NEW YORK - On Ihat infamnous evening when a limne bomib went off in the baggage area at La Guardia airport. 1 considered myself very Iucky to be alive. I had planned 10 take the evening flight back to Toronto, but for somne strange reason 1 changed my mi. I wanted to stay a littie longer in New York and visit somne of my friends. At the limne the bomb went off, killing il people. and. injuring about 50 innocent bystanders, I was having dinner.at my friends place on Calloway Street. The latter is in Queens, very close to Long Island Expressway and Central Parkway, In other words, La Guardia Airport was about four miles away fromn the place where I stayed. FÈrm our second-floor balcony, I could clearly hear. sirens and see police and arribulance' vehicles rushing towards Triboro Bridge. At one point 1 tried to get on Grand Central Parkway, but il was WHI jaiinied witli, Cars in bOth, directions. Aller a fti t ittlcipt, 1 mianagecd 10 gel off ai Norlhcrn Boulevaird. 1h was a long trip back home ho Calloway. By tiîs tlic 1 kiew whah was happening ai Lat Guardia. Ail raidio stationis had inlerrupted their regular broadcasting to miake roomi for the on-the-spot coverage. CES and NEC television networ!ks acted quickly ho provide detailed coverage as the dramnatie events kept unfolding. However, none of Uhe three' niajor TV networks could nol muster live coverage as lhey did'when a plane craslied a few months ago at the Kennedy International Airport. Lislening 10 news reports, 1 could visualize the drama at La Guardia, which is one of the busiest airporîs in the United States. La Guardia was built in a semi-circle and has been "my airporl" for a number of years. Il is huge and always crowded with domesîic travellers. Many limes at' this airport 1 had claimed my own baggage where the explosion look place. And several limes in the past, 1 had to use the TWA services out of La Guardia. For some unknown reason, I like La Guardia much better than the more popular Kennedy Airport-. As*we ail know, Canadians use American Airlines 10 La Guardia and Air Canada 10 Kennedy Airport. Il was just a malter of luck thal no Canadian was hurt by this powerful explosion. To millions of Americans who picked up their morning newspapers, this incident came as a shock. It was 100 close IITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAy, JANUÀRY 7,1976, PAGE 5 > to cotiifort. Reading a detailcd accounh of' whatlIîad happencd'a nighit before, they stared at thc newspapcrs in dishelief. For the first time, they realized tlîat terrorism lias moved mUCi cdoser 10 their homes. They also realized that the miuch talked-ahoîît internatidnal terrorisrn was flot -a joke but a stark reaJity. In some way, this horrible incident served as an eye-opener-mostly to those Americans who had lived in complacency for far too long. As of now,' the American traveller can expeet somechanges in what is believed to be "outdated and ineffective" security measures at ail U.S. airports. This incident is also Iikely 10 have some effect on the Canadian air travellers. He can expect to be more thoroughly searched, either at home' or abroad. Most people 1 talked 10 in New York, Queens and Long Island. believe that terrorismn cannot be stopped overnight. But, they feel that greater security measures will reduce acts of terrorism. The mood in this great Am'erican city is one of ouîright anger and sadness. Particularly, the Jewish community is upset. And, understandably so. In somne quarters it is believed that the PLO is once again rearing its ugly head. But, there areot "her opinions too; one that some local radical groups are on the move; perhaps, out 10 get attention for their own radical causes. As one NewYorker put il: "No-longer one can be safe. We are, now a step dloser tb anarchy". VIEW 114f OAi Sure, we've had a litIle snow and the teniperature dropped below freezing a few limies but do you really consider that as an adequate excuse? Besides that you're faced with at leasî I1500 mniles of driving through speed traps and 50 miles per hour speed zones and, depending on which route you take, endless toîl gates. Ail this logic won't do much good though because as you sit there reading, one of your neighbours is getting packed 10 head south 10 Florida. 