Boston Police Still Calling Random Light-Up Devices 'Hoax' Bombs
from the it's-not-a-hoax dept
Earlier this year, a Cartoon Network marketing promotion became a huge story in the city of Boston when police assumed that some promotional light-up boxes were actually bombs. Rather than admit that they made a mistake and overreacted, the authorities in Boston continued to accuse the folks behind the promotion of perpetrating a "hoax" on the city. Of course, a hoax is where you try and trick people. None of the folks involved in the promotion were trying to trick anyone into believing the promotional devices were bombs. They were simply promotional. However, Boston still seems to be focused on calling any electronics device they don't understand a hoax device. The latest situation involves an MIT student wearing a sweatshirt that included a homemade electrical component that would light up LEDs on the sweatshirt. It's certainly understandable that security would want to check out the device and understand it. It's even somewhat understandable that they would be quite concerned about a homemade electrical device found in a sweatshirt. Walking into an airport with such a device is asking for trouble. However, to then accuse her of possessing a "hoax device," seems a bit absurd. This wasn't a "hoax" device at all. She wasn't trying to trick anyone.
Reader Comments (rss)
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Complete idiots. The Boston police are complete idiots.
I fly in and out of Logan all the time. Yesterday I unpacked my laptop bag and realized that I've been carrying a razor sharp, folding knife through Logan security for the last 6 months. I've cleared security there at least 12 times in that time frame, they've never found it.
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Do a little more research
The problem with the light brites is that the full story never came out.
The devices which caused the panic were not up for weeks. They were placed the night prior.
There was a LEGITIMATE bomb threat at one of the hospitals BEFORE the light boards were called in. A device which looked like a pipe bomb was found and security had observed what turned out to be a fired employee saying "Someone's going to pay today" when leaving the building. The light board hoax came in while they were investigating THAT. Thus they had to take EVERYTHING seriously that day.
With regards to this idiot today...she walked into an Airport, post 9-11 with a circuit board and wiring protruding from her shirt. She was holding a ball of what turned out to be playdough.
When she was at the ticket counter asking about a flight into Boston from Oakland, the airline employee observed the object in her shirt. When she asked the idiot about it, the girl walked away not responding to the question.
What were the police supposed to do? And that wasn't Boston PD, it was State Police who took her down. She's lucky she wasn't shot.
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One more thing about the light brites...
The long haired idiot who put them up supposedly observed and video taped the police dealing with one of his "marketing materials". He did nothing. He didn't tell the police what the devices were.
Instead he went home, sent an email to his friends asking them to stay quiet about the things.
But the Police are the idiots.
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The airport person was an IDIOT
I dont have any sympathy for that girl at the airport.
She had things printed on her shirt about it, lights blinking on a board around her neck, and had what looked like playdough in her hands.
She's lucky they didnt shoot first and ask questions later.
Has no concept of bad taste....
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Like people have said, common sense dictates that you shouldn't do things like this at airports. Not knowing what the device was, what other choice did they have if she wasn't willing to answer questions about it?
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I wonder
Obvious troll from Manick aside, will MIT kick her out? I can just hear the conversations on the phone getting, chewed out by her parents.
Looks like the girl gained weight since her blog pic was taken. My guess is she was getting her ass kicked in her sophomore courses, plus whatever family troubles she had at age 20, going out with some trashy guy from Oakland, ....
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Re: Do a little more research
What were the police supposed to do? And that wasn't Boston PD, it was State Police who took her down. She's lucky she wasn't shot.
As I said, they were correct to check it out and figure out what the device was.
They were *wrong* to then say it was a hoax device. Once they knew it was a simple device for lighting up a shirt, they should have been done with it. There's nothing wrong with them reacting cautiously and investigating what the device is. However, once they know it's not a bomb, to then call it a hoax device is ridiculous.
Why is it so difficult to understand this?
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Re: Re: Do a little more research
Uh, what was the intention behind this device? It was clearly designed to look like a bomb. Then by definition, it was a hoax device.
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Then what was it?
