The Buzz: Oct. 16, 2001
October 16, 2001
7:02 PM EDT (2302 GMT)
Getting fan mail for NASCAR teams used to be an everyday occurrence. Not anymore.
With the recent anthrax scares across the country, many people in the NASCAR community are being a little more cautious when opening mail from people they don't know.
When a letter-sized envelope arrived at one NASCAR teams' PR representative's office this week with a Trenton, N.J. postmark on it, the PR rep looked it over very carefully. The envelope wasn't sealed shut but was closed by the clasp that holds the flap down.
Trenton is the same place that some confirmed anthrax-carrying envelopes were shipped from.
The rep contacted the local sheriff, who referred her to the FBI. All parties suggested that the envolope be taken outside, that it not be opened and that it be sealed in plastic. The sheriff's office then said the rep could bring it by if she felt the need to have it examined.
After the rep tracked down the people on the return address, they assured her it was just an autograph request. Upon opening the envelope outside, that is exactly what the rep found inside.
A false alarm, but caution was deemed necessary in light of the events transpiring in the wake of the terrorist attacks.
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