Woman nearly killed for wearing blinky light

[Teo del Fuego]

Yes, how dare she spend all her time doing laps (with all that nasty chlorine), studying engineering, and shaving her head for charity. She should learn to be a nice little conformist with well cared-for hair and a cute outfit.

Chill! It was a joke--a juxtaposition of incongruency amidst discussions of terrorism and loss of personal freedoms. A joke, I say....

[CapSmashy]

So let's just talk about what a bomb might look like. Perhaps a Ryder rental truck pulled up to a Federal Building. Oh, but that might disrupt commerce -- that could never happen.

Considering you can not pull any style of delivery truck up to the front of a federal building and have not been able to since the OKC truck bombing in 1995, I would say your prediction of disrupting commerce has been soundly proven to be false.

It's not like Boston police ever over-reacted to things with LED lights before. You'd think they would have learned their lesson!

Yes, that was a fiasco of their own making. Now, should precautionary measures have been taken when inspecting the first one? Absolutely.

If the Mooninite was not readily recognizable to the responders how should they have responded? There was some sort of "device" placed in a location that had it been a real explosive device, could have taken out the stanchion support on an elevated section of I-93 if it detonated.

Had such a scenario actually played out, would you still be so blaise about response to a potential threat?

What if the country laughed it off instead? What if they said, "gee, Star, good joke -- you got us. Now get out of here you little whippersnapper" and that was the end of it? I mean, there was no bomb, so how can one have a bomb scare?

Except the majority of the country is looking at this particular incident and saying what a stupid bitch! "Well gee... I'm gonna take this circuit board, some wire, a battery and hook it all together and attach some playdoh to it and go walk around the airport. If anyone asks me about it, I'll refuse to say anything and wander off. That's a great idea. If I get arrested I'll just say it was art and they should let me go"

There is no erosion of liberties or freedoms here. All this case demonstrated is a clear erosion of common sense.

But instead, she is blamed for causing the authorities' embarrassment. In the end, that's all it is. Embarrassing authorities never used to be a crime, but I guess it is now. And judging from the posts on this list, most Burners agree.

How do you figure she embarrassed any of the authorities involved? They responded to a reported possible bomb and handled it with pretty much text book proficiency.

She did nothing but embarrass herself.

I guess I'm on a different planet. I believe that authority can only be granted by the person in the subservient role. It seems the rest of the country believes authority can be bestowed upon someone and as such they have authority. I don't buy it: they're just a human being like I am and I get to control my own life. I grant authority all the time without thinking: from police in day-to-day incidents to servers at restaurants. But I don't allow it to be taken from me.

You get to control the path of your life up to the point it starts interfering with the lives of others. When or if your actions are perceived to or actually do place the lives of other's into harm's way, I absolutely support he fact that there are people willing to shoulder that burden of "authority".

And no, that is not a blanket endorsement of authority types. I have seen plenty of fucked up things done by police and have even been party to a federal civil rights law suit against a large police department in this area.

But occasionally, there is a real need for their help.

[CapSmashy]

The lesson in all this is: if you're smart, don't do anything! Don't make anything. Don't create. Don't solve problems. Don't b different.

Holy over reactionism Batman!

I say, let the cretins scared of technology go back to eating dirt. Let them fucking die. I'm so sick of getting beaten down by the fear of reprisals from morons who don't know anything.

How are they scared of technology?

I say the cretins that think they are so holier than thou should temper their ivory towers with a little fucking common sense.

I personally won't build a ready-to-use product for anyone -- of course, with the hypocritical point that I must because I need money or else I'll be jailed for being poor [follow the points kids: no money, no tax payments, squatting in a shack in the woods is illegal, get arrested, go to jail]. From now on, I will only build things for my own use and at best describe how other smart people can build them. Knuckle-dragging WalMorons can stew in bland misery.

As I said... Holy over reactionism Batman!

Waaaaaaaa, I can't have it exactly the way I want when I want it so I am just gonna take my toys and go home.

I mean really. Isn't your threat of taking your toys home just as bad as the over reaction displayed by many facets of the authority structure these days?

We have never lived in some open utopian society. I really wonder where some of you truly have the nerve to try and hang all of this on Bush and the post 9/11 resulting kneejerk rights feeding frenzy.

Walking around an airport with what looked like a bomb would have prompted a very similar response in 1997 as it does in 2007. DO not fool yourself into thinking the Jack Booted Thugs of the government are an invention of Heir Bush. Clinton and Reno had their goon squads on speed dial too.

