Bomb Hoax? Fckd up world

[Razorslug]

http://machinist.salon.com/blog/2007.../star_simpson/

So I read the headline. MIT student wears fake bomb on chest to airport. And I'm thinking this has to be one of the the dumber, or daring, girls alive. Then I see a picture of the "bomb" it's a fucking sweatshirt with some lights. Anyone with an ounce of sanity would know it poses no danger. And at worst, wouldn't you ask first, "what is that on your shirt?, You might want to take it off while in the airport?" But instead we get the scariest quote I've heard in a while,
"Had she not followed the protocol, we might have used deadly force." The Police cheif keeps saying she almost lost her life. OK now, look at the picture. She almost lost her life because of this? And then the D.A. wanted her bail to be $5000 because, " she showed a total disregard for airport security concerns."


Boston is one fucked up city.

[yooper]

Yeah... still... That's clearly a stupid bitch. What the fuck could she have been thinking???

[concretejungle]

I agree that this world is fucked up but for crying out loud this shit will not and should not fly. How in the world did she get in to MIT, there ought to be a common sense test, which she would obviously fail. You can't walk into an airport with electrical wiring attached to you. It's really not that tough of a rule to follow.

[Will]

You can't walk into an airport with electrical wiring attached to you. It's really not that tough of a rule to follow.

While it seems obvious to us, think about it from her perspective as someone who knows how electrical shit works. Basically, she was wearing one of these:



She probably thought that anyone who looked at it would recognize it for what it was: a breadboard, a battery and some LEDs. No threat at all, nothing to be concerned about. What she didn't realize is that most folks only recognize the "battery" part of that equation and the rest is no better than "magic."

See this quote from the Mass AG re: the Adult Swim ATHF marketing ploy that went down the crapper. “[The device] had a very sinister appearance. It had a battery behind it, and wires.”
Also, the Boston Bomb Squad are the folks who blew up a traffic measuring device that had been put in place by the Boston Transportation Department because they didn't know what it was.

Since most folks (and certainly most airport security) can't look at some electrical widgets and determine what purpose they serve they've taken a zero tolerance to any electrical widgets that look home-made.
See Here:
http://www.boingboing.net/2007/09/17...s-is-an-i.html

It can be hard to think like people who don't have the knowledge you do. Imagine the following situation:

TSA: What's this long thing in your bag? Is it a gun?

You: No, it's a ski. Actually two of them.

TSA: Two?

You: Yeah, they slide apart. One for each foot. Here, let me show....

TSA: STEP AWAY FROM THE BAG SIR!!

You: Whoa... sorry. Just trying to he helpful.

TSA: Stay behind the line. (pause) It's long and heavy... looks like a gun to me. You can't bring guns on planes.

You: Oh fer... it's not a gun! They're skis! You put one on each foot and slide down mountains on them!

TSA: You attach these things to your body? How can you slide? I don't see any wheels. Looks like a gun to me. Where do the bullets come out?

You: THERE ARE NO BULLETS!

TSA: Sir, please keep your voice down. (into radio) Sharon, I've got trouble down at #3, send some guys.

You: Seriously, these are skis! They're nothing like guns!

TSA: This part here is long and tubular - Looks like the barrel of a gun. (examines ski pole) That part right there must be the sight.

You: It's not a gun!!!

TSA#2: Sir, did you just say gun? I'll have to ask you to come with me....

[Blurred]

I wore a KKK costume to the million man march, and almost got killed. The nerve of those crazies!!!

[pointedem]

http://machinist.salon.com/blog/2007.../star_simpson/

. Then I see a picture of the "bomb" it's a fucking sweatshirt with some lights. Anyone with an ounce of sanity would know it poses no danger.

Boston is one fucked up city.

Serisouly? You've got to be kidding me. After the single most devistating attack on the USA was conducted via airlines; what do you think the tolerance level should be? Case by Case?
I dont consider myself to be a huge proponent for law enforcement in general, but COME ON. Why? Why would you do this?

People get shot everyday for shit that doesn't even compare to this.


