I am not a bomb

[sanjuro]

http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/Globe_Photo/2007/09/21/1190394016_2980.jpg

I can't wait to hear her story...

An MIT student wearing a device on her chest that included lights and wires was arrested at gunpoint at Logan International Airport this morning after authorities thought the contraption was a bomb strapped to her body.

Star Simpson, 19, was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and approached an airport employee in Terminal C at 8 a.m. to inquire about an incoming flight from Oakland, according to Major Scott Pare of the State Police. She was holding a lump of what looked like putty in her hands. The employee asked about the plastic circuit board on her chest, and Simpson walked away without responding, Pare said.

Outside the terminal, Simpson was surrounded by police holding machine guns.

"She was immediately told to stop, to raise her hands, and not make any movement so we could observe all her movements to see if she was trying to trip any type of device," Pare said at a press conference at Logan. "There was obviously a concern that had she not followed the protocol ... we may have used deadly force."

Simpson was arrested, and it was quickly determined that the device was harmless.

"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.

Simpson was charged with disturbing the peace and possessing a hoax device and will be arraigned today in East Boston District Court.

"Thankfully because she followed our instructions, she ended up in our cell instead of a morgue," Pare said. "Again, this is a serious offense ... I’m shocked and appalled that somebody would wear this type of device to an airport."

According to the MIT website, Simpson is from Kihei, Hawaii, and is a sprinter on the school's swim team. On Simpson's personal website at MIT, she says she is studying computers and enjoys tinkering in a student-run machine shop.

"In a sentence, I'm an inventor, artist, engineer, and student, I love to build things and I love crazy ideas," the website says.
Posted by the Boston Globe City & Region Desk at 11:20 AM

[LordOpie]

There's "asking for it" and then there's "deserving it".

stupid.

[Westy]

The PCB in the airport is a bad idea. The silly putty was retahded.

[splat]

I used to work at MIT and some of those kids are sooo smart they don't have any common sense, and then there is just the stupid attention whore.

[SkaredShtles]

Do reporters really think that cops at airports carry around "machine guns"? :disgust1:

[jimmydean]

That's funny. She should be tazered.

[LordOpie]

Do reporters really think that cops at airports carry around "machine guns"? :disgust1:

Is police an acceptable generic term for all security and LEOs?

I was freaked the first time I went to DIA and saw a group of soldiers carrying machine guns.

[SkaredShtles]

Is police an acceptable generic term for all security and LEOs?

I was freaked the first time I went to DIA and saw a group of soldiers carrying machine guns.
So you don't know what a machine gun is either? :disgust1:

Cops at airports carry submachine guns. Machine guns are far too unwieldy.

[RenegadeRick]

That's funny. She should be tazered.

That's what I thought at first, but then I remembered that the electric spark may have accidentally set off the playdoh.
Better to shoot her instead.

Since Sliver hasn't weighed in yet, I'll just mention that she looks kinda brown to me.

[ohio]

I'm pretty sure there were drunken moments in college when i could have been convinced to do the same for a twenty-dollar bet.

[LordOpie]

So you don't know what a machine gun is either? :disgust1:

Cops at airports carry submachine guns. Machine guns are far too unwieldy.

Why would I know? I live in a safe town in a safe country.

http://www.myconfinedspace.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/grammar-natzee-heil-spellcheck.thumbnail.jpg

[SkaredShtles]

Why would I know? I live in a safe town in a safe country.

http://www.myconfinedspace.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/grammar-natzee-heil-spellcheck.thumbnail.jpg

:clapping: :rofl:

[sanjuro]

Early Response:

http://multimedia.heraldinteractive.com/images/4b191734be_ltp092107bombhoaxtf01a.jpg

[reflux]

I would NOT hit it.

[johnbryanpeters]

Stupid behavior on her part, copz seem to have handled it with cool heads for once.

[Westy]

Early Response:

http://multimedia.heraldinteractive.com/images/4b191734be_ltp092107bombhoaxtf01a.jpg


Man hands.

[sanjuro]

Stupid behavior on her part, copz seem to have handled it with cool heads for once.

Let just say if she reacted like the kid at the Kerry speech, she wished she gotten tasered.

[kidwoo]

Early Response:

http://multimedia.heraldinteractive.com/images/4b191734be_ltp092107bombhoaxtf01a.jpg

Is she trying to keep her little bitty brain from leaking out of her pupil?


I get paranoid carrying change around an airport. What a dumbass.

[Secret Squirrel]

Is she trying to keep her little bitty brain from leaking out of her pupil?


I get paranoid carrying change around an airport. What a dumbass.

yeah... you never know when the ice cream man is going to jump you...

[ire]

She was asking for it, but did it really look like a bomb? I bet I could have a shirt with a picture of dynamite on and I would get arrested.