What was the purpose of it, why would she do it? It was supposedly art... So it is artful to go into the airport where two of the hijacked planes originated? The classes referenced on the sweater was an electrical engineering and computer science class, not an art class. She -WANTED- them to think she had a bomb, hence the use of play-doh in imitation of plastic explosives. It sounds to me like she was looking for trouble and got it.
Having been deployed twice, and having seen what sorts of crazy UXOs and IEDs terrorists are capable of conjuring I would have shot her on the spot. I don't agree with the response to the Adult Swim ATHF signs, but they should have dropped her to the ground and zip-tied her.
I would say that hoax device is an accurate description of what she was carrying. Regardless of whether or not it was art, the sweater was meant to deceive people into believing it was a bomb and that the play-doh was plastic-explosive.
Furthermore, I don't see how your interpretation of what a hoax device is any more correct than that of the arresting officers. I also fail to see how you are an expert in explosives or even know what your typical IED would look like.
-fin
Thales
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Not sure that I agree with the police being out of line for charging her. It is stupid to wear stuff like this to the airport. I don't know if she was going for a bomb look (for an MIT student, I am sure they could have come up with something more bomb looking than that). However, to call it art is a bit ridiculous as well.
She said she was there to pick a friend up. Did they follow up on that? Was the friend story legit, or was she simply using that as an excuse after realizing what she had done wasn't such a good idea?
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When stupid people do stupid things, you correct them. She obviously isn't stupid, simply lacking any common sense as all. A serious smacking is deserving here.
That said, I see a great opportunity for someone selling shirts saying "NOT a HOAX" in flashing lights. I'd buy one. ...Just be careful where you wear them... ;-)
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Seen this item?
Would this be confused as a hoax device by the police?
http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts/generic/8a5b/
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Boston's "finest" - a bunch of boobs
"Hoax device?" WTF is that?
Let's just admit that the Boston PD don't collectively possess enough gray matter to differentiate between "problem" and "no-problem" situations. So rather than admit it, they simply demonstrate their stupidity again and again and again...
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Re: Then what was it?
She -WANTED- them to think she had a bomb, hence the use of play-doh in imitation of plastic explosives. It sounds to me like she was looking for trouble and got it.
The story notes that she *often* wore this sweatshirt. She didn't just decide to put it together to wear it to the airport and trick security.
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Re: Re: Then what was it?
So Mike, if I reported this blog to the FBI as a "pro-terrorist blog", would you agree it is just "art" too? If I gave them a detailed history of your anti-FBI posts, and men in blue windbreakers show up at your door next week, would it be "art" also?
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They're idiots because the someone who is actually going to blow up an airport doesn't wear blinking lights on their shirt.
You want to detect suicide bombers, ask the Israelis how to do it, they're good at it. Not many flashing billboards on real terrorists clothing.
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Re:
So? If some messed up 20 year old girl wanted attention, she may well want to wear a real bomb that "looks" fake, with flashing lights on it.
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We've taught the terrorists that if you send in an obvious decoy that the Mass state police will fall for a feint.
The Mass state police LOVE their MP-5's and will take them out any time they can.
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hoax device
In Massachusetts, the term "hoax device" has a legal definition. And it took literally 3 minutes of research to find it. Personally, I like to look into things like this BEFORE I post.
(b) For the purposes of this section, the term “hoax device” shall mean any device that would cause a person reasonably to believe that such device is an infernal machine. For the purposes of this section, the term “infernal machine” shall mean any device for endangering life or doing unusual damage to property, or both, by fire or explosion, whether or not contrived to ignite or explode automatically. For the purposes of this section, the words “hoax substance” shall mean any substance that would cause a person reasonably to believe that such substance is a harmful chemical or biological agent, a poison, a harmful radioactive substance or any other substance for causing serious bodily injury, endangering life or doing unusual damage to property, or both.
Um yeah...it's a hoax device. To quote Mike, "Why is it so difficult to understand this?"
http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/266-102a.5.htm
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Re: Re: Re: Do a little more research
uh, no it looks like a visual EQ, and its an MIT project... there are dozens of students wearing variations of them this week... regardless its just stupid fearmongering to make such a huge scene when the LOGICAL move would have been to whisk her aside once they realised what had happened and NOT to tell the media and I quote "She's lucky we didn't shoot her" which will be the line repeated over again at the court hearing you can be sure.
