THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 3, 1995 TAG: 9502030580
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE STONE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Short : 31 lines
This was one promotion that had more bang than was intended.
An auto company is sending car keys to thousands of people in Hampton Roads. Trouble is, the keys are shipped in a cylindrical tube with no return address. One recipient spotted it in her mailbox Thursday about 3:05 p.m. and feared it was a pipe bomb.
She called police, and they sealed off the area in the 500 block of King Arthur Court in the Avalon area. The bomb squad also was called in. Unsure of what the item was, they took no chances and blew the mailbox to bits about 5:30 p.m.
When the dust settled, they found that a local auto company was the source of the mail, but they were unable to say which one. Recipients are invited to take their key to the dealership to see whether it fits a selected car. If so, they win the car.
``They didn't violate any law by mailing it,'' said Lou Thurston, a police spokesman. Police were a bit frustrated, he said: ``Bulk mail with no return address?''
He said the woman was right to call police. ``We don't want people to not call if they think they have something suspicious.'' by CNB