I say

It leads to creative people living in a state of fear for their accomplishments.

I say that's a bullshit, defeatist attitude.

You seem a lot happier to roll over and give up than to step back, assess the situation and adapt to the new environment.

Like mentioned earlier with the El Wire through check baggage, a little forethought and common sense put into planning about what you already know is ahead goes a long way in mitigating problems on the other side.

At least I know how suicide would be so easy: walk into an airport. Someone like me would accidentally have something that would be sufficiently different that I'd be held down at gunpoint. Perhaps I would say something like, "I don't consent to searches of my private property" and be accused of some kind of Constitutional terrorist. If I were serious, then $5 in PlayDoh and some scrap LED's and I'd certainly be dead. I wonder if leaving a suicide note would keep me out of the running for the Darwin Awards.

No, a note would not keep you off the Darwin Award rolls. It would just solidify your chance at a top ten placing.

[BoxaRox]

The system is broken.

If I want to make a fuss, I do/wear something that will call attention to itself and the authorities have a cow because it MIGHT have been a bomb.

If I want to blow something up, I make every effort to insure that the first time my work is noticed is when people hear the bang.

Everyone is so goddamed eager to save the world by catching/killing a terrorist that they've forgotten what it is that they're really looking for.

[CapSmashy]

The system is broken.

In many ways, yes it absolutely is. My wife and I spend a lot of our real world work having to deal with and within that system. In this specific case, I believe the system did respond as it should though.

And that belief in the system for this incident has zero to do with anything related to 9/11 and everything to do with my years as an analyst and consultant.

If I want to make a fuss, I do/wear something that will call attention to itself and the authorities have a cow because it MIGHT have been a bomb.

YES! Absolutely.

If I am confronted by a situation where a person is pointing what appears to be a gun at me, how should I respond to that? Automatically assume its a fake gun because there is a chance that someone might decide to point a fake gun they consider to be art at me to make a "fuss" about the system?

I will err on the side of self preservation and respond to the threat as it is presented to me.

And the response in this situation can hardly be described as "having a cow". The Mooninite response was a good example of having a cow both during and after and the Boston PD was a laughing stock among many EADP circles.

If I want to blow something up, I make every effort to insure that the first time my work is noticed is when people hear the bang.

Same here. And that bang is probably delayed until a few days after my exit.

However, not everyone wishes to remain anonymous or devoid of the spotlight in the course of their activities. Some people even feed off just the idea of the amount of media hype and hoopla their actions have the potential of bringing to them. Suicide by cop being a pretty decent example of such grandiose behavior.

Everyone is so goddamed eager to save the world by catching/killing a terrorist that they've forgotten what it is that they're really looking for.

And I strongly agree with you here.

The biggest problem we have on this front is the absolute over the top sledge hammer to the forehead redundancy blitzkrieg that the media employs in covering such stories.

All of them feed into the current of fear and the bulk of the country is very happy to step right up drink straight from the fire house of hype they are pointing at them.

The next huge obstacle to the process is the good ole boy system that is firmly rooted in the law enforcement communities on the local, state and federal levels and in many emergency management circles. When I hear someone say they are a CJ (criminal justice) major, I automatically lump them into the "Oh, you're one of those" category.

It is damn near terrifying to see the large number of people in decision making positions concerning threat assessments and emergency management response operations that have the base knuckle dragging mentality of if they are brown, they are probably a terrorist. To see how much time, energies and resources are pumped into terrorist threat mitigation instead of natural disaster preparation which has a enormously higher level of risk to the typical community than any fucking terrorist attack.


Earlier I said people should temper their actions with a strong dose of common sense. I left out the other half of that statement in that our government should also temper their response with that same dose of common sense.

[mdmf007]

The system is broken.

If I want to make a fuss, I do/wear something that will call attention to itself and the authorities have a cow because it MIGHT have been a bomb.

If I want to blow something up, I make every effort to insure that the first time my work is noticed is when people hear the bang.

Everyone is so goddamed eager to save the world by catching/killing a terrorist that they've forgotten what it is that they're really looking for.

if it were only that simple. Many times bombers make a fuss to compel in response workers. Then they go boom. So the days of old when a bomb would go off on an airplane, or a subway, maybe a mail bomb are gone. Now it is fanatics with an education, and a belief. A belief that they hold so dear to heart they are willing to strap explosives to themselves, shrapnel and go into a night club, bus, train or plane terminal and vaporize themselves.