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Re: Do a little more research
uh, I have footage of one going up on a bridge I filmed MYSELF 8 days before the fiasco, and within 45minutes of the police stating they had found "suspicious devices" we called the police and told them what they were, we even tried to send them to the youtube clip we had uploaded the week before. The lady we spoke to took all of the info including the URL, and we called AGAIN 30min later when we heard nothing about it on the news. You my friend are reading the POLICE version of events which is a tad twisted because they look incredibly foolish in the REAL timeline. They actually DETONATED a device AFTER they were found to be nothing more than batteries and LED's just because the equipment was on scene and the techs wanted to use it.
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Re: Re: Do a little more research
Keep going Mike, you're doing a fine job of incriminating yourself.
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FYI
Dorpus = apologist
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Re: hoax device
lol that is the "definition" as applied by Boston, I think the courts decide whether its a hoax device actually, you remember due process? that ol thing that used to be part of American law?
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Re: Re: Re: Do a little more research
lol incriminating myself for what? reasoned thinking? I would welcome an attempt by the city of Boston to bring me to trial, the end result of that being taking some taxpayer dollars for my pocket as they don't have a leg to stand on. Better in my pocket than in the hands of the inept municipal government that spent +4mil on a bunch of light up signs.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Do a little more research
So which cities will you be planting your LED artwork in next?
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"would cause a person reasonably to believe that such device is an infernal machine"
The only thing that would cause a person to believe what she was wearing (or even more so in the aqua swim case) is going to too many Die Hard Movies.
The cops should stop going to adventure movies and read this article. http://publicsafety.com/article/article.jsp?id=1916&siteSection=20
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Any real life experience?
Have any of you actually seen an IED, like actually handled one or had to -search- for one? I've seen IEDs rigged behind Saddam posters, I've seen acid-filled lightbulbs serve as IEDs... they don't adhere to any particular to form, so you can't blame them for taking precautions. Think about it, they are continually put in a situation where they have to make judgment calls in order to protect themselves and those around them. It doesn't matter what the intent was behind it, it doesn't matter if she thought it was harmless or that the Boston PD is stupid... what matters is she went into an airport that was the site of two plane hijackings with something that could have BEEN an IED and was detained as a result. As for the stupid, ignorant defense "terrorists wouldn't do something so obvious" or "they don't look like she did"; IEDs look like anything and everything, they are made and strategically placed to do the most damage. If you aren't suspecting something obvious then you might overlook it, and vice versa, this applies to both the terroristic individual and the weapon they choose to employ. I say they rightfully erred on the side of caution and things turned out as they should... although if they had trashed the girl it would have been far more fitting.
-fin
Thales
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... Can I get one of those t-shirts? I promise I won't wear it in an airport.
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1) She wanted attention. She got it.
2) I hope she's prosecuted - for something. Stupidity must be punished.
3) You don't have the right to scare people.
4) Law enforcement aren't engineers.
5) A blinky board? She's in college and she's making blinky boards? .... I guess that's a major accomplishment... for a woman engineer. Zing! =D
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They're selling haox bombs over the internet!
Look! They're selling hoax bombs here!
Quick, somebody call it in!
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Re: The airport person was an IDIOT
OH MY GOSH! She was wearing a T-shirt with writing on it too! Get a rope!
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Re: They're selling haox bombs over the internet!
The difference, which you are aware of it, is that these are professionally produced - and look it.
We're talking about a crude, homemade piece of crap. Oh, yeah, she was also PLAYING WITH PUTTY.
AND she REFUSED TO ANSWER a question about her crude, homemade piece of crap.
Again: you don't have the right to scare people, Joe Jackass isn't an engineer, and anyone dumb enough to walk around an airport - acting the way she was - deserves whatever she gets.
Just because you have a problem with authority figures - since, honestly, this is what the anti-cop/pro-girl bullshit boils down to - doesn't mean you have the right to scare the public.
"Don't tase me, bro!!!"
