Postal food drive raises pipe-bomb concern

Wednesday, May 8, 2002 | 11:04 a.m.

In the wake of a series of pipe bombs found across the country, Las Vegas mail carriers are being urged to exercise caution Saturday when they pick up canned goods during what has become the nation's largest one-day food drive.

Southern Nevadans also are being reminded to put the donated food next to mail boxes, not in the boxes.

"We are going forward, but we are urging our people to be cautious," said Jerry Penn of the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 2502, who is in his second year of coordinating the local drive.

"We have always asked donors to put the bags of food beside their mailboxes and never in them. The only thing that belongs in a mailbox is mail, but we occasionally have customers who leave a package of spaghetti in them."

The concern in the wake of 18 bombs planted in mailboxes -- some of which have exploded, injuring six -- in recent days is that donors will place cylindrical metal canned goods in the boxes, slowing the drive and the delivery and pickup of mail as carriers stop to carefully examine those items.

"If the cans are in the bags beside the box, the carriers will readily see they are food and collect them," Penn said, noting no mail bombs have been found in Southern Nevada.