Just pulled this off of the police teletype...

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I work for a small police dept. I'm also a firefighter and a medic. While working at the police dept this evening, I read this message from the Calif. DOJ- I won't include all of the source code; just the message:

On the morning of Dec 15, a tractor trailor was seen in Kingsman, AZ at the Crazy Fred's Truck Stop on interstate 40 at milepost 44. The tractor trailer has the words "XXXXXX Trucking" (censored by me) on door and is pullijng a flatbed trailer with an unknown covered load. Part of the load was seen and was described as 50+ 4' by 8' yellow signs with black lettering. The signs read "Roadway closed due to marshall law". Unknown direction/route of travel. If any agency has any information reference this please contact AZ Dept of Public Safety, Officer XXXXXX (again censored by me).

This message was only informational and contained no verification of the existance of these signs. I censored certain parts of this message because I'm leery about violating dept policies that forbid the dissemination of info without direct dept approval.

Now, this isn't like seeing the signs myself. If that were the case, I'd know for sure and wouldn't be worried about whether others believed me. I'D believe and that's what matters to me most. This teletype that I'm holding doesn't prove anything to me but it makes me think that if different state justice depts are passing this around, it sounds a hell of a lot more credible than the 'friend of a friend' routine.

Still wonderin' but not for much longer....

-- A.P. (grim2k@hotmail.com), December 24, 1999

Answers

The signs read "Roadway closed due to marshall law". Unknown direction/route of travel

Maybe they were driving the signs back to the sign painters to correct the spelling?

-- (RUOK@yesiam.com), December 24, 1999.


Marshall Law only has jurisdiction on the Marshall Islands. What in the heck are those signs of value here in the US? Why is everybody on this Forum always talking about Marshall law? We're so far removed from those Islands, it just don't make any sense.

-- Martiall (Marti@ll.com), December 24, 1999.

Some police agency's call their officers "Marshalls'. Could that be the answer? Maybe only Marshalls are allowed to drive on those roads. What is this world coming to, where us pee-ons are not allowed to drive on roads where the Marshalls drive.

-- spell checker (spellchecker@aol.com), December 24, 1999.

Thank you sir for the information.

And don't sweat the trolls! Their reason for exhistance is to teach the reasoned person a little patience.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~SHAKEY~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-- Shakey (in_a_bunker@forty.feet), December 24, 1999.


Allright guys, take those tongues out of your cheeks!

-- ... (...@...com), December 24, 1999.


Marshal is the verb, marshall is the noun. It refers to order, not an island. It is an old term that was used to seize property by the field marshall of a military unit. Hence to "marshal the troops" etc. Trust me Marshall law exists and has exited since the 1700s and not on an island bearing the name.

-- the prof (webster@dictionary.com), December 24, 1999.

Prof, try Random House;

"martial law, the law imposed upon an area by military forces when civil authority has broken down"

-- WOODY (WOODY11420@AOL.COM), December 24, 1999.


Hey Prof. you haven't got a clue. You did not even get the tongue in cheek answers regarding the mistake you also made.

IT IS MARTIALL LAW!!!!!

There is no such thing as Marshall law, you idiot!

-- ... (...@...com), December 24, 1999.


tofu, shmofu, that's what i always say. (not really, but i'm going to start saying that.)

-- mil (millenium@yahoo.com), December 24, 1999.

It's Kingman, Arizona, not "Kingsman". Are you actually reading this teletype, or typing from memory? Sure are a lot of typos if you have the memo in hand...

-- Mac (sneak@lurk.hid), December 24, 1999.


There are alot of self appointed "know it alls" on this Forum that make the Marshall mistake! Will they ever learn?

-- buggy eyed. (buggyeyed@aol.com), December 24, 1999.

Mac, I typed the original message directly from the teletype onto this board during a ten minute break. I may have made a typo in addition to the numerous typos that I corrected from the teletype. Obviously I didn't get them all. Good thing I didn't make any this time otherwise the troles would be having a field day. Christ!

-- A.P. (not sharing @ny.more), December 24, 1999.

Is there such a thing as Martian law? Maybe that is the reason they keep shooting down our spaceships!

-- Hawk (flyin@high.again), December 24, 1999.

Thanks A.P., you took quite a risk to get this word out! If you make a xerox, marking out the parts you think are confidential, then FAX it to Gary North, he can let folks know so they can take care of there own. Some folks may wanna change travel plans just in case now.

-- Hokie (nn@va.com), December 24, 1999.

There's only one "Marshall Law" around here. I'm it.