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Idiocracy
Being an MIT electrical engineering student means two things:
1. She probably isn't stupid.
2. She probably isn't used to dealing with stupid people either.
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My 2c for what it's worth..
This girl is an idiot. IED's can look like just about anything.
If you walk around an airport carrying (or wearing) any kind of homemade electrical circuit and something in your hand that could be plastic explosive, you should expect to be at least questioned by airport security.
If you ignore them and walk away, you should expect to get shot.
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Re: hoax device
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"IED's can look like just about anything"
Which is precisely why the police (over)reaction was idiotic. Her shirt was just as likely (or even less likely) to be an explosive device as the business man's laptop.
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Re:
1. Someone standing out from the crowd.
2. Someone blending in with the crowd.
Damn, sounds like just about everyone!
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Re: Idiocracy
You're expecting... a chic that works at an information booth... to analyze a circuit... and tell the difference between C-4 and silly putty?
...and you're calling the infobooth chic stupid?
Get real.
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Re: Any real life experience?
Remember, almost anything can be an IED. So then why isn't EVERYONE detained? Anyone COULD be carrying an IED. Especially in a country at war. Right?
I get the feeling that anyone who questions authority would be in Gitmo if you had your way.
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Re: Re: Any real life experience?
Bob Businessman wouldn't be playing with putty and refusing to answer questions.
As for Guantanamo: the overwhelming majority of people being held there deserve to be there. Furthermore, it isn't a gulag or a deathcamp. The detainees are treated humanely. (Being captured on a battlefield kinda blows the "I'm innocent!!!" defense. =))
As for questioning authority: Sorry to burst your bubble, but you're not Tank Man. Neither was she.
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Re: Re: They're selling haox bombs over the intern
OH NO! She didn't hear the question the first time and they had to repeat it! How dare her? Shoot, shoot, shoot!
And when the police asked her about it:
"However, she was rational, and she did answer all questions as required"
She's in the engineering program at MIT.
People like you scare me. Collectively, you're a far bigger threat to my daily safety and this country than OSB or AQ could ever hope to be.
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Re: Re: Idiocracy
You're saying a person has to be highly intelligent to work an "infobooth"?
Talk about getting real.
But I can excuse someone in such a position because they aren't particularly dangerous. It's the cops with the submachine guns that are the problem.
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Re: Re: Re: They're selling haox bombs over the in
Yeah, most people get real cooperative when the cops get involved. lmao.
Joe Jackass isn't an engineer. The average citizen wouldn't know the difference between an LED and a resistor. Nor should they be expected to.
You have no idea how hard I just laughed. My friggin' stomach hurts.
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Re: My 2c for what it's worth..
If you walk around wearing anything you should expect to get shot. Clothes can be used to hide all kinds of things.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: They're selling haox bombs over th
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Re: Re: Re: Idiocracy
Uh, what? I said a person working at an infobooth shouldn't be expected to know such things. The exact opposite of what you thought I said. =P
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: They're selling haox bombs ove
You may find this surprising, but that isn't the first time someone has said that....
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Re: Re: Re: Any real life experience?
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Re: Re: Re: Any real life experience?
The detainees are treated humanely.
Absolutely! Waterboarding is just another way of bathing!
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Any real life experience?
"She was holding a lump of what looked like putty in her hands."
"The employee asked about the plastic circuit board on her chest, and Simpson walked away without responding, Pare said."
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/city_region/breaking_news/2007/09/mit_student_arr.html?p1 =MEWell_Pos3
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Re: Re:
So? If some messed up 20 year old girl wanted attention, she may well want to wear a real bomb that "looks" fake, with flashing lights on it.
OR, she might not! Therefore, if she ISN'T wearing flashing lights it could mean that she really has a bomb!
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Any real life experience?
...so the employee repeated the question, police said. Simpson then said the device was artwork
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Any real life experience?
Yeah, you're right. People never lie. lmao.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Any real life experience?
You're forgetting who we're dealing with.
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Re: Re: Any real life experience?
Huge difference between me using my laptop in an airport and clutching it to my chest, looking about suspiciously while I avoid direct questions.
As for "Gitmo", I was actually stationed there briefly. And if I had my way she would be shot, as would you for your ignorant comments.
