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>......but there are some people with a strange sense of the appropriate out
>there......
>
>: who stick used (contaminated) needles in theatre seats, to prick the
>unwary
>: who stick those same dirty needles in the coin return slots of pay phones
Dear Susan and All,
There is no cause for alarm. And thank you for not forwarding the whole
hoax. I have received several versions and this was by far the least scary.
It is in general a good idea to exercise normal caution when in public
places. I encourage this, too.
HOWEVER:
I found the "needles in pay phones and theatre seats" story (which I have
received several times recently from well-meaning people) well documented at
Mining Co.'s urban legend website. I have included some other information
below as well.
One article relating to the email about stray needles found in public places
follows: ( I did not write anything from this point forward.)
Dirty Needles and Pay Phones
Dateline: 11/04/98 (Updated 02/11/99)
November, 1998: Though barely a week old, the latest email scare story
is already spawning new variations as recipients spice it up with their own
personal touches before forwarding it on to others.
Here are three versions in current circulation:
Example #1:
This was sent to me by a very good friend who
works for CDC
Subject: This is serious!
Subject: VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION!!!
ALERT! ALERT! FYI.. Don't use that telephone
There is something new happening that everyone
should be aware of.
Drug users are now taking their used needles and
putting them into the coin return slots in public
telephones. People are putting their fingers in
to recover coins or just to check if anyone left
change. They are getting stuck by these needles
and infected with hepatitis, HIV, and other
diseases. This message is posted to make everyone
aware of this danger. Be aware! The change isn't
worth it!
P.S. - This information came straight from phone
company workers, through the EMT instructor. This
did NOT come from a hearsay urban legend source.
Example #2:
Haye All,
A weird story crossed my desk and thought I'd
pass it along.
A friend-of-a-friend is currently going through
EMT class and they've been warned (told) to be
very careful reaching into any slot for return
change. I guess the latest "thing" is placing
used hypodermic needles into change-return slots,
causing people to get pricked when they reach in
for their change. These needles are showing up
primarily at public pay phones, but obviously it
could spread easily and quickly (e.g. stamp
machines, vending machines, etc).
Please be careful. Thanks for your attention.
Example #3:
Subject: WARNING TO THE PUBLIC PHONES USERS IN
ASIA!!!
According to a Singaporean Tan Kim Leng, recently
many people were reported sick (diseases like
Hepatitis B, Aids, etc.) after being poked by a
needle, what happened is this. Some cruel,
sickening people would place an infected needle
or pin inside the little compartment of the
public telephone where you get the return change,
(the opening with a flipping metal door where you
put your fingers in to get back your remaining
coins after you used the public phone) and this
is how you get in touch with the needle and you
get infected. Many cases had been reported, I
mean many severe cases. Quite a number of the
employee of Singapore Telecom (those who went
round to collect the coins in the public phones
were infected too). As far as we know, it has not
been announced publicly, but very soon they
would. Just be more careful if you really need to
use the public phones, you may use, but insert
the exact amount, otherwise, just forego those
changes, I'm sure your life worth much more than
these. Remember to spread this piece of
information to as many people as possible,
especially to your children and the elderly at
home or those who do not have a cellular phone.
By the way, Tan Kim Leng is heading the Jurong
Branch Police Station in Singapore, if you watch
the Singapore news tonight, you probably would
have seen him on TV.
This is a true incident that happened in Jarkata
& Singapore discovered by a doctor. Sooner or
later it will spread over the region including
Hong Kong & Taiwan as well. So, please be alert
with public phones and beware of aids !!
It's frightening, sounds authoritative, and is replicating like crazy at
this very
moment.
Is it an urban legend?
Yes.
In spite of the line in one of the U.S. variants, "This did NOT come from a
hearsay urban legend source," the message itself is precisely a hearsay
urban legend source. It is unsigned and does not name verifiable sources.
The message claims that the information came from "phone company
workers," but it doesn't say which phone company, or where.
Moreover, the fact that more than one version of this warning is circulating
demonstrates that anonymous senders are altering the text at will. As is the
case with most such email alerts, the information contained in them is
inherently unreliable.
Ah, but is it true?
NO. As of this writing, NO actual cases have been documented.
Which is not to say that an incident of the kind described might not have
happened somewhere, sometime. It's quite possible that it has happened at
least once – though I've been unable to locate a
single news report anywhere to substantiate that.
What renders the message as a whole unbelievable is that it implies that the
placing of used hypodermic needles in pay phone coin return slots is a
common occurence and that everyone around the world is in danger.
Which is absurd.
Was a worldwide junkie convention held wherein it was unanimously
decided that public phones are the new needle disposal receptacle of
choice? Was a resolution passed at the same time that instead of throwing
away entire syringes (which won't fit into a coin return slot, after all), the
needles must henceforth be purposely detached and placed somewhere
where they'll endanger others?
Don't bet on it.
Futhermore, what's the motive? Are we to believe that drug addicts are
simply a malicious and hateful lot by nature? There's no good reason to
suppose it. Sure, junkies are notoriously irresponsible; sure, they're
oftentimes involved in criminal activities besides using illegal drugs, but it
doesn't follow that we should expect them to commit random acts of evil.
So, if you really want to do a good deed, refrain from forwarding this
bogus message. Inform your friends instead that the "dirty needles in coin
slots" warning is just the horror story of the moment, totally unsubstantiated
and illogical, to boot. Soon enough, another bit of scarelore will come
along to take its place, and the Dirty Needle Panic of 1998 will be duly
forgotten... until, that is, someone decides it's time for a Dirty Needle Panic
of 1999 and resurrects the email warning. Unfortunately, that's how these
things often go.
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