-- Matt Dillon (Come sit on my lap@Miss.Kitty), December 24, 1999.


This teletype sounds like it was sent from North Korea. ;-)

-- cgbg jr (cgbgjr@webtv.net), December 24, 1999.

Come on... If this is true, their appears to be alot of planning that no one knows about.

These signs were probably for a different country or perhaps the way our roadway signs instruct people are changing. I have traveled many raodways, never recall seeing one of these??

-- LALA (LALA@LALALAND.com), December 24, 1999.


I don't think it's likely that the signs would say "due to martial law" since the code word would be "national emergency" rather than "martial law".

But if you saw it on the teletype, of course, that just means the code word wasn't communicated to the agency who was ordering the signs. Now if you made a note of that trucking company and could tell someone who would be willing to try to verify it . . .

But then again, what difference would it make if it were verified. At this point, those who believe will still believe, and those who don't believe will not be swayed by any facts.

-- Ariana

-- Ariana Christopher (livineden@yahoo.com), December 24, 1999.


folks,

this urban legend has been around for over a year. different sources, but basically the same story. used to be wally world trucks, eh?

-- (dont@tell.now), December 24, 1999.


Were the signs spraying anything? . .

-- (pss@pss.psss), December 24, 1999.

Bet 874 people in the City of Phoenix would be much much happier if they had closed the roads down 9 days ago. "DUI checkpoints have nabbed 874 drunk drivers in the past 9 days around the Valley." Don't recall the holiday task force ever kicking in that early in the past -- look at the money this pulls in, $400-$500 fines just for those that are first time, legal bills and there goes your insurance X so far 874, wow!

-- claurann (claurann@aol.com), December 24, 1999.

Thanks for the great news A.P. Don't let the trolls discourage you. Please keep the news rolling in here.

-- Butt Nugget (using@doomer.logic), December 24, 1999.

General George Marshall instituted the "Marshall Plan" in Europe after WW2. One aspect of the plan was "martial law" in the formerly Axis countries.

-- Sandwich (anon@anon.anon), December 24, 1999.

Thanks A.P. for the report.

Please excuse the rude remarks above.

It's people just like yourself who make this country work at all. Take heart, there are a lot of people who appreciate your work on the front line every day. We will keep you in our prayers.

And please keep posting. We need every shred of info we can get.

Greatful for your efforts.

-- Lurkess (Lurkess@Lurking.Net), December 24, 1999.


I worked as an executive secretary for many years for highly educated people. Some had several degrees, and some of them couldn't spell worth beans. I'll overlook the typos and misspellings, just give me the facts.

-- ~~~~~ (~~~~@~~~.xcom), December 24, 1999.

A bit of a career military guy's wisdom here.

When you hear the same crazy war story from unrelated multiple sources, start comparing the stories very carefully and pay attention to the items that are the same in all the stories. It worked to distill a lot of facts from fiction. But it also scared the bejeebers out of me when I figured out what had gone or was going on in relation to certain events.

The results on this and all other "sign" stories read like this: "All vehicles stop (x distance ahead)" "Road closed by Emergency Order" "Official traffic only beyond this point".

And it's coming soon to a highway near you.

WW

-- Wildweasel (vtmldm@epix.net), December 24, 1999.


I can't spell worth a darn either, I was going to say "I'll kick your troll **ses, but I won't. I'm working on being more civilized. Little things affect little minds.

-- jwhit (jwhit10238@aol.com), December 24, 1999.

This is a bit off topic, but I was travelling down a major East-West street in Toronto a few nights ago and noticed the police setting up a very large R.I.D.E. 'entrapment'. It was perfectly situated - Yonge and Eglinton, a major intersection, was just a block away, there was no way to turn around before a driver saw the R.I.D.E. catchment area and his car was channeled into it, and the only side street ahead of it one the same side had cruisers parked down it waiting for those who'd tried to turn down it and circumvent the 'road block.'

By the time I came back, it was in full operation and smoothly checking car after car, with dozens lined up awaiting their turn.

I support R.I.D.E. - drunk driving is virtually premeditated murder, in my book - and I was glad to see these 52 Division officers efficiently about their late-night work, but it did get me to thinking. R.I.D.E. programs are run regularly in major cities all over North America. Every police force involved in them can therefore set up traffic interdictions at the drop of a hat, having had years of practice, and knows all of the best choke-points in their city at which to place them, after years of refinement.

Two apparently unrelated issues, but Y2K and a potential 'state of emergency' sure do begin to make you look again at everyday things with a paranoid eye...:)!

-- John Whitley (jwhitley@inforamp.net), December 25, 1999.


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