Wow!! Yesterday was SSSSOOOOOOO exciting! There I was, at work...when Stef buzzed me on MSN, asking me if the Penang Bridge was closed. Oh, for those of you who don't know, the Penang Bridge is the only link (besides taking the ferry) from the mainland to Penang Island. Right, so everyday, it's always jam-packed with vehicles traveling to and fro. Closing even one LANE on the bridge would cause a massive jam. So, imagine my surprise to hear that the WHOLE bridge was closed.
A quick call to my Dad, who works on the mainland, confirmed the fact that the bridge was closed. The conversation actually took a funny turn:
Me: I heard that the bridge is closed!
Dad: Yeap. Closed. Bomb threat.
Me: Bomb threat?! So where are you? Went home early to avoid the massive jam?
Dad: Still at the office.
Me: Then?! How are you getting home?
Dad: Wait lor. What else to do?
Me: Ferry?
Dad: Will definitely be jammed to the max.
Me: Oh......Sooooo......
Dad: So, wait here lor.
Me: Oh...OK then... See ya later...If they open the bridge, that is.
*hangs up*
Me (thinks): The poor terrorist either can't read a map to save his life...Or the Penang Brigde resembles the London Bridge...somehow...unlikely though...
So, I went home and sat on the balcony with a pair of binoculars, keeping tabs on the bridge. As soon as I saw vehicles, I called Dad and he drove like a demon to avoid all the jam that would build up once everyone else got the call.
In the evening news, it was said that an assemblyman got an anonymous call that there was a bomb at KM3.9 of the bridge. Police were informed and mobilized to the scene. There, they found a 0.3m long homemade bomb. And so, they used a robot to detonate it at the scene and all is right with the world again. WAIT A MINUTE!! PENANG HAS A BOMB DISPOSAL ROBOT? WHERE? WHERE? Wow....I'm impressed... o.O Why do we need a bomb disposal robot in the first place anyway? We're a peaceful, happy, hippy, laidback island... Nothing bad happens to us...
Lovely Penang Bridge...Not to be mistaken for London Bridge or the San Francisco Bridge
Edit: In today's newspapers... The police have said that there was NO BOMB found on the Penang Bridge. It was only a steel pipe wedged under the divider. It's most probably from a kangaroo bar. It's still under investigation. But, they DID detonate it anyway, with the robot... AND THEY SHOWED THE ROBOT in the papers!! Wow... As a Penangite, I feel all cool and hip now. And we've had the robot for 2 years already.
WE HAVE A BOMB DETONATING ROBOT! WOOHOO!!! *dances*