-fin
Thales
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Disgraceful. She is a genius. The only thing is that she over-estimated other peoples intelligence. A 5-year old could clearly see that wasn't a bomb. What about all these other flashing T-Shirts and hats you can buy? If the Boston PD sees a 5-year old playing one of the portable games with flashing LEDs are they going to arrest him and charge him with a hoax device?
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The Scary part...
You guys rant about the injustice of her getting arrested and held at gun point for a stunt, you complain about the unethical treatment of prisoners in Cuba, you whine about how inhumane our troops treat detainees...
Why don't I hear people complaining about innocent people being beheaded? Why don't I hear complaints about convoys of -OUR- soldiers being ripped apart by explosives? Why don't I hear complaints about the torture and murder of soldiers? Why aren't you complaining about the fact that -OUR- soldiers are dying?
No, you think that complaining about the motives behind the war and how things have changed after we were attacked is the same as supporting troops and complaining about -their- treatment. You take something like this and try to twist it into an example of how our government is out of control? Do you have the ability to have a dissenting opinion about the government without being black-bagged? You liberal morons disgust me, because that is what a majority of you are, you mistake your own political agendas and personal morals as patriotism and support for our armed-forces. Forget this discussion... I can't understand how Techdirt is in any way a method of corporate America to get its finger on the pulse of America considering their methodism here. Take a story they know nothing about and pretend to be experts; I HAVE AN MBA! Funniest part is how many people complain about the evils of monopolies and corporate America, then they boost up Techdirt whose purpose is to provide companies with partial news stories with a twist of an amateur opinion. Officially removed from my google page...
I think I'm going to go read some actual news.
-fin
Thales
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Lets look at this the other way around...Say that she really had a bomb. Set it off and killed a few people. Then we would be sitting here asking why security was not smart enough to see the bomb. I would rather the one individual be embarrassed instead of seeing a whole lot of bodies in the news.
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Re: The Scary part...
Yeah, that's right Thale, you go watch FOX NEWS...
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Re: The Scary part...
hmmm... obvious troll but I'll bite. The reason our soldiers are fighting the war, being beheaded, whatever, is because of the ridiculous 'war on terror'. Stories like this one show how much panic there is, and how authorities would rather spread more panic than admit a mistake (in this case, call the device a 'hoax', creating the impression that the girl was trying to fool the authorities in some way - she wasn't).
I think most of us 'liberals' support the troops, we simply don't support the reasons they are there. We would rather see them come home rather than die in the name of panic and terror. Remember, terrorists are called terrorists because they want to spread TERROR, not because they kill people in the process. Stories like this just remind us that they've already won, regardless of what our troops do overseas.
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WTF?!
Ok, first a disclaimer;
I am not now, nor have I ever been a terrorist sympathizer, patriot or partisan to American politics. I am, as a point of fact, a British citizen with some American friends.
Having said that... people, sections of your country's government & law enforcement are seriously out of control !
This incident is just one more example of what happens when you have an atmosphere of paranoia and rampant authoritarianism... and frankly, given the tone of some of the commenter's here, I am not surprised.
Good Lord people, whatever happened to "Land of the Free, and Home of the Brave"?
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Re:
Lets look at this the other way around...Say that she really had a bomb. Set it off and killed a few people. Then we would be sitting here asking why security was not smart enough to see the bomb.
You don't speak for me. I'm quite a bit more reasonable than that.
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Re:
"If the Boston PD sees a 5-year old playing one of the portable games with flashing LEDs are they going to arrest him and charge him with a hoax device?"
A 5-year old probably would follow orders quickly or correctly enough. They'd obviously have no choice but to shoot the little bastard. Can't be too careful you know.
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Re: Re: Re: Any real life experience?
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All I really want to know is, Is this chick hot?
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Re: The Scary part...
Do you have the ability to have a dissenting opinion about the government without being black-bagged?
Black bagging? As in over-the-head? That's kind of your specialty, isn't it Gitmo boy?
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Re: Re:
Oops, that should have been "...probably not follow..."
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Re: Re: The Scary part...
