Airports take Unabomber `prank' seriously

  Lori Sharn; Jonathan T. Lovitt

  06/30/1995

  USA Today

  FINAL

  Page 01A

  (Copyright 1995)

  Extraordinary security measures for airline passengers and mail will stay in place

  in California until officials deem the threat from the "Unabomber" has passed.

  Today is the busiest travel day of the Independence holiday weekend, but long

  delays are not expected at airports.

  "Word has gotten out about what passengers should do," said Air Transport

  Association spokesman Chris Chiames.

  He said travelers are lining up early with tickets and driver's licenses in hand to

  meet security measures put in place after the bomber threatened to blow up an

  airliner out of Los Angeles within six days.

  The bomber has struck 16 times since 1978, killing three.

  A letter Wednesday to The New York Times said the threat was a "prank,"

  The Times and The Washington Post have received a 35,000 word manifesto

  from the Unabomber. He linked its publication to a promise to stop killing

  people.

  Still security remains high:

  -- Mail was back on passenger planes, but packages from California weighing 12

  ounces or more are being sent by ground, said Dan Mihalko of the Postal

  Inspection Service.

  Packages dropped in collection boxes will be returned.

  -- One passenger resembling a sketch of the terrorist was held for questioning.

  Passengers were pressing on. "I figured there are 2,000 flights a day out (of Los

  Angeles), so I figured the odds were good," said Bob Trzeciak, 49.