After threats, business as usual, sort of

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 (UPI) -- It seemed to be business as usual for passersby and employees at the World Bank headquarters in the nation's capital Monday, despite recent terror threats against the institution and other financial-sector targets in Washington, D.C., New York City and northern New Jersey.

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge on Sunday upgraded the terror threat level to Code Orange, or "high," for the three areas. Besides the World Bank, the five targets include the International Monetary Fund, also in Washington, the New York Stock Exchange and Citigroup Center in New York City, and the Prudential Financial headquarters in Newark.

While New York City is effectively always at orange, Ridge's directive moved it to a higher level of vigilance.

In Washington, World Bank employee Vinay Gupta told United Press International that said he didn't consider staying home from work, and no one he knew of at the office stayed home either. "It's still one of the safest places to work."

Gupta, from Patiala, India, said he told his brother in India not to worry. "These things are a part of life. We're used to it here."

World Bank employee Alexandra Sears told UPI that she considered not coming to work, but "I'm not going to let fear take over," she said. Everyone in her unit (except those on vacation) was also at work that day, she said.

Sears, a native of Lima, Peru, said the publicity would likely discourage any attack. "I have confidence nothing will happen."

"It definitely scared me a little bit," but "it's not stopping me from walking past the building, obviously," Rebecca Balint, a George Washington University student from Baltimore, Md., told UPI as she walked to her summer job at a law firm a few doors down from the bank. She was confident the security tactics would be enough to deter terrorists. "I feel I can rely on the police."

Karen Fireman, who works at the Citibank Building catty-corner from the World Bank and who was eating lunch in the park across the street -- as were several other people -- said she had qualms about coming to work, but had a 9 a.m. meeting to attend.

Besides, "I think they are doing the best they can to protect us," Fireman, of West Potomac, Md., said. "While it's nerve-wracking, there's heightened security."

Fireman added that the heightened security at the building might make it a less-appealing target for terrorism. Having her usual lunch in the park, she seemed more bothered by the interest of nearby bees in her lunch than the terror threat.

Despite the fact that television news equipment was set up in the park directly across the street from the bank, and that police and dogs were patrolling the scene -- with four police cars blocking off the entrance to the street in front of the building -- people weren't avoiding the area.

Several people sat in the park eating lunch or talking on mobile phones, and two people reclined on a picnic blanket spread out in the shade. Across the park, customers sat at sidewalk tables outside Starbucks.

Throughout the city, police were stopping various trucks and also deployed armed officers to patrol Metro trains.

District of Columbia Police Chief Charles Ramsey said during a midday press conference outside the World Bank that the increased security could go on possibly until the election, or past the inauguration.

Financial institutions named as potential targets conducted business as usual, albeit with heightened security.

"It's business as usual," said an IMF spokeswoman Monday.

"The New York Stock Exchange is open for business. We are on our normal schedule," NYSE chief executive John Thain said at a Monday press conference.

Laurita Warner, spokeswoman for Prudential Financial, said that the company responded to yesterday's terror threat with additional security precautions in and around the Newark location, including extra security and screening.

She added, however, "It's business as usual."

Boston Properties Inc., which owns Citigroup Center, did not return calls.

(With reporting by Nathalie Lagerfeld.)