

As I sat on the train (you didn’t actually think I was going to get back in my car and drive downtown did you? Forget parking, I can’t afford the gas and it’s not like I’m in any rush to get to the office.), for a moment I wondered what if it was true? What if some terrorist decided that he couldn’t get NYC’s subway system so let’s just mosey on down to Philly and let one off here? It’s a big city. Immediately I thought, not my city. Nothing like that better happen to my city. Do not mess with Philly, people. I love Philly. It is my home and always will be. But, as I was pulling into 30th Street station my Dad called to tell me that it was a false alarm.

Seems that some guy dressed completely in camouflage had a large bag with him and someone called the cops. When the bomb sniffing dogs got there the dogs detected a scent and so the cops arrested him. Know what they found? A nozzle for a propane tank.

This does beg the following two questions, One, who the hell walks around with a propane tank nozzle in their bag and two, total camouflage? I mean I know the NYTimes said that camo is "in" this year but full camo? You think you’re going to blend into the crowd that way?

Full body camouflage reminds me of the huge Burberry craze of a couple of years ago. I will never forget a photo in the paper of a model in Burberry plaid boots, pants, shirt and jacket. It looked like Burberry threw up on her. Well, she got herself in the paper for being a fashion Don’t and you can guarantee that Mr. Camo Man won’t be walking around in that outfit anymore. Hmm, maybe it was worth the delay on the train. Another Fashion Emergency corrected with only a minor inconvenience to hundreds of thousands of commuters. Yeah, it was worth it…

UPDATE: As I was sitting here thinking about Burberry it reminded me of a time two years ago when I was living in Cincinnati (there are about 50 posts waiting for me to type out about my 3 years wasted in Cin-City). It was Spring and I was paying homage to Mr. Burberry by wearing my REAL Burberry button down blouse to work and thinking that I was rather spiffy looking. Half way thru the day a co-worker said, "Nice plaid shirt, is it flannel?" No kidding. Yet another fashion statement wasted on the Midwest. I should have worn full body camo. I would have fit in more wearing that.