Oh, man, I love FoxNews Channel. The news isn't anti-American and the womens are hot. =D
I will forever curse CNN for stealing Kiran! DAMN YOU CNN!
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Re: Re: The Scary part...
Saying "I support the troops" and actually supporting them are two very, very different things.
Sorta like the deadbeat Dad who says he loves his kids, but hasn't done jack for them in years.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Any real life experience?
Why am I not surprised an Anonymous Coward would talk shit?
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Re:
No.
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Re: Re: The Scary part...
Gitmo boy?
I'm sure you're too damn busy playing with yourself to realize it, you insignificant little fuck, but the military is protecting your worthless ass.
Maybe in fifty years you'll realize just how much.
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Dorpus Troll hit a new low on this thread. The consumate conspiracy theorist defending the stupidity of the police in Boston. Hmmm, wonder if Dorpus is employed by the Boston PD???
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Not saying it's right but...
Not that I'm defending the air of paranoia. Over the last six years, 3000 people have been killed by terrorist bombings.. compare that to plain old homicide, 96,000. Drunk driving, 102,000. lack of healthcare, 108,000. Suicides, 180,000.. hell, you're about 60 times as likely to kill yourself as get killed by a terrorist. The numbers all go up from there too.. I haven't seen any cause-of-death numbers lower, nobody bothers to keep track of the 'falling-satellite' death toll. The level of paranoia is totally fucking insane compared to the actual risk!
But it's still there. You'd have to have been living under a rock since mid-2001 to not know that walking around any airport in the USA (let alone Boston) carrying any kind of homemade exposed-wires-and-batteries circuit board is going to result in at least some questions. Or on a bad day, a bullet first and questions afterwards.
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Re: Seen this item?
If you wear this in any US airport, you could be and maybe should be, shot on site.
Dumbass.
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Re: Re: Re:
Which leads to any one not wearing flashing lights is wearing a bomb. It should be a much more colorful world with lots of epileptics to step over on the ground.
The Boston Police appear to need some Paxil.
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If you worked at Gitmo, you should be shot. Here's a cluepon for you and any fellow facists reading, If dimwit dubya haddn't mired us in Viet Nam V2.0 troops wouldn't be coming home in body bags.
Hey, but you must have volunteered, so suck it up and enjoy the good times. Lemme guess, you kinda get hard when you hear taps?
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Re: Re:
Yea, however most bombers don't proudly display bombs is they actually plan on doing something. However, I do think that she was pushing it with having the play-doh in her hands.
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The sad thing is:
It is sad that after billions of dollars of expenditures on homeland security, those officers securing such an important airport have STILL not been trained to visually identify the key defining elements of a real explosive device versus a fake one. Hint: if it has blinking LED's, it is now more likely to be one than a box of chocolates.
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She's lucky she didn't pull this stunt in another
Because there's a good chance she would have more holes in her than Swiss Cheese.
Whatever opinion one has about the reaction to this person's behavior, she initiated this situation and did nothing to diffuse concerns about her "art." No matter how "smart" this woman is, she did something stupid.
Part of any punishment should include working at Logan Airport for the TSA. Who knows, maybe one of her classmates will pull a stunt on her.
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The major news companies have picked this one up, they have a lot more details on it. The police are 100% correct in her situation.
And according to your ignorant comments, i can just put blinking LEDs on my bomb and it should be able to go any where.
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The really Sad Thing
The really ad thing is that we talk about being free and look at how we live. We cower in our corners like scared children at the first blinking light or closed paper bag. We spend billions "protecting" ourselves. What are we protecting. We have messed in everyone else's business that they no longer admire the US but they hate the US. We have perpetrated so much crap on the world that we are no longer safe at home. did Ronald Reagan really win the cold war. Have we just become another soviet union, with a KGB (Homeland Security). 9-11 did change american life. For a while we were the envy of every nation, now we are the laughing stock of the world, ducking and dodging every blinking light and paper bag we see.
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Re: Idiocracy
1. Being an MIT engineering undergrad she probably knows a lot of stuff. However, her social skills and 'common sense' are probably rudimentary at best. So, when it comes to almost any social or 'real-life' public situation she probably IS stupid. Very stupid. Darwin Award quality.
