Bomb technicians converged around the Sacramento County, California, Sheriff’s Department on Friday to investigate a suspicious object that led to the whole building being evacuated.
When they were finished, there was only thing left to do.
Dance.
After all, there aren’t that many options when the mysterious, potentially dangerous object turns out to be an 8-track tape.
Of course, you first need an 8-track player to get in the groove. Regardless, getting down to any performer who might be on the ’70s version of an MP3, CD or cassette tape — maybe it was Earth, Wind and Fire, possibly Engelbert Humperdinck, or if they’re lucky Elvis Presley — is a far better alternative than authorities’ worst fears.
Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Lisa Bowman explained that someone saw the suspect object on a ballot box in a voter registrar’s office, which shares a parking lot with the law enforcement agency.
“They told an officer at the sheriff’s station and the station self-evacuated, ” Bowman said. “And bomb techs were called in.”
No one knew what prompted the scare even after the tape was discovered, Bowman said. She chuckled, reflecting on how old the discovery made her feel.
“We still had to X-ray it and make sure it was safe, ” she said. “But it was just an 8-track tape.”