(no subject)

[bzarcher]

Generally, I am very pro-free speech/art/silliness and against a lot of the draconian "security" measures of the last few years.

However, this girl is a fucking idiot.

"Gee, I'm going to go to an airport, with a bunch of exposed circuits, wires, and putty sitting on my chest. NOTHING about that seems odd at all, right? Tee-hee!"

You fucking dolt.

Thank whatever god you're worshipping that they didn't shoot.

Comments

[spoonybardol.livejournal.com]

Some of the newer updates to the story say she was wearing that the day before and didn't think to take it off when she went to pick up a friend at the airport at 8am. At the very least it doesn't look like she intentionally wore it there to try and put one over on airport security.

However, I feel the same as you. There's free expression of ideas, and then there's just careless stupidity.

It's a good thing she's alive, though I honestly wonder if that would still be the case if she wasn't white, as terrible as that is to consider...

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, I have a feeling that if she had been an Arab or Aryan (real Aryan, note, not that Nazi version), we'd be talking about a dead girl.

[yetanotherbob.livejournal.com]

Hmm. On one hand, yeah, it's about as bright as waving a steak in front of a rabid pit-bull. But then we look at the actual hoodie. It, um, It's one level lower than mooninites. Starts to make me wonder if it's another dog-waving wag.

[alathaniel.livejournal.com]

I'm starting to think the same thing.

It's one thing to err on the side of caution on site. But to then charge them as a hoax when it clearly wasn't?

Somebody involved is ... incompetent.

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

Honestly, it'll probably get dropped, but it's that or risk a suit from her and her family for wrongful arrest, I suspect.

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

It's lower than the mooninites, but on the other hand, there's also a big difference from graffiti on walls and bridges to an airport.

Are they overreacting? Absolutely.

Do I think it's silly? Yes.

But I still think that the student did something really, really stupid.

[paradisacorbasi.livejournal.com]

Boston is the home of the overreaction.

Some weeks after the Adult Swim thing, they had another freak out over a mysterious device that needed to be detonated.

Turned out to be a traffic counter device from the Boston Department of Transportation.

Though that is rather interesting that this could be another "NO NONONO, DON'T LOOK AT THAT, LOOK AT THIS" news story.

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

Oh, I figure if that's the point, it's the news that Blackwater is going to continue operations in Iraq regardless of what the Iraqi government says. :/

[bredmold.livejournal.com]

I'm split with myself on this. Sure, if she'd given it any thought, she wouldn't have worn that to the airport, but...

1) Regardless of the realities... it's stupid and mildly offensive that this got her arrested.

2) I almost wish she had been non-fatally shot for it... so that we'd have something nice and outrageous to point at regarding modern paranoia.

3) Since when does a bomb look like a breadboard? Seriously... apparently bombs have lots of wires and blink... because, y'know... suicide bombers need to call attention to themselves with blinking lights and high-risk exposed wires. Yep. Ignore the shifty-looking guy in the corner wearing a heavy jacket in summer who looks like he has a weird-ass fucking tumor under the coat. People want their bombs to be noticed!

For fuck's sake...

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

Actually, some bombs could very easily be made with a breadboard. If I was going to build one, I'd probably have an easier time getting parts at electronics supply and radio shack stores than asking for a Bomb Kit at home depot. :D

Why is it offensive they arrested her?

If you were getting on a plane and saw someone walking towards you with a bunch of electronic components on their shirt, what would you think? Honestly?

Don't think "Oh, she's from MIT" or "Oh, it was an art project."

You're getting on a plane, and you see a bunch of exposed wires and boards sticking out of her hoodie. How do you think you'd react?

[paradisacorbasi.livejournal.com]

Honestly?

I'd be more wondering what was up than immediately "OMGABOMB".

Because being obvious about it just seems a really silly approach if one's really planning to blow shit up.

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

Fair enough. :D I'd be concerned, I think, but a lot of my friends are also better people than I am. ;D

[bredmold.livejournal.com]

Well, the last time I checked, I didn't see a Home Bomb Kit at Home Depot, but maybe I just wasn't looking in the right section of the store. Now, if I saw someone in the airport with wires and blinking lights on their shirt, I'd probably just wonder what's up as well. It's really the blinking lights that do it for me... that really say "not a bomb".

If I stood and watched it for a minute, I'd probably think "hey, that's kinda neat"... and then mentally wander off on some tangent.

[bwarman.livejournal.com]

I agree with you man.

Sure, freedom of speech and all, but for fuck's sake. If you're at MIT, have some fucking sense. I don't care what the excuses are, its important to have draconian measures at airports, and you'd think that someone from Hawaii, who has to fly in and out of the continental US with some regularity, would realize airport ettiquette.

And the shirt could be neat at a mall, or a club, but secure areas? You're asking to get shot. Since the 80s, even the mention of the word bomb got you thrown into a holding area. Security on this has not waivered. Before 911 you had to turn on electronic devices in separate areas to make sure they were what they appeared to be. Something that blinks? Dolt is the best word for it.

[flying-landon.livejournal.com]

Wow... to be so smart that you've gone all the way around the circle to screaming retard?

Incredible.

I guess unlike most the people above, she got every bit of what she deserved. I don't care if it was intentional or accidental. (However, me being me, I'm half of the idea that she "forgot" to take it off after she got in deep shit) The way things are now, you DON'T DO THAT SORT OF THING. People have a good damn reason for being paranoid these days. There are a huge number of people in this world that hate us, are violent about it, and they are getting braver in how they show it.

People can say "Well, if I was trying to bomb a plane..." Who says you have to try to get to the plane? You run in the door, set off a bomb in a metro airport, and can easily end 100 people right there, just by getting as far as you can sprint form the door and setting yourself off.

In short, yes this kid is a fucking dolt.