2. As for dealing with stupid people - the writer seems to think higher education means not stupid. I'm constantly amazed at the stupidity of many college graduates, regardless of school or major. It wouldn't surprise me if as many as half of the engineering graduates in America think it is all about following formulas and equations and have never learned to think. I meet many people with no more than a high school education who know how to think and are far from stupid! This brainless MIT girl was stupid in her failure to react in an intelligent way to a curious question that an intelligent person would have expected somebody to ask sooner or later. By walking away without replying she showed how stupid she is.
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Re: Boston's
What do you expect? The BPD has more PRESSING issues on their plate:
* The detectives union is complaining that the State Police is taking over MBTA-related homicides. Earlier this year, the same union complained that the homicide unit is being overworked with too many cases per person.
* The State Police (the department involved in this matter) is still having trouble with their academy cadets and "unauthorized" hazing.
Excuse my terminology, but what do you expect from a bunch of mick cops? Thanks to the way-lefties, freedom of *anything* for the majority is all but extinct (think of the Dodo bird and you will get the picture).
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Re: Re: hoax device
Don't forget: The decision to make a law is ultimately up to the people (through their representatives).
Apparently, Massachusetts' court system did not get that memo when it came to the decision on same-sex marriage. Where was the people's choice in that?
And, the people never got a chance to make their own ruling on this matter; the ballot question was squashed in the state congress due to some stupid level of legislative insanity.
I've said it once before and I'll say it again: THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT WORK!!!!!!
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Any real life experience?
HELLO?! When she was asked about her shirt by the counter clerk, she responded, "This is art."
"THIS IS ART," PEOPLE! GET YOUR F@#~!#& FACTS STRAIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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What are we coming to?
Are this country's security forces run by Frank Burns (did anyone get that "M*A*S*H" reference). The average American-based security/public-defense employee has become nothing more than a schitzophrenic, borderline incompetent, frenetic twerp that become extremely neutotic at anything that is not in the major norm (then again, what is?).
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Society of Fear
Let's see: Police prepared to use deadly force to intercept wires, battery, flashing lights, squishy stuff, and words on a shirt. What kind of fool does that make you to carry your iPod and your cell phone with ear buds into an airport? Oh, and don't forget that plastique has the right weight and jiggle to be smuggled on a plane as breast augmentation. Will you lineup for the new security position of Breast Inspector when they realize that? Get a grip, folks. They have already won. We are afraid of shoes.
On another note, it makes me sad that our school system releases so many graduates in such abysmal ignorance that a kiosk attendant is excused for not knowing anything about a few simple electronics just because she isn't an engineer, and then everyone here takes it as valid. It is shameful how ill-informed the majority of our citizens are. It is even more shameful that we find it acceptable.
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smug
The easy answer, which I largely agree with, is that it's an over-reaction. The thing was harmless.
But it doesn't consider context. Let's see, Logan airport - origin of 9/11 multiple fiery death planes. Um, would it be surprising that Logan employees might be just a little bit overly vigilant, maybe even bordering on paranoia? And knowing that, even if you were 100% harmless, wouldn't you want to at least try a little bit to avoid calling attention to yourself? And even if it's wrong, oh, so WRONG to do that to an innocent student, especially in OUR United States, wouldn't it occur to you that maybe, just maybe, they might make an example of you, and it might stick due to political pressure?
Of course not. This is normal behavior for an adolescent college student, even a brainiac. "Nothing can happen to me - I'm invincible, I'm smart, and mummy and daddy will fix it if I make a little booboo. ROTFL!" And by her smug expression in court, it's pretty clear that she doesn't give a sh*t. At least her own mother had the sense to say that she was stupid. She's essentially right, but extremely stupid.
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Re: Re: The Scary part...
Actaully no, that would be the guys standing in front of a camera with black bags over their heads, hiding their faces while they cut a man's head off. Then refuse to show Sadam in his tighty whities due to humane treatment concerns...Do you think Christian hostages are given bibles? Do you think they get to observer their religious customs? They believe infidels should be killed end of story.
Goblin, 50 years to think won't change anything.
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