"Bomblike", "Hoax" Give me a Break!

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I am reading about the fallout from yesterdays scare in Boston, which allegedly cost $500,000 and shut down public transportation and a portion of an interstate.

It was caused by circuit boards with little light guys from a weird cartoon.

First let's look at the words that our officials are using to describe these little circuit boards....

"Hoax" implies the intent to decieve with the implication that the people behind these little boards intentended (and intent is important in "hoax) to make people think they were dangerous.

These boards were designed to light up... so that people would see patterns of a cartoon character (A crass Spongebob if you please). They weren't designed to deceive anyone.

The term "Bomblike" means having characteristics of a bomb. These flat boards with lights have visible batteries. Bombs (at least those shown on TV) have visible batteries. If the term "bomblike" means "having visible batteries" then I guess this term isn't completely inappropriate.

What bugs me is the two people who were hired to place these things (which I am not arguing isn't foolish and ill-judged) are being charged with felonies. And the charges read "bomb-like" and "hoax".

The real issue is how to officials from overreacting evertime someone sees a battery. Sure, they should check these things out, but there is no way these little cards warranted a $500,000 overreaction.

I won't mind if the Company behind this is given the bill. I will be very upset if the poor guys who were paid to do marketing (and only intended to do marketing) end up getting screwed.

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i think the point is this --

in this post-9/11 world of ours, no one should be allowed to attach a foreign object to the underside of a large structure... without some type of permission.

the city of boston was unaware of this "guerilla advertising" campaign, assumed that the objects were bombs, and reacted accordingly.

Turner Broadcasting should be held responsible for this stupidity...

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They don't look too concerned in this picture...

http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/Third_Party_Photo/2007/02/01/1170347286_1586-1.jpg

But quite honestly why didn't any of the other 6 or 8 cities they did this same campaign in cause such panic?

I do think before doing any such campaign ads - they should notify the city just to prevent them from overreacting and not panicing, but to charge these guys - fine Turner and be done with it.

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I agree with you that people should think twice before attaching anything on public structures. This marketing stunt was perhaps ill-judged, but it was not criminal.

My point is that these guys (the guys who were hired to put these up) shouldn't be charged with a felony.

My other point is that it should have taken all of 10 minutes and perhaps $500 to figure out that these little plastic things represented no threat. Instead they mobilized a huge response complete with sensationalistic statements to the media over what amounted to flashing lights. Spending $500,000 to remove little plastic cartoon characters from bridges seems like the real crime here.

I understand that on 9/11 the world change in that anything resembling reason, or moderation was abolished.

The point of terrorism, as the word implies, is to make people feel terrified. If we are now terrified when a couple unwitting guys stick LED's to a bridge as part of a misguided marketing ploy, maybe the terrorists have already won.

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Linkat wrote:

But quite honestly why didn't any of the other 6 or 8 cities they did this same campaign in cause such panic?

According to local news, 20 such devices were placed in public places in Chicago.

Quote:

The people who placed the devices around Chicago helped police remove the devices, but were not charged.

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In 1938, when Americans feared that the aggression in Europe would reach them also, Orson Welles panicked the entire nation with his "War of the Worlds" broadcast. New York police stormed into his radio station and manhandled Welles and others. The police told Welles that his broadcast had caused scores of people to be trampled to death. This turned out not to be true at all, but Welles and the station were frightened. Eventually, no criminal prosecution ever took place.

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wandeljw wrote:

According to local news, 20 such devices were placed in public places in Chicago.

Quote:
The people who placed the devices around Chicago helped police remove the devices, but were not charged.

From today's Chicago Tribune, page A3 (main report about what happened in Boston):

Quote:

The devices have been in place for two to three weeks in 10 cities in all, including Chicago, according to a statement from Turner Broadcasting.

A spokesman for the Office of Emergency Management and Communications in Chicago said no one called in a report of the devices in the city. "We had nothing like the unfortunate problems Boston ran into with these," said Kevin Smith. "We are somewhat appalled that anyone would think placing devices like this in the city in this day and age is a good idea."

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First, the media and our dumbass mayor over reacted. It's not a f'n "hoax," it was a bad move by Time Warner. As a big company, they should have had the sense to better prepare to put those things up. The kid that put them up shouldn't be in trouble.

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I agree that it was a major over-reaction but it should also be pointed out that there were two actual hoax pipe-bombs discovered (at different locations) at the same time. I'd have to guess that that played into the police reation.

These two guys that have been arrested are total idiots but at this point they should be told to go home and the charges should be dropped.

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I did not know they found actual pipe bombs too.

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Slappy Doo Hoo wrote:

I did not know they found actual pipe bombs too.

One was in a boiler room in one of the Tufts buildings. Not sure where the other one was found but they were reporting two. It's buried in the middle of most of yesterday's stories but not given much in comparison to the "hoax" crap.

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Idiotic! Bombs? Has anyone seen pictures of what they were talking about - I mean other than the little square men?

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"1:02 p.m. Boston Police received a call from New England Medical Center Security that they had uncovered a pipe bomb in their building in a desk drawer. Shortly thereafter Hospital Security reported that a suspect had been seen leaving the area of the pipe bomb in an agitated state stating "God is warning you that today is going to be a sad Day". The suspect was reported to have fled the hospital. Boston Police continue to investigate this incident. No further details at this time.

