Boston postal workers live in fear

An attack seems a long way off

By BBC News Online's Joseph Winter in Boston

Boston, the city where the 11 September attacks began with the hijacking of two planes, has been spared from anthrax, but some postal workers here are worried that they might be next.

I am worried but we've got to keep it going for the public

Postal worker Lori Phillips

For the rest of the population, the anthrax in Washington, New York and Florida, which has killed three people, seems a long way away.

An official at Boston's Massachusetts General Hospital told BBC News Online that despite all the publicity, only three people had visited the infectious diseases department concerned about the deadly bacteria in the past week.

But with the news that anthrax has killed two postal workers in Washington, their Boston colleagues see themselves as being on the front line.

False alarms

They are trying to carry on with business as usual despite being plagued by constant false alarms.

"I've got to put food on the table," said Lori Phillips, struggling with a huge bundle of letters and parcels outside the South Station post office.

Postal workers want to keep going for the public good

She says she does now use gloves for sorting the mail, but not masks: "They're only for Halloween."

"I am worried but we've got to keep it going for the public," she said, aware that if postal workers panic, people may stop sending letters, which would only drive the United States further into the economic doldrums.

Ms Phillips said postal workers were being kept well informed, adding she had watched a video on anthrax earlier on Tuesday.

No need for alarm

As he sat behind his post truck in the city centre, Robert Morehouse sought to rationalise the fear of anthrax - even for him and his colleagues.

If I die, my family gets a whole bunch of money and I don't have to wear this suit anymore

Postal worker Robert Morehouse

"What have they found? Ten envelopes. And none in Boston. We move more than a billion pieces of mail every day."

He said he had not even asked for gloves, let alone a mask.

"If I die, my family gets a whole bunch of money and I don't have to wear this suit anymore," he said matter-of-factly.

Extra training

A spokesman for the United States Postal Service in Boston, Bob Cannon, said postal workers around the country were being given extra training in spotting potentially hazardous packages.

Postal workers would like to carry on with business as usual

But the heightened state of alert meant there were between 20 and 30 false alarms every day in post offices in the state of Massachusetts, causing a "substantial disruption" to business.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Amesbury post office had to be closed down following an anthrax report and 27 postal workers had to be quarantined.

Mr Cannon thought that even if it did prove to be a false alarm, the post office would open late on Wednesday.

Fear and suspicion

In the new climate of fear and suspicion, one postman wanted more background checks on temporary workers.

Another postal driver, who gave his name as Patrick, said: "I don't like to say it, but I look and see what Arab-looking people are delivering."

He said he did not feel safe and wanted the mail to be irradiated to kill potentially deadly bacteria.

Postmaster General John Potter has said that this would be introduced "soon" at a cost of $200m.

But Patrick would also like to see sealed containers in post boxes, so that he and his colleagues never had to physically handle any letters.

No panic

While many postal workers are worried about their safety, other residents of Boston do not seem to feel threatened by anthrax.

Pharmacies in New York are being bombarded with requests for Cipro, the antibiotic used to cure anthrax and some are unable to find any themselves.

"We have sold more than usual but nothing crazy. People aren't panicking," one Boston pharmacist told BBC News Online.

Another said customers were asking whether they had any in stock - just in case - without buying any.

She said they had ample supplies, but that due to the massive demand in places such as New York and Washington, health insurance companies had written to pharmacies in Boston, saying that they would now only pay for a two-week supply of Cipro - some 30 tablets.