How about this - No one reacts to her package, she then blows her self up killing a dozen people. People would then be like "Holy shit you could totally see that bomb around her neck. How come no one stopped her, or reported her."

just my 2 cents

later

[theCryptofishist]

Who remembers Lockerbie?

[Dork]

Who remembers Lockerbie?

I didn't. Looking it up revealed the bomb probably looked like a cassette player inside a samsonite suitcase. It was in the cargo hold, and origionated from Europe. I don't see how it relates to this case, other than it involved a bomb that at some point passed through an airport.

The only thing the woman with the pin could have logically been is a suicide bomber planning to blow herself up somewhere outside security but too dumb to realize she should hide the bomb until she's ready. Even then, it still doesn't look much like a bomb to me. A much more realistic scenario is someone dressed in a way to not draw attention carrying in a suitcase, stashing it somewhere, then leaving. Which is why they keep making those announcements about not leaving your bags unattended and alerting security if you see unattended bags.

Security was alerted because she was weird. Not because anyone logically thinking it through would conclude that she's actually about to blow something up. As a weird person myself, this troubles me. I move strangely at times, and don't always dress normally. I've been in situations where I was in the midst of an autistic meltdown and could not respond normally to a stranger asking a weird question. That happened to me a couple of years ago at an airport and was scared someone would think I was a junkie or something. Now I have to worry about getting shot. Better safe than sorry, right?

[CapSmashy]

The only thing the woman with the pin could have logically been is a suicide bomber planning to blow herself up somewhere outside security but too dumb to realize she should hide the bomb until she's ready. Even then, it still doesn't look much like a bomb to me. A much more realistic scenario is someone dressed in a way to not draw attention carrying in a suitcase, stashing it somewhere, then leaving. Which is why they keep making those announcements about not leaving your bags unattended and alerting security if you see unattended bags.

Sure, your scenario is more realistic, but the first thing you learn about people is that they will rarely respond or act in a manner that is consistent with what makes sense.

And, for curiosity sake. What does a bomb need to look like to prompt an alert to security at an airport?

Security was alerted because she was weird. Not because anyone logically thinking it through would conclude that she's actually about to blow something up.

Um, no. Her acting weird certainly did play a factor but there are other factors involved. Such as a device consisting of wires, a battery and a lump of gray colored clay, that oddly enough is consistent with the description of a crude IED made with symtex, on prominent display and refusing to answer questions about the device.

As a weird person myself, this troubles me. I move strangely at times, and don't always dress normally. I've been in situations where I was in the midst of an autistic meltdown and could not respond normally to a stranger asking a weird question. That happened to me a couple of years ago at an airport and was scared someone would think I was a junkie or something. Now I have to worry about getting shot. Better safe than sorry, right?

Define weird question. I tend to categorize "What is that blinking on your chest?" or a similar question as a pretty straight forward question. Weird would be along the lines of "Does that light lead to the unicorn banana patch?"

Nothing in what I read concerning witness statements makes any claim to the fact that she was moving about strangely or in a manner even approaching anything on the level of an autistic meltdown. She walked up to an info kiosk with her device, was asked "what's that" in regards to her device and walked away without answering the basic query about her device. Airport personnel are trained to err on the side of caution in such situations and notify security/airport police and have been long before the 9/11 attacks.

If, as she claimed, it was her art and she wanted to display it, why did she ignore the query concerning it?

[Zhust]

So let's just talk about what a bomb might look like. Perhaps a Ryder rental truck pulled up to a Federal Building. Oh, but that might disrupt commerce -- that could never happen.

Considering you can not pull any style of delivery truck up to the front of a federal building and have not been able to since the OKC truck bombing in 1995, I would say your prediction of disrupting commerce has been soundly proven to be false.

So is it legal to pull a delivery truck up to a library? A school? A county office building?

My point is this exactly: gratuitous blinking LED lights look nothing like an actual bomb. An abandoned suitcase looks exactly like a bomb. Yet where is all the effort placed?

The point of this kind of exercise by law enforcement works like this:

• They look like they are doing something.
• It targets people who think for themselves -- those who do not go to a worthless job 40 hours a week and purchase all they need from our corporate overlords.
• It directs public anger at creative people.
• It keeps America just as easy a terrorist target as before 9/11, ensuring that politicos in charge can pop up a bombing anytime it would be beneficial to their careers.