The real question: Why would you take your life into question by pulling a stunt like this? I'd bet a year's wage that had she pulled this stunt ~ 6 years ago at this time, she would have been shot dead in less then a minute. Fucked? For sure. But so is trying to pull some 'look at me' prank when the guys with guns don't fuck around.

Close to a Darwin award for this chick.

[Blurred]

Serisouly? You've got to be kidding me. After the single most devistating attack on the USA was conducted via airlines; what do you think the tolerance level should be? Case by Case?
I dont consider myself to be a huge proponent for law enforcement in general, but COME ON. Why? Why would you do this?

People get shot everyday for shit that doesn't even compare to this.


The real question: Why would you take your life into question by pulling a stunt like this? I'd bet a year's wage that had she pulled this stunt ~ 6 years ago at this time, she would have been shot dead in less then a minute. Fucked? For sure. But so is trying to pull some 'look at me' prank when the guys with guns don't fuck around.

Close to a Darwin award for this chick.

You're way to smart to be posting on TGR. I mean, you make sense, and show reasoning skills and shit.

[pointedem]

I know, it's not easy.

[belgian]

I suppose that even though it should be easily recognizable that it would be easy to mistake. I mean, there could be something underneath the sweatshirt and to the untrained eye that could look like a circuit board with a trigger system. Who knows? Its not like the TSA or any of the other contractors at airports train their employees on how to recognize a bomb (I should know, I work at one). We're just told to look for something "suspicious." And to be completely frank, someone walking in with wires and electrical shit glued to their sweatshirt is somewhat suspicious, no one does that in public let alone at a freaking airport. And in all honesty what the hell is an MIT student doing that type of thing for?

The deadly force comment may be a bit jarring but that was assuming that she had put up a fight, and if the people seriously have no clue and someone is getting defensive over their wired up sweatshirt then I could also see why a nervous employee might try to fix the situation by letting a few fly. Better to be safe than having a few hundred people get blown to bits.

Unfortunately this probably just means more regulations at the airport. Which sucks for me in more than one way.

[cj001f]

Serisouly? You've got to be kidding me.

I was going to post something questioning your stupidity, but then I thought better. There's no hope. That people try to rationalize massive press coverage of a stupid prank and try to explain it as some big, properly sized reaction, well, whee! it's almost skiing time! pow! woohooo!

[Will]

So, lessons learned:

1) If you're bringing a bomb on a plane don't wear it in plain sight (puns! ha, I kill me). And for the love of god, make sure it looks professional! Put it in a laptop case or something.

2) Airline security is a joke.

That's a box-cutter in an airplane bathroom. It was brought through security by accident in a carry-on bag. The flight left from an international terminal and the bag was searched by TSA.

[BakerBoy]

I agree that this world is fucked up but for crying out loud this shit will not and should not fly. How in the world did she get in to MIT, there ought to be a common sense test, which she would obviously fail. You can't walk into an airport with electrical wiring attached to you. It's really not that tough of a rule to follow.

Speaking for myself, but I'm sure there's tons of other people who hold the same opinion, is that there is tends to be an inverse relationship between intellectualism and societal skills. Other than that movie with Val Kilmer, of course. I wouldn't be surprised if she thought she wasn't doing anything inappropriate, but rather just irrationally exerting her nerdness. And nobody likes a nerd, especially a GED-bearing TSA agent.

[GoNads]

I've been getting on planes with 2 pairs of ski boots and 6 pairs of atomic 1018 bindings in my backpack, along with screw drivers and other crap. (Don't ask, putting the heavy stuff in the pack keeps me under the 50ib check luggage limit and when you travel with 8 pairs of skis the bindings weigh a lot.) Aaaaanywho, these fuckers at security had the nerve to take my lip chap and my nail clippers but let me through with everything else. Seriously... there's following "protocol" and then there's just plain stupidity. I'm sure I could do a lot more with 2 pairs of ski boots and 4 pairs of METAL binders than nail clippers and chapstick.

[pointedem]

Thanks, have a great weekend.

[The AD]

Don't you think it makes sense for TSA to be a little overcautious if anything? The idea that they might have used deadly force is ridiculous, but there's no question they should have taken this seriously. They have an obligation to look at anything that looks vaguely suspicious.

