NYC bank heist makes for an unexpected Tweet

My bank was just held up — with me in it. HSBC 34 and 8." So goes a strange tweet reported by Cellular News.

The 26-year-old Web producer tweeted her 1,900 or so followers just after 9 a.m. under her Twitter name, TravelingAnna, referring to 34th Street and 8th Avenue in Manhattan. "Also my whole trackball is GONE!!! I'm locked in the bank still."

The police confirmed the robbery and said the unarmed suspect, who had given a threatening note to the teller, fled with $500.

Before going any further, it must be pointed out that Dooling isn't asking for the key to the city; police had already been alerted by more traditional means, with a 911 call. And actually, Dooling was too busy, well, looking at her BlackBerry to be the first to notice the heist.

But she also didn't expect to be criticized online, by folks who apparently thought she should have been alerting police or doing something else — anything — rather than tweeting.

emily | 9:54 AM | Twitter |
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