1 1 have t0 admit t0 going bo Florida once years ago with my parents. I don't rernember which route we took but 1 do rememnber going through Detroit and not thinking 100 mucli about il one way or the other. Tien, a few years later 1 decided 10 go 10 Florida once more and this lime 1 drove. Àgain 1 went through Detroit but between rny first trip and my second things had been happening. One of those was murder. Detroit had turned mbt "M urder City, U.S.A." and while the lawlessness didn't appear 100 apparent to nme on that second visil, I did notice the sprawling slumis which are the breeding grounds for the kind of lawlessness that precipitates murder. I felt nervous just stopping for gas and even hhough I was stopped for jusî a few minutes while the attendent filled the tank, I was propositioned by a third class hooker who was apparently working ouI of the gas station office. I didn't notice evidence of, the gun mania which plagues Detroit and I'm rather glad 1 went through the city on a quiet Sunday mornini. In fact, 1 remnember hoping at the lime that the locals were ail out of ammunition after.. shooting it up on Saturday night and wouldii't be able t0 gel more bullets until the stores opened on Monday morning. Detroit came 10 mmnd this past New Years while reading the paper last week and nolicing a story that the Detroit police had 10 ground their helicopters for a period on New Year's eve. Il seems the good. people of Detroit Browse around at our JANUARY CLEARANCE SALE 2 piece suits 0 Denim CD Skirts Blouses Sweaters 5P/onz:72-3-1771 like 10 celebrate New Year's eve by marching outside wilh their illegal guns and discharging them in the air at midnight. The story goes, that a couple of years ago aIll his wild gunfire at midnight actually downed a police helicopler. But, fortunaîely, Detroit is only a passing blemish on the landscape on the, way soath, b suinny Florida. Even though sorne purisîs might consider themn also as blemishes 1 kind of enjoyed the Burmias Shave signs on the roadsîde. 1 noticed that as 1 got further south the signs becamne more plenliful and more imaginative. The speed iraps got more imaginative 100! One paîrolmian even adited, off the record of course, thal flic lown hie workcd for actually raised a good deal o>f Iheir municipal îîîoney ihrough fines paid by visitors for speeding. In a way lie had a point, that il was no more unethical for him 10 crouch behind a bilîboard waiting for a lawbreaker than it was for a driver, on his way souîh, 10 race through a 30 nîph zone at 45 mplî. Mind you if is a teensy bit difficult lu see the speed limit signs wîh ail those ncwly planted and flourishing busiies that seeni 10 grow riglht ini front of thc signs on the side of the road. 1 remenîber on nîy first visit 10 Florida how amazed 1 was at the people ini Georgia actually saying, "Y'all come back, y'lîear?" I1îlîought lhey only said thal in slave movies on TV. I was also a little unsure as 10 whether or not the waitress was puîîing nie on Mien shie asked if 1 wanted "grils" for breakfast. But, grits, specd traps and ail, I1nmade il f0 Florida and will admit miy first impression wasn'î a good one. It seeîned 10 me aI first glance that Florida lîad only two nîain buisinesses - gas stations and bars. Many times they were side by side and a fewv limes when the attendent ýtaggered ouI 10 the pumip and, wiîh a slur, asked whal I wanted, I suspected the businesses hiad nîerged. It seerned in Florida- you eitiier got gassed or gassed up. 0f course, 1 soon discovered other businesscs in Florida such as grocery stores and drug stores and not 100 far froni theîîî sonie gorgeous beaches and warmn saIt water just waiîing to be expiored. So if you're off to Florida this week watch oui for the speedtraps and hiave a good trip a'nd if you're not Ihen joîn me nexî week as 1 tell you about the most unusual drugstore I've ever been in. Nalurally, it's in Florida CAROUSEL INN FEATURINOG HAÀRLOW COMMERCIAL ROCK Ail Girl Band Touring Act'from U.S.A. Businessman's Buffet Luncheon $2.50 Ail you can eat MON-FRI 12 noon to 3 p.m. Phone for Reservations SUNDAY BUFFET DINNER $5.95 ALL YOU CAN SUNDAY EVENINGS 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. EAT GREAT WALL C iNESE & CANADIAN RESTAURANT 668-7021 668-7301 FRE1 DELIVERY BUSINESS HOURS, Friay and Saturday .... 11 .. -3sin. Suanday ............... si. -10p.i., now open Tuesdays 116 Dundas St. West Whitby DIJRHAM' DISTRIBUTING WHOLESALE IMPORTERS fine quality your host for coffee & donuts, pop for * Costume Jewelry - Novelties * Watches, Ciocks, etc. Transistor Radios 668-7276 * Grand Opening Specý,'l The Ail FAMUIJS "MOO" RING $4.50 Please corne in and see our other merchandise at special opening prices. Let us be the kids. DURHAM DISTRIBUTING WHOLESALE !I1PORTERS 118 Brock St. N. Whitby .Hours noon tili 9 p.m. daily Saturday 9-6