Travelers Hit The Roads And Skies For Thanksgiving Holiday

With about 1.5 million people expected to pass through Los Angeles International Airport over the coming Thanksgiving week, federal and local officials introduced a safety campaign today urging travelers to report anything they might consider suspicious.

The “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign began on the East Coast and is being expanded to Los Angeles and other cities, urging people to keep their eyes open.

“Most flights are booked 80 to 100 percent, so it will be crowded in the terminals, on the roads accessing the airport, so we encourage all passengers and visitors to be vigilant,” Ethel McGuire, assistant chief for the Airport Police, said during a news conference at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles.

The awareness campaign will include signs at airports and transit stations encouraging travelers to report things such as abandoned baggage or cars parked in no-parking areas.

“Trust your gut. If something doesn’t look right, if something doesn’t seem right, then something is probably wrong,” said Randy Parsons, federal security director for the Transportation Security Administration in Los Angeles.

Anyone who sees anything suspicious was urged to contact a law enforcement officer or call (877) A-THREAT, which is (877) 284-7328.

“We might get a number of reports that amount to nothing, but among those many reports may be the prevention of a disaster,” Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said.