[Jer]

Too bad they didn't just shoot her in the head. One less moron..

[doughboyshredder]

they should have tased her.

[The AD]

they should have tased her.

They were probably afraid this would have detonated the "bomb."

[MrDirt]

Too bad they didn't just shoot her in the head. One less moron..

Yeah, those MIT kids are just one step above community college.

[Adolf Allerbush]

Too bad they didn't just shoot Jer in the head. One less moron..

Fixed it for you

[Razorslug]

So we accidently kill a few people so that we make our society safer? Does this really make you feel safer? Next time you forget to empty your camp stove fuel and leave it in your checked luggage, You will get 6 months of jail time. Not because you are a terrosist afterall you voted for Bush (the 1rst time, not the second), but becuase you showed a blantent disrespect for national security.

Fuck, look at the "fake bomb." What isn't a fake bomb? Your fuck'n ipod looks alot more like a bomb to me than this. And she rode on the T (subway) to get to the airport. No one said anything to her there. Why not? cause it didn't look threatening until someone overreacted.

I promise you if someone blows up a plane they aren't going to be a 20 year old girl wearing flipflops with a battery pinned to her sweatshirt. If you believe this, then you are just as fucked up and brainwashed as the people I"m scared of. (NO, I don't feel safer with this kind of security, I feel scared for my own life, cause I may get thrown in jail or shot, and their is no accountability because the security is just doing their job and they made a mistake. Except they will never admitt they made a mistake in public)

"Hey, the information counter just called and said there is a bomb threat!"
"Really? lets get the submachine guns."
After they suround her and they acutally see what the "threat" is.
"Fuck, we get called over for this?"
"What do we do now?"
"Well the police cheif alread knows. We better arrest her and make a big deal out of it, otherwise she might publish something in her college newspaper and make us look like idiots"

Should the girl have worn something different to the airport? Sure, But the fact that police cheif says he is justified if she gets shot, and everyones comments also thinks the girl is to blame?

Enough ranting, it's raining a month early in Santa Cruz. That should mean more snow in Tahoe soon.

[The AD]

I promise you if someone blows up a plane they aren't going to be a 20 year old girl wearing flipflops with a battery pinned to her sweatshirt.

Bullshit. I guess you forget about the Manson Family. Young women can be fucked up/brainwashed just like young men can.

[gh444]

I once carried an 11 pound gold ingot, a 1' x 1' scale (readout on the scale was attached by wires) and a 6"x2"x2" box of plastic in my carry on, with what looked like a metal tube running through it. Truth was I didn't even think about the possibility that someone could think it was a bomb. However, I found myself in a secure office with machine guns and guys who weren't to happy. The ingot was worth $225,000 and it was only insured when it was in my possession. I pleaded for them not to give my bag to the bomb squad to be dismantled. I luckily walked away from the incident with the items, but fuck was I scared shitless. In retrospect, I was wrong and I should have taken care to be more thoughtful in my packing. I can see how these guys would assume the worst with this girl, as I think they should. Its not a violation of civil rights to have to think things through.

[Will]

I can see how these guys would assume the worst with this girl, as I think they should. Its not a violation of civil rights to have to think things through.

The bigger question is should we arrest her and charge her with a "hoax device" for doing this. And then should the news media make a super-big stink about it? Was this a criminal act? Is it worthy of national attention?

Boston seems to think so.

Should you have been charged with a crime for carrying your ingot around? Should your face and name have appeared on CNN because of your error?

[gh444]

The bigger question is should we arrest her and charge her with a "hoax device" for doing this. And then should the news media make a super-big stink about it? Was this a criminal act? Is it worthy of national attention?

Boston seems to think so.

Should you have been charged with a crime for carrying your ingot around? Should your face and name have appeared on CNN because of your error?

She hasn't been convicted of anything. I'm sure that intent will be considered when she actually has her day in court. SHould she have been charged? absolutely. Significant resources where used in her case and it put a lot of people at risk, regardless if that risk was only perceived. I got lucky and some quick explanation/thinking saved my career.