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CNN Live At Daybreak
Secure Party in Times Square
Aired December 31, 2003 - 06:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: If you are braving the crowds of New York's Times Square tonight, we do admire you, because, as we've said, you'll be dealing with huge crowds and hovering helicopters, bomb- sniffing dogs, too many police officers to count. Oh, and it's going to be fun.
CNN's Maria Hinojosa will be there. She joins us live by phone.
And, Maria, it will be fun, right?
MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know what, Carol? I have to say that at this time of year in New York City, it really has a very special feel to it. It seems as if New York is bursting at the seams with people, and I'm not talking about rush hour traffic. There is no rush hour traffic, but you walk around any New York tourist destination and you're in a huge crowd. And the stores are hopping, too.
The mayor said it yesterday, we just heard it now, that New York City is back and leave the worrying to the officials. It seems as if that is what people are doing. Of course, we are on an orange alert and have been in this city since September 11.
And you do see on the street more police -- more mounted police, more state police, more military police. You see more checkpoints. But perhaps, Carol, what is most important is what you don't see -- the antiterrorist snipers, the hundreds, if not thousands, of undercover police, the radiation detectors that some of those police will be wearing, all of the elite squads, and the NYPD will be up and running those squads with those memorable names like Atlas and Hercules.
Again, as you said, there is a no-fly zone, and federal helicopters have been asked to fly over Times Square at the request of the city at midnight.
One final thing, a special event tonight is the invitation of former Iraqi POW Shoshana Johnson. She lives in Texas, but she's a Panamanian-American, and her Brooklyn-based family is thrilled that she's going to be here ringing in the new year and helping to drop that ball with Mayor Bloomberg tonight at midnight -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Oh, that is so exciting. I mean, it is exciting. It's just -- I mean, it would just be exciting to be there in the midst of all of those people, because they're not expecting a smaller crowd this year over last, are they? The weather is going to be beautiful. HINOJOSA: The weather is going to be beautiful. They're expecting a larger crowd. And it's hard to say. You just -- you get this feeling. I was out last night, shopping of course, and the stores were just bustling with people. There were people at 7:00 last night who already had their happy new year hats on. This is just too funny in New York City, but there is a real energy.
And probably one of the safest places to be in New York City tonight will be in Times Square. Everybody is going to be checked, magnetometers, every single backpack will be checked. There is no alcohol allowed into the Times Square area, so many think that this is the place to be if you want to feel safe tonight.
COSTELLO: All right, Maria Hinojosa joining us live by phone. Happy new year!
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired December 31, 2003 - 06:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: If you are braving the crowds of New York's Times Square tonight, we do admire you, because, as we've said, you'll be dealing with huge crowds and hovering helicopters, bomb- sniffing dogs, too many police officers to count. Oh, and it's going to be fun.
CNN's Maria Hinojosa will be there. She joins us live by phone.
And, Maria, it will be fun, right?
MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know what, Carol? I have to say that at this time of year in New York City, it really has a very special feel to it. It seems as if New York is bursting at the seams with people, and I'm not talking about rush hour traffic. There is no rush hour traffic, but you walk around any New York tourist destination and you're in a huge crowd. And the stores are hopping, too.
The mayor said it yesterday, we just heard it now, that New York City is back and leave the worrying to the officials. It seems as if that is what people are doing. Of course, we are on an orange alert and have been in this city since September 11.
And you do see on the street more police -- more mounted police, more state police, more military police. You see more checkpoints. But perhaps, Carol, what is most important is what you don't see -- the antiterrorist snipers, the hundreds, if not thousands, of undercover police, the radiation detectors that some of those police will be wearing, all of the elite squads, and the NYPD will be up and running those squads with those memorable names like Atlas and Hercules.
Again, as you said, there is a no-fly zone, and federal helicopters have been asked to fly over Times Square at the request of the city at midnight.
One final thing, a special event tonight is the invitation of former Iraqi POW Shoshana Johnson. She lives in Texas, but she's a Panamanian-American, and her Brooklyn-based family is thrilled that she's going to be here ringing in the new year and helping to drop that ball with Mayor Bloomberg tonight at midnight -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Oh, that is so exciting. I mean, it is exciting. It's just -- I mean, it would just be exciting to be there in the midst of all of those people, because they're not expecting a smaller crowd this year over last, are they? The weather is going to be beautiful. HINOJOSA: The weather is going to be beautiful. They're expecting a larger crowd. And it's hard to say. You just -- you get this feeling. I was out last night, shopping of course, and the stores were just bustling with people. There were people at 7:00 last night who already had their happy new year hats on. This is just too funny in New York City, but there is a real energy.
And probably one of the safest places to be in New York City tonight will be in Times Square. Everybody is going to be checked, magnetometers, every single backpack will be checked. There is no alcohol allowed into the Times Square area, so many think that this is the place to be if you want to feel safe tonight.
COSTELLO: All right, Maria Hinojosa joining us live by phone. Happy new year!
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