[MikeVDS]

A much more realistic scenario

It looks like bombs portrayed in the movies and had what could have been the components for a real bomb. A realistic scenario could also be one of someone who had demands and wants the attention. If you want to threaten people with a bomb, you wear it where people can see it and maybe even dress it up with some blinky lights. As pointed out, a bomb can look like anything. The guards are trained to react as they did (overreact) and the American public wants that. This is a non issue because nothing happened here so it's not going to change the publics opinion since she wasn't shot at.

[Rob the Wop]

My point is this exactly: gratuitous blinking LED lights look nothing like an actual bomb. An abandoned suitcase looks exactly like a bomb. Yet where is all the effort placed?

Huh?

Working in electronics, I might be tempted to say- oh- maybe a homemade circuit board with a timer circuit, and some kind of visual indicator to indicate device states. Such as maybe a digital display, or hell- even cheaper and simplier to utilize- a series of LED's that indicate armed, ready, time passed, time left. Maybe rig a simple slowly degrading blinking light series that simulates a timer rather than having to buy a digital read out and have to deal with hooking that up. Then maybe rig it to a plastic explosive, that- oddly enough- resembles modeling clay.

Of course, wearing it on the outside of my shirt- well shucks. That would just be insane. Barking at the moon kind of crazy. Walking in an airport and killing everyone around me in a crowded area kind of crazy.

Oh wait....

Did you know the sarcasm can sometimes be a fatal disease?

<thud>

[CapSmashy]

So is it legal to pull a delivery truck up to a library? A school? A county office building?

On the local level, it would be up to what measures have been taken by the individual governmental entities.

I know of several school districts that have placed heavy restrictions on all traffic permitted in and around the school building.

Tarrant and Dallas counties have restricted truck access at their county facilities in a mirror to the same measures adopted at federal buildings following the 95 bombing.

My point is this exactly: gratuitous blinking LED lights look nothing like an actual bomb. An abandoned suitcase looks exactly like a bomb. Yet where is all the effort placed?

Correct, a couple of blinking LED lights by themselves do not look like a bomb. However, what she presented for the viewing audience was significantly more than a few stray blinking LED lights. From a threat assessment point of view, what she potentially was presenting was a small, crude bomb utilizing some form plastique explosive that she had decided to decorate with a couple of blinking LED lights.

Had she said to the info kiosk employee that queried her about it "Its a piece of jewelry I made." or similar and maybe engaged in further conversation regarding her art, the entire situation could have been avoided. I have met very few artists that are hesitant to discuss their art work when given an opportunity to do so. That behavior alone suggests to me she was actively seeking some level of confrontation.

And are you basing your assertion that there is not a very significant effort placed on policing up abandoned suitcases because you have not seen it splashed in the headlines? The lifespan of an unattended bag in most large airports is a matter of minutes from the time it is set down and wandered away from to the time it is collected by someone and taken of the concourse. Airport concourses are wired like casinos in terms of video surveillance.

Head down to JFK and give it a test run.

The point of this kind of exercise by law enforcement works like this:

• They look like they are doing something.
• It targets people who think for themselves -- those who do not go to a worthless job 40 hours a week and purchase all they need from our corporate overlords.
• It directs public anger at creative people.
• It keeps America just as easy a terrorist target as before 9/11, ensuring that politicos in charge can pop up a bombing anytime it would be beneficial to their careers.

Oh fucking christ on a pogo stick... is that really all you can see in this situation?

I'll ask you same specific question I asked Dork, what does a bomb that a person is wearing need to look like to prompt a police response for investigation?

Have we seen an erosion of our expressive rights in public? Absolutely. And 99% of it is based and centered on bullshit kneejerk reactionism by law makers to appease the sheeple. However, this is not really an example of such behavior as this same level of response would have been taken prior to 9/11. The difference being that it probably would not have received anywhere near the level of media hype it is receiving today had this happened 10 years ago.


It obviously looks as if we are going to have to agree to disagree on the specifics of this topic. I can honestly appreciate and respect the point of view you are sharing about it, but I feel you are going just as hardcore over the top in the opposite direction as the authorities you are accusing of Jack Booting all forms of creative expression.

There is a middle ground that allows for compromise but both sides must be willing to compromise equally and apply common sense in their decision making. And you also have to be able to come in from the extreme edge and allow yourself the opportunity to listen to the other side and understand their motivation instead of the typical reaction most of us have to fling poo at the people at those that disagree with us.



