And Now… Toyota Terrorists?
Workers in an Indiana post office were forced to evacuate their workplace yesterday, when the fourth “hoax bomb” targeting Toyota’s US facilities in the last week was discovered there. The AP [via Google] reports that the latest package was addressed to Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana in Princeton, IN and according to Toyota spokesfolks, it is
similar to other suspicious packages mailed to our corporate office in Erlanger, Kentucky, on Friday and our West Virginia and Texas plants on Monday. All of these packages were found to be non-threatening
All four packages bore handwritten originating addresses in Nigeria, and contained devices described in the latest instance as a cardboard tube containing electronic components. Auto industry PR guys, you have a new worst-case scenario…
Because of the ambiguous nature of the devices found, Toyota is hesitating to even call the packages “threats,” telling Reuters
For all we know, it could be that these packages were legitimate attempts to contact Toyota
Regardless of Toyota’s soft-pedaling, the FBI has joined Postal Inspectors and the Indiana State Police in investigating the string of threatening packages. None of the investigating law enforcement bodies has publicly commented on the case.
So, what the hell is going on? Is a well-meaning Nigerian mechanic trying to return parts to Toyota’s US facilities? Is this the random work of a loon, or the amateurish work of a wannabe anti-Toyota crusader? Toyota’s tumultuous 2010 leaves all possibilities on the table, and until law enforcement reveals more details about the investigation, we’ve got little choice but to speculate.
More by Edward Niedermeyer
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Tparkit, Ray Lahood may be biased against Toyota, but I believe his assault on Toyota, if succeeds, will only make the US passenger car market healthier. Think of this as a more intelligent form of anti-trust. Right now there's a dangerous Toyota-Honda duopoly controlling the market. Both Toyota and Honda wield tremendous market power, which is not a good news for US car buyers. Basic economics teaches us that the less market power each player exercises, the more competitive the market becomes and, ultimately, every party is better off, especially the consumer. What is important here is that some action against Honda should also taken so that both duopolists' positions are considerably weakened.
The FBI is blaming a disgruntled inventor from Nigeria. The FBI says the suspicious package was in fact a prototype for a turn signal. TTAC is going to have to think up another conspiracy theory now.