Early in 2007, fresh after leaving a part-time job with the National Statistical Office (NSO), I got a job in downtown Port Moresby with a training company called PSTC as the IT officer. The company provided flexible learning solutions via mail and operated an internet cafe.
It was a small family run business and they seemed to be doing well. However, from time to time, you would find disgruntled clients who would come and vent their frustrations. Fortunately, it was peaceful most of the time.
My main responsibility at the time was managing the clients at the internet cafe and printing service. I would generate tokens with time limitations and sell them to clients.
Anyway, about two weeks into the job, and I see the secretary running around the office in a frantic panicky way waving her hands around. It seemed like she was having an asthma attacked with her shortness of breath while frantically telling everyone that there was a bomb in the building.
It had gotten to her because she has been the one that took the call saying there was a bomb in the building and it would go off in 30 minutes. Unfortunately, my reaction at the time was not very helpful.
Seeing her in that mode for the first time seemed kind of funny and I could not help but chuckle. However, when the gravity of the possible situation sank in I quickly moved out of the building with everyone else.
We went outside and there was police personnel already cordoning off the area. The roads were blocked and everyone was advice to stay clear of the building while we waited for the Defense Force’s bomb disposal unit to arrive.
The bomb unit came about 5 minutes later and did a sweep of the building with their trained canine. They could not find any explosives and declared it a hoax after almost an hour.
Although the bomb was a hoax, the fear it had put in the people there at the time was real.
Anyway, about a week later I got another job but the experience during that time has always been with me and recent bomb hoaxes in the news reminded me of the that time.
Bernard Sinai 