Edit: Stupid typo-s.....

[The CO]

Funny you should mention casinos....

An indian casino I did shows at for several years had a minor bomb scare when a new security guard saw a duffel bag full of shackles (the rigging kind, not the handcuff kind) backstage between shows. It was sitting on top of an open-back dimmer patch panel: a large metal box with literally hundreds of wires poking out of it, with a very custom built look to it. But the bag full of solid metal horseshoe shaped items was what freaked him out.

[theCryptofishist]

My point about Lockerbie wasn't about what the bomb looked like, but about the shock and grief people felt when it happened. So many people are afraid of flying anyway; the idea that while you're minding your own business at 10,000 feet the whole world could end (at least for you) and you are completely powerless against it, is, I think, a possible driving force in reactions to this sort of thing. I could have mentioned that Florida flight with the O2 tanks that exploded and got something that wasn't even brought through by a passenger. it seems damn foolish to play with peoples very real fears and then complain about the results. I know I'm not rational when I scared.

[Toolmaker]

I've been in situations where I was in the midst of an autistic meltdown and could not respond normally to a stranger asking a weird question. That happened to me a couple of years ago at an airport and was scared someone would think I was a junkie or something. Now I have to worry about getting shot. Better safe than sorry, right?

Do NOT use the word "bomb" in this type of situation if you can help it. Here in FL someone WAS shot for acting a little off. If memory serves he was bi-polar and off his meds. I suggest babysitters for people that may lose control of themselves in a way way shape or form. And whatever you do.. do not wear art that looks identical to a bomb on your chest like a suicide bomber would. Especially if you won't be able to tell anyone that its only art.

So let's just talk about what a bomb might look like. Perhaps a Ryder rental truck pulled up to a Federal Building. Oh, but that might disrupt commerce -- that could never happen.

Considering you can not pull any style of delivery truck up to the front of a federal building and have not been able to since the OKC truck bombing in 1995, I would say your prediction of disrupting commerce has been soundly proven to be false.

So is it legal to pull a delivery truck up to a library? A school? A county office building?

My point is this exactly: gratuitous blinking LED lights look nothing like an actual bomb. An abandoned suitcase looks exactly like a bomb. Yet where is all the effort placed?

While you can pull a rental truck to the front of many public buildings its not really a wise thing to do unless you belong there.

You seem to know alot about what bombs are to look like when finished. Out of curiosity how much experience do you have and in what capacity? Granted I've only machined a replacement part for a robot and made a custom pick tool for a tech and yakked it up with some folks in the business. But from what I understand a bomb can look like ANYTHING. It is common for lights often LED to be used to show the arm state of the device. And suitcases generally look like suitcases.. whereas IEDs look like all kinds of shit. Oh yeah.. I am not law enforcement but if I EVER saw someone with what looks like an IED strapped to their chest you can bet next years ticket that I'm drawing and double tapping. And if I am ever on a plane some asshole better not whip out a boxcutter real or fake to do performance art, he/she may just wind up with a snapped neck. It has nothing to do with fear, rather survival. I do fear that maybe we americans may need a few more bombings till everyone wakes up to the reality that those abroad deal with everyday. Suicide bombers have been known to prominently display their their bombs strapped to themselves so the all bombs are disguised thing doesn't really wash in the real world the rest of us live in.

[Rabbi Dali Rick]

I saw Mission Impossible 3.

When looking for a bomb, that is what I go by.











the rebbi

[BoxaRox]

Didn't security jump her as she was LEAVING the terminal?

Seems like they kinda missed the boat. Folks trying to justify taking her down because of what MIGHT be are conveniently overlooking that. If it WAS a real bomb, it would have already gone off.

A case of LEO's who can't bear passing up a chance to fuck someone up.

Funny that they're defending their abuse of an innocent citizen with, "well, we COULD have shot her." God bless America.

If you can be arrested because you MIGHT be a terrorist/bomber, every single goddam one of is a candidate for arrest every time we set foot out in public. We live at the whim of the guys with guns.

[theCryptofishist]

We live at the whim of the guys with guns.

Tha'ts always been the case. And one of the reasons we put up with the abuses of the police is because they provide some protection from the out and out bullies.

I'd forgotten about that Florida case, Toolmaker. That really pissed me off. because I could see that happening to me.

