New York: Police cleared the streets around Times Square on Friday and called in the bomb squad to dismantle what turned out to be a cooler full of water bottles.
Earlier in the day, police were called in to check a suspicious package that turned out to be someone's lunch.
Since a Pakistani-American tried unsuccessfully to set off a car bomb in the heart of the city last weekend, false-alarm calls are up dramatically, nerves are jangled, and media and law enforcement are rushing to the scenes to make sure the reports aren't something bigger.
More than 600 calls came in since Saturday's attempted car bombing of a busy street near Times Square — about 30 per cent higher than normal, police said.
"This is something that happens fairly regularly," Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said on Friday. "I think to a certain extent, people are becoming more suspicious, more vigilant. ... We understand that's what happens, and we're prepared to respond."
Bombing suspect Faisal Shahzad remained in custody and did not appear in court on Friday. Kelly said he continued to cooperate, while General David Petraeus debunked theories that Shahzad had help, saying he apparently worked alone and did not have contact with foreign terror groups.
Investigators were looking into how Shahzad's preparations were financed, focusing on a money courier they believe helped him pay for the used SUV and other materials used to assemble the car bomb, a law enforcement official told media on Thursday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the investigation.
On Friday, cable news channels went live with images of the false alarm on Times Square, focusing in on the light green cooler as police officials hauled it away from the area. Police don't know who left the cooler behind. The streets opened within an hour, and workers weren't told to evacuate.
"It was exciting, but it seemed a little silly, after all — a cooler that somebody left there," said psychiatrist Thor Bergersen, of Massachusetts, who watched the drama from the the Marriott Marquis hotel.
The city also has ramped up security on its sprawling subway system, checking bags and stationing more officers there.
