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I think even BOS TSA would have caught this

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Old Sep 21, 2007, 8:54 am
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I think even BOS TSA would have caught this

MIT student bring fake bomb to Logan
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Old Sep 21, 2007, 9:00 am
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Just goes to show that getting in to MIT does not imply one has a firm grasp on reality.
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Old Sep 21, 2007, 9:24 am
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Originally Posted by gfunkdave
Just goes to show that getting in to MIT does not imply one has a firm grasp on reality.
They should have used moderately deadly forced to set an example of stupidity.

AP Article
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Old Sep 21, 2007, 9:25 am
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What an idiot!!!!!!!!!!!
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Old Sep 21, 2007, 9:43 am
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This does exemplify a problem with security theater. Nothing would prevent a terrorist from walking into a security line (or anywhere else for that matter) strapped with explosives and projectiles killing and injuring many people.
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Old Sep 21, 2007, 10:09 am
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"She said it was a piece of art and she wanted to stand out on career day," Pare said. "She was holding what was later found to be playdough."

Affixed to the front of her black sweatshirt was a pale beige circuit board with green LED lights and wires running to a 9-volt battery. Written on the back of the sweatshirt in what appeared to be gold magic marker was the phrase "socket to me" and below that was written "Course VI," which refers to the electrical engineering and computer science program at MIT.
Boston Globe link

Sounds like an electronic name tag. So basically we're back to another "Mooninites Scare".
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Old Sep 21, 2007, 10:14 am
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OK, even I think she is a moron who deserves to be jailed for a little while to ponder her choice of expression.

We don't yell "fire" in a crowded theater. We don't walk into a public place, especially an airport, wearing what any passerby would think is a BOMB for pete's sake.

There is artistic expression, and then there is brainless stupidity. She picked number 2...and she is lucky to be alive.
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Old Sep 21, 2007, 10:30 am
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Lucky this silly twit didn't end up on the Darwin Awards.
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Old Sep 21, 2007, 10:43 am
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There are pictures here.

Pretty small. It's a smallish circuit board with a couple of LEDs in the shape of a star and a 9-volt battery.

LED name tags aren't uncommon if you google them.
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Old Sep 21, 2007, 11:08 am
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What a moron. I don't buy her story for a second -- artwork my...
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Old Sep 21, 2007, 11:22 am
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No one's ever accused MIT students of being closely in touch with reality as a group.

The story does raise an interesting point. What if you end up being suspected of carrying a bomb, either because you did something stupid (i.e. this person) or because of an innocent mistake (several 'bombs' in luggage which turned out to be other things) or even worse because someone decides to maliciously accuse you (TSA screener, gate agent, etc.)? The story definitely gives the shoot first, ask questions later impression which is good for the people carrying bombs. But what about those who are not?

I could see this story having had a far different headline such as "MIT student carrying suspected bomb shot and killed by police at Logan"
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Old Sep 21, 2007, 11:31 am
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Originally Posted by Lurker1999
No one's ever accused MIT students of being closely in touch with reality as a group.

The story does raise an interesting point. What if you end up being suspected of carrying a bomb, either because you did something stupid (i.e. this person) or because of an innocent mistake (several 'bombs' in luggage which turned out to be other things) or even worse because someone decides to maliciously accuse you (TSA screener, gate agent, etc.)? The story definitely gives the shoot first, ask questions later impression which is good for the people carrying bombs. But what about those who are not?

I could see this story having had a far different headline such as "MIT student carrying suspected bomb shot and killed by police at Logan"
As long as you follow the instructions from the police and don't do anything stupid, you'll be fine. Believe it or not there are extensive procedures in place for this kind of thing, and people's bags appear to have possible IEDs etc. in them more often than you might think. So far I'm not aware of any of the PAX's dying. And as for suggesting that a TSO might "maliciously" accuse you of having a bomb... do you really see that as a probable occurence?
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Old Sep 21, 2007, 11:39 am
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Originally Posted by CATSA SO
As long as you follow the instructions from the police and don't do anything stupid, you'll be fine. Believe it or not there are extensive procedures in place for this kind of thing, and people's bags appear to have possible IEDs etc. in them more often than you might think. So far I'm not aware of any of the PAX's dying. And as for suggesting that a TSO might "maliciously" accuse you of having a bomb... do you really see that as a probable occurence?
This is not really accurate, at least for down here. There are plenty of instances where cops have shot first, or have started shooting because someone twitched or shifted their eyes or any number of other reasons, all while appearing to be compliant. Police departments all over the USA pay out settlements and judgments resulting from wrongful death lawsuits. I can't imagine Canada being immune from such behavior.

We have an open thread in TS/S where a poster experienced a TSA screener at BWI falsely accused the poster of threatening to kill them. I know this type of malicious behavior is not isolated to a couple random events, whatever form it takes.
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Old Sep 21, 2007, 11:41 am
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Originally Posted by JennyElf
There are pictures here.

Pretty small. It's a smallish circuit board with a couple of LEDs in the shape of a star and a 9-volt battery.

LED name tags aren't uncommon if you google them.
A breadboard with a few LEDs is good enough reason for police to state "she is lucky she isn't in the morgue" ???? Wow. After reading reports, I thought the pictures would show something that remotely looked like a bomb, not something that looks like an electronics project from 9th grade. I think a better quote might be "we are lucky we didn't recklessly kill this girl for a few LEDs, not IEDs"
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Old Sep 21, 2007, 11:45 am
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MIT = Massachussetts Institute of Technology: not art....

But hey, this is crappy work for an engineer.... look at how shabby the design work is.... engineering has an aesthetic to it... and this one jsut missed the mark completely....

If I am going to be looking down the business end of a Boston Police AR-15, I want my art to at least look good...

I would say that this woman failed on all aspects of her "performance art"....

Professor Dave's Grade: F
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