[Toolmaker]

Didn't security jump her as she was LEAVING the terminal?

Seems like they kinda missed the boat. Folks trying to justify taking her down because of what MIGHT be are conveniently overlooking that. If it WAS a real bomb, it would have already gone off.

A case of LEO's who can't bear passing up a chance to fuck someone up.

Funny that they're defending their abuse of an innocent citizen with, "well, we COULD have shot her." God bless America.

If you can be arrested because you MIGHT be a terrorist/bomber, every single goddam one of is a candidate for arrest every time we set foot out in public. We live at the whim of the guys with guns.

All good and valid points, especially the last, excepting the fuck someone up one. I didn't see where she was beat up or hurt. To my knowledge she has not accused LEO of assault or excessive force. She was drawn on with MP5s as I hear it but considering the attire its kinda understandable.

It does suck that ANYONE can be incarcerated and held without bond, due process, or even a trial indefinitely. But when shit like that is goin on I try to watch what I wear. I haven't worn my Sniper or Bomb Squad shirts in years. It just wasn't worth all the hassle. If I were to walk around with a breadboard and putty I would totally expect to be drawn down on. I somehow think that even 30 years ago you wouldn't have been able to wear some shit like that around an airport.

If we say OK, ignore any teens or young adults. What do we do when a suicide bomber decides to pull the same thing? Alot of suicide bombers tend to be kids. Our policy for the past 50+ years has been to try to piss off as many people as we can to make more. Not to mention we have our own fucked up youth to contend with. Little bastards are already up to guns.. how long till IEDs are common amongst our own teens. What then?

We have to find a happy medium to live with. A total lawless society doesn't really work out to well as history has shown. History has also shown that liberty is not permanent. Some of us see whats worse out in the future, but when is enough enough. Its not all paranoia.. there are folks that WOULD like to bomb us and create terror.. some abroad and some here. We have to try to do SOMETHING to avoid the real bombs that have been going off since before I was born.

[Zhust]

There is a middle ground that allows for compromise but both sides must be willing to compromise equally and apply common sense in their decision making. And you also have to be able to come in from the extreme edge and allow yourself the opportunity to listen to the other side and understand their motivation instead of the typical reaction most of us have to fling poo at the people at those that disagree with us.

And the "compromise" is what? Censor yourself with what you think might scare people?

• Don't wear blinking lights!
• Don't wear a shirt that says the word "bomb"!
• Don't wear a shirt that shows dissent toward the President or American policy!
• Don't look Middle Eastern!
• Don't carry a bag that isn't worth less than $20!

Violating any of these rules indicates you sacrifice your 4th Amendment rights. If you are tasered or detained by law enforcement, it is your fault!. You are an evil person! You are lucky We didn't shoot you!

Fuck that. I think my rights are worth more than anything. It means that law enforcement has to be smarter and work harder to stop someone with a bomb.

In the end, though, I shouldn't complain. After all, this is all excellent for people like me. Should I ever need to shut down a whole American city, it's a trip to Radio Shack and $5. No longer do I need to actually endanger the lives of people, I can just put a Simon game in an airport and watch how people beg for mercy.

Keep up the good work!

[CapSmashy]

I saw Mission Impossible 3.

When looking for a bomb, that is what I go by.

the rebbi

That's funny!

[CapSmashy]

And the "compromise" is what? Censor yourself with what you think might scare people?

• Don't wear blinking lights!
• Don't wear a shirt that says the word "bomb"!
• Don't wear a shirt that shows dissent toward the President or American policy!
• Don't look Middle Eastern!
• Don't carry a bag that isn't worth less than $20!

Violating any of these rules indicates you sacrifice your 4th Amendment rights. If you are tasered or detained by law enforcement, it is your fault!. You are an evil person! You are lucky We didn't shoot you!

Fuck that. I think my rights are worth more than anything. It means that law enforcement has to be smarter and work harder to stop someone with a bomb.

In the end, though, I shouldn't complain. After all, this is all excellent for people like me. Should I ever need to shut down a whole American city, it's a trip to Radio Shack and $5. No longer do I need to actually endanger the lives of people, I can just put a Simon game in an airport and watch how people beg for mercy.

As I said, we will need to agree to disagree because you are at the opposite extreme of the same inflexibility you are accusing the "authorities" of having.

[CapSmashy]

Didn't security jump her as she was LEAVING the terminal?