At 1:08 p.m. the Boston Police Bomb Squad arrived and confirmed the existence of an item which appeared to be a pipe bomb inside the hospital."

And:

"At 4:51 p.m. Turner Broadcasting representatives were verified as taking responsibility for placing devices with the cartoon character. This was at the same time a press conference was underway at Boston Police Headquarters.

Officers identified a device (possible pipe bomb) at the New England Medical Center which turned out to be unrelated. Another type of device was located under the Longfellow Bridge, which is being investigated by the Massachusetts State Police."

Reading through the published timeline, things start to make slightly more sense. At the time of the pipe bomb incident they had only found 2 of the ad things and had reports of a possible bomb in DC.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/city_region/breaking_news/2007/02/boston_police_c_1.html

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ah.

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Also, I understand some of these things were placed on private property -- and again without permission or the knowledge of the landowners. Actually, I'm kinda surprised this didn't start out as someone from some Neighborhood Watch making a stink. Hell, in some parts of the country, you're bound to see a warning round or two if you trespass.

Idjits all. The mayor. The guys who installed the stuff. The marketing company. Turner Broadcasting. And the media, God knows.

I think the Police and Bomb Squad actually did a decent job. Certainly they showed a high level of preparedness and caution. Was it misplaced? Yes, it turned out to be, but I'd rather they erred on the side of caution. So, let's see when the inevitable civil lawsuit happens, either for trespass or perhaps from someone getting into a car accident or missing an appointment due to the traffic snarl that ensued due to closed streets and all the hullaballoo on places like the Longfellow Bridge. The fallout, I am sure, ain't over yet.

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In Chicago, cops were not laughing at signs:

Quote:

...
Chicago police on Thursday were investigating how long the signs had been posted and said the public never reported the devices.
...
In addition to Boston and Chicago, the company said the devices had been in place for two to three weeks in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Seattle, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Portland, Ore., and Austin, Texas.
...

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Re: "Bomblike", "Hoax" Give me a Break!

ebrown_p wrote:

I am reading about the fallout from yesterdays scare in Boston, which allegedly cost $500,000 and shut down public transportation and a portion of an interstate.

It was caused by circuit boards with little light guys from a weird cartoon.

First let's look at the words that our officials are using to describe these little circuit boards....

"Hoax" implies the intent to decieve with the implication that the people behind these little boards intentended (and intent is important in "hoax) to make people think they were dangerous.

These boards were designed to light up... so that people would see patterns of a cartoon character (A crass Spongebob if you please). They weren't designed to deceive anyone.

The term "Bomblike" means having characteristics of a bomb. These flat boards with lights have visible batteries. Bombs (at least those shown on TV) have visible batteries. If the term "bomblike" means "having visible batteries" then I guess this term isn't completely inappropriate.

What bugs me is the two people who were hired to place these things (which I am not arguing isn't foolish and ill-judged) are being charged with felonies. And the charges read "bomb-like" and "hoax".

The real issue is how to officials from overreacting evertime someone sees a battery. Sure, they should check these things out, but there is no way these little cards warranted a $500,000 overreaction.

I won't mind if the Company behind this is given the bill. I will be very upset if the poor guys who were paid to do marketing (and only intended to do marketing) end up getting screwed.

As an outsider looking in, and as someone who is familiar with bureaucratic screw-ups, I see the over-reaction as a way of mopping up some of the fall-out from the Big-Dig. They have to blame Someone.

Sure, paramount to the city comes the need for safety, especially after Sept. 11.

In this situation both players City/Corporation exhibit their aptitude for arrogance and, well, stupendous greed, and let's not exclude Ego.

However, the two young fellas, ought to be shielded by their employer.

I bet this will spark some new rules and regulations nationwide.

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I am curious to see if any criminal cases will ever go to trial on this. Any civil suits asking reimbursement from Turner Broadcasting will probably be settled out of court.

It is good that Boston officials took a "rather be safe than sorry approach". However, there seems to be some over-reaction from the mayor in his current attacks against Turner Broadcasting.

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wandeljw wrote:

I am curious to see if any criminal cases will ever go to trial on this. Any civil suits asking reimbursement from Turner Broadcasting will probably be settled out of court.

It is good that Boston officials took a "rather be safe than sorry approach". However, there seems to be some over-reaction from the mayor in his current attacks against Turner Broadcasting.

Turner has already agreed to reimburse the city for the costs incurred.

I don't see any criminal cases getting anywhere. I think it is safe enough to assume that these guys and the ad company didn't plan on causing problems of this magnitude. If being an idiot were a crime then the two guys would be in serious trouble.

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Quote:

Other cities made sure that the devices were being taken down Thursday. In New York, the police contacted Interference Inc., which told them that at least 20 devices had been placed in Brooklyn and Manhattan. The police found two devices, at West 33rd Street and 12th Avenue, stuck to metal panels under an overpass, and said they believed that the others were removed by passers-by.

That's right. In New York, we saw them and ... we swiped'em.

In the subways they tell us "If you see an unaccompanied bag you should say something to someone official", but no one ever sees an unaccompanied bag.

In New York the first person to die from a bag bomb will be the thief running up the stairway with it in his arms.

Joe(I just turned my back for a moment)Nation

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"Bomblike", "Hoax" Give me a Break!

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