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CNN Saturday Morning News
Level Orange Terror Alert is Making Holiday Travel Tedious
Aired May 24, 2003 - 07:04 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.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: Well, for travelers this weekend, weather isn't the only concern. Our Jeanne Meserve on other factors that could throw a monkey wrench into your getaway plans.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For air travelers, a long weekend means long lines, made even longer this Memorial Day by threat level orange security measures -- parking restrictions, more thorough searches, and more of them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All aboard!
MESERVE: An estimated quarter of a million people will get all aboard Amtrak before Tuesday. There's no screening of passengers or bags, but there is other security.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are more officers on patrol at any given time. But many of the countermeasures that have been initiated are invisible to the traveling public, things like monitoring the infrastructure, key bridges and tunnels and the like.
MESERVE: Washington's Metro rail system has canceled leave for transit police officers. Other employees are in high-visibility orange vests so riders can find them with questions or concerns.
Passengers are asked to be vigilant and are given advice on how to stay safe.
In New York, National Guardsmen are augmenting police patrols at Penn Station and other transportation hubs. Security at bridges and tunnels and key interchanges may be apparent to drivers, and in some states, commercial vehicles will be subject to increased inspections.
But for the most part, the biggest headache for drivers will be the sheer number of people on the road, an estimated 29.4 million nationwide.
(on camera): AAA estimates that air travel is down 2.5 percent from last year. The sour economy is believed to be the principal reason, though concerns about terrorism may be a factor. As for how long we'll be at orange, officials say the level of intelligence chatter is still high, but otherwise things are, quote, "eerily quiet."
Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: Well, for travelers this weekend, weather isn't the only concern. Our Jeanne Meserve on other factors that could throw a monkey wrench into your getaway plans.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For air travelers, a long weekend means long lines, made even longer this Memorial Day by threat level orange security measures -- parking restrictions, more thorough searches, and more of them.>
Aired May 24, 2003 - 07:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: Well, for travelers this weekend, weather isn't the only concern. Our Jeanne Meserve on other factors that could throw a monkey wrench into your getaway plans.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For air travelers, a long weekend means long lines, made even longer this Memorial Day by threat level orange security measures -- parking restrictions, more thorough searches, and more of them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All aboard!
MESERVE: An estimated quarter of a million people will get all aboard Amtrak before Tuesday. There's no screening of passengers or bags, but there is other security.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are more officers on patrol at any given time. But many of the countermeasures that have been initiated are invisible to the traveling public, things like monitoring the infrastructure, key bridges and tunnels and the like.
MESERVE: Washington's Metro rail system has canceled leave for transit police officers. Other employees are in high-visibility orange vests so riders can find them with questions or concerns.
Passengers are asked to be vigilant and are given advice on how to stay safe.
In New York, National Guardsmen are augmenting police patrols at Penn Station and other transportation hubs. Security at bridges and tunnels and key interchanges may be apparent to drivers, and in some states, commercial vehicles will be subject to increased inspections.
But for the most part, the biggest headache for drivers will be the sheer number of people on the road, an estimated 29.4 million nationwide.
(on camera): AAA estimates that air travel is down 2.5 percent from last year. The sour economy is believed to be the principal reason, though concerns about terrorism may be a factor. As for how long we'll be at orange, officials say the level of intelligence chatter is still high, but otherwise things are, quote, "eerily quiet."
Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: Well, for travelers this weekend, weather isn't the only concern. Our Jeanne Meserve on other factors that could throw a monkey wrench into your getaway plans.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For air travelers, a long weekend means long lines, made even longer this Memorial Day by threat level orange security measures -- parking restrictions, more thorough searches, and more of them.>