Seems like they kinda missed the boat. Folks trying to justify taking her down because of what MIGHT be are conveniently overlooking that. If it WAS a real bomb, it would have already gone off.

A case of LEO's who can't bear passing up a chance to fuck someone up.

Funny that they're defending their abuse of an innocent citizen with, "well, we COULD have shot her." God bless America.

If you can be arrested because you MIGHT be a terrorist/bomber, every single goddam one of is a candidate for arrest every time we set foot out in public. We live at the whim of the guys with guns.

JUMP her? Fuck someone up? Abuse?

Where did all of that occur? Or do you just automatically relegate any contact with police as being jumped, abused and getting fucked up?

Stopping her outside the terminal is pretty solid procedure. Had she been an actual nutcase with a bomb, where do you think they should stop her? Inside the terminal where the explosion can be amplified by the structure of the building and where people are congregated enmass or outside where the explosion is minimized environmentally and where people are potentially no massed together.

Even though not mentioned in the article, I can pretty much guarantee she was under electronic monitoring from the cameras and probably under some level of physical monitoring by police inside the terminal while she was on the way out.

Would you have preferred that the police have simply let a person with a highly suspect device walk right out and go home?

And why would it have already gone off had it been a real bomb? All because someone builds a bomb and goes strolling about in public with it, does not automatically mean they will set it off. A change of heart at the destruction they may cause or killing others, a bad solder connection... there are many reasons why a bomb might not be detonated.

[CapSmashy]

And other than Rabbi, no one has bothered to answer the simple question:

What does the bomb a person is wearing need to look like to prompt investigation by the police?

[unjonharley]

And other than Rabbi, no one has bothered to answer the simple question:

What does the bomb a person is wearing need to look like to prompt investigation by the police?

the police watch tv.. tv writers dictate what police should look for and how they should react..

[CapSmashy]

the police watch tv.. tv writers dictate what police should look for and how they should react..

Interesting.

So police should only become interested in a device as a potential bomb when it consists of a custom fabricated chrome housing, large red LED displaying the timer countdown, "bricks" of US Military C-4 that are clearly labeled as such or sticks of "red" dynamite and a detonator that contains at least one (if not the sole feature) large red button for activating the bomb.

[Rob the Wop]

the police watch tv.. tv writers dictate what police should look for and how they should react..

Interesting.

So police should only become interested in a device as a potential bomb when it consists of a custom fabricated chrome housing, large red LED displaying the timer countdown, "bricks" of US Military C-4 that are clearly labeled as such or sticks of "red" dynamite and a detonator that contains at least one (if not the sole feature) large red button for activating the bomb.

<sigh>

Ok folks, if you want to do a real experiment. Go down to a local Radio Shack, tell them that you are a model rocket enthusiast, and that you want to make a small simple timer to launch the rocket. You want to do it as cheaply and simply as possible. Watch what materials the guy behind the counter breaks out.

Circuit board, pin packed components, LEDs, and some microswitches.
If you can get dynamite or plastic explosives, then the payload will look as such. Otherwise it will probably look like a pipe bomb.

You can scream about violations of rights all you want, I would much rather they have stopped her walking around with that crap without explaination. Why? Because cleaning up the remains of people's relatives from the ceiling is a poor alternative to due diligence.

[barnz]

the police watch tv.. tv writers dictate what police should look for and how they should react..

Interesting.

So police should only become interested in a device as a potential bomb when it consists of a custom fabricated chrome housing, large red LED displaying the timer countdown, "bricks" of US Military C-4 that are clearly labeled as such or sticks of "red" dynamite and a detonator that contains at least one (if not the sole feature) large red button for activating the bomb.

Don't forget the Red and Blue curly wires!

[theCryptofishist]

And other than Rabbi, no one has bothered to answer the simple question:

What does the bomb a person is wearing need to look like to prompt investigation by the police?

the police watch tv.. tv writers dictate what police should look for and how they should react..

Certainly in a city the size of Boston, the police also have additional training from their department, and possibly from the state, the county, the feds. Maybe in a "mayberry" reality they don't, but in this day and age, I'm guessing that even if the town is too small and too impoverished for anything else, at least they see videotapes. The TSA people I'm less sure of, because I know a whole lot of security screener types lost their jobs post 9-11 and because post-Katrina, I don't believe in the DHS's ability to do the right thing under any circumstances. But I gotta disbelieve in my disbelief, the agency as a whole can't be THAT bad.

Can it?