On Top, Or Get Out??
By fwidman
@fwidman (11514)
United States
June 11, 2010 4:21pm CST
I just read this story in my strange news email and it makes me wonder about the sanity of some folks.
[b]Police in New York say they arrested a homeless man who attempted to rob a bank armed only with a TV remote he claimed was connected to a bomb.
Investigators said Edward Callahan, 55, walked into the Chase branch at Columbus Avenue and 72nd Street and told the manager he was robbing the facility and his TV remote was connected to a bomb, the New York Post reported.
Employees climbed to the roof of the building, triggering a silent alarm along the way, and the manager gave Callahan a black bag, the contents of which were unclear.
The suspect fled through a back entrance when police officers came in the front and he was apprehended two storefronts away.
"He stopped in his tracks and started shaking like he had a seizure," a witness said of the suspect at the time of the arrest.
[/b]
Now I never claimed to be the smartest person in the world but, if someone said they had a bomb I surely would never think about going onto the roof! I mean, if the man had blown up the building, wouldn't these people be in more danger than if they had stayed on the ground floor? The roof seems like a much farther place to fall down in an explosion 
So, tell me, would you rather be on top of the building or just get outside where it is safer??
So, tell me, would you rather be on top of the building or just get outside where it is safer??3 people like this
9 responses
@katsmeow1213 (28717)
• United States
11 Jun 10
Perhaps the robber wasn't allowing them to go outside?
However, if a building were going to fall down.. I think I'd rather fall on top of the rubble than be buried underneath it.. probably a better chance of surviving that way.
2 people like this
@webzap (884)
• Philippines
12 Jun 10
Yes, everybody wants to go out of the building, but the report says that employees climbed up to the roof of the building, meaning there is no way to get outside thru the front door. Whether the roof falls farther or not, I also would be going up up and away . . .
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
11 Jun 10
I got two ideas reading this , one that these people could tell the man was delusional and two that by triggering all those silent alarms the police would get there the soonest,arrest the homeless fellow, and all could come back down. actually it might even be safer if they were on
top versus on the bottom, also homeless people who not have money to buy or make a bomb. I think the people knew pretty well he was not right in the head. and I think no.3. he did not have the smarts to make a bomb that a tv remote control could set off. hope I am right on one of these. he he.
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
12 Jun 10
hi fwidman yes got to thinking about that too,as we dont really
know all of the situation. yes get the hell out of the building
would be my idea too, as I would not like the prospect of the
guy maybe telling the truth. I once avoided walking into my own
bank when two men in masks held it up. I got waylaid by a traffic light on the pedestrian walk that was not working and had to go up a block to find I could not get into the bank as it w as cordoned off. I gladly went back home to come back another day.
1 person likes this
@cream97 (29087)
• United States
12 Jun 10
Hi, fwidman. That does not make any sense at all.
What is the purpose of the employees being on top of the roof. If there was not an door that led to an escape route then they all should have been on the flat ground. I think getting out safer would be the best plan of an escape. If there really was a bomb indeed, then all of the employees risk dying and getting blown up with the bomb. And what did this manager hand him anyway? I wonder what was really inside of this black bag. What is the purpose of the manager handing him an black bag for? It seems like this robbery was set up between the homeless man and the manager. This is really odd, it all does not add up. Was the manager working with this homeless looking man. I think that this was all some kind of fake hoax.
What is the purpose of the employees being on top of the roof. If there was not an door that led to an escape route then they all should have been on the flat ground. I think getting out safer would be the best plan of an escape. If there really was a bomb indeed, then all of the employees risk dying and getting blown up with the bomb. And what did this manager hand him anyway? I wonder what was really inside of this black bag. What is the purpose of the manager handing him an black bag for? It seems like this robbery was set up between the homeless man and the manager. This is really odd, it all does not add up. Was the manager working with this homeless looking man. I think that this was all some kind of fake hoax.1 person likes this
@k2r3ncute (97)
• Philippines
12 Jun 10
maybe they want to locate the bomb so that they could remove it or maybe they don't believe him so to be sure they just went to the roof to find it
1 person likes this
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
12 Jun 10
Hi fwidman! I'm with you! I wouldn't have picked the roof either!
Besides the fact that I'm not big on heights to begin with! And
you said this happened here in good old NY! WTF? You would think
us NY's were smarter than this by now! Glad I stay out of the
"Big Apple"! My guess is from the look of the guy they must have
figured he wasn't going to do much damaged, but I still would
have stayed closer to the ground anyway! Will have to check this
story out on the "local news"! Should be interesting!
1 person likes this
@juggerogre (1653)
• Philippines
12 Jun 10
I'll go to a safer place. These men are desperate so its possible they are telling the truth. Better safe than sorry.
1 person likes this