[kidwoo]

yeah... you never know when the ice cream man is going to jump you...

That would be so rad.

Because he has ice cream.

[BMXman]

yeah I'm just thinking how stupid do you have to be to wear that to an airport and not think anything is going to happen...D

[blue]

olol. tard.

[Westy]

yeah I'm just thinking how stupid do you have to be to wear that to an airport and not think anything is going to happen...D

On the same line of thinking does anybody actually think that a real bomb would look like that? I work around electronics everyday and if I was going to make a detonator it really wouldn't be on a breadboard and have a bunch of flashing LED's.

I have no urge to support what this chick did but I really hope airport security doesn't think this is what a bomb looks like. Hollywood has their unrealistic view of things but it wouldn't surprise me if homeland security wasn't looking for wind up alarm clocks strapped to big red cylinders printed with the letters TNT.

http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/2530991/1/istockphoto_2530991_dynamite_explosion_16k.jpg

[valve bouncer]

Most of the security at airports is designed to give nervous Nellies the illusion they are being protected so I must admit here to being slightly surprised they didn't shoot first and ask questions later. She was certainly a more likely candidate than that poor Brazilian guy that got killed 2 years ago in London.

[MikeD]

On the same line of thinking does anybody actually think that a real bomb would look like that? I work around electronics everyday and if I was going to make a detonator it really wouldn't be on a breadboard and have a bunch of flashing LED's.

I have no urge to support what this chick did but I really hope airport security doesn't think this is what a bomb looks like. Hollywood has their unrealistic view of things but it wouldn't surprise me if homeland security wasn't looking for wind up alarm clocks strapped to big red cylinders printed with the letters TNT.

http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/2530991/1/istockphoto_2530991_dynamite_explosion_16k.jpg


You know, it's relatively easy to turn an alarm clock into a detonator. Very common, in fact...one wire on the clock hand, another on the clock face...when the time comes that they touch...boom.

And explosives do come in bricks and sticks...military are usually dark, but commerical ones come in all sorts of colors.

[Westy]

You know, it's relatively easy to turn an alarm clock into a detonator. Very common, in fact...one wire on the clock hand, another on the clock face...when the time comes that they touch...boom.

And explosives do come in bricks and sticks...military are usually dark, but commerical ones come in all sorts of colors.


But if you were planning on blowing something up wouldn't it make a lot of sense to disguise it, like cramming it inside of a Tickle Me Elmo?

[MikeD]

cramming it inside of a Tickle Me Elmo?

Say that again...slowly...



No, but seriously, there's no discounting stupidity, insanity, and/or desparation. I mean, it makes sense to check Elmo with an x-ray for a bomb inside it...but should I discount a bundle of red sticks with a clock on the face because it just seems to damned obvious??

I mean, anyone carrying a gun openly through a school shouldn't be taken seriously, right? It'd have to be a toy or an airsoft gun; otherwise he wouldn't just be walking around with it like that!

[Westy]

Say that again...slowly...



No, but seriously, there's no discounting stupidity, insanity, and/or desparation. I mean, it makes sense to check Elmo with an x-ray for a bomb inside it...but should I discount a bundle of red sticks with a clock on the face because it just seems to damned obvious??

I mean, anyone carrying a gun openly through a school shouldn't be taken seriously, right? It'd have to be a toy or an airsoft gun; otherwise he wouldn't just be walking around with it like that!


You certainly would want to check out anything that looks like a weapon. I'm just questioning whether or not the average airport security personnel would be capable of spoting a bomb that wasn't designed by ACME. Once again I'll bring up the time I was forced to remove a bottle opener from my keychain while going through security while the little old lady next to me on the flight was allowed to bring 18" long knitting needles.

As a side note from my days as a good for nothing delinquent the best way to not get caught doing something was to do it in the most brazen way possible. Just act like you own the place.

[MikeD]

You certainly would want to check out anything that looks like a weapon. I'm just questioning whether or not the average airport security personnel would be capable of spoting a bomb that wasn't designed by ACME. Once again I'll bring up the time I was forced to remove a bottle opener from my keychain while going through security while the little old lady next to me on the flight was allowed to bring 18" long knitting needles.

As a side note from my days as a good for nothing delinquent the best way to not get caught doing something was to do it in the most brazen way possible. Just act like you own the place.

Nothing I've ever said should be construed as an endorsement of the intelligence of TSA screeners or airport security, or an endorsement of the logic behind the rules they enforce.

[binary visions]

Nothing I've ever said should be construed as an endorsement of the intelligence of TSA screeners or airport security, or an endorsement of the logic behind the rules they enforce.

:rofl:

They allowed me on the plane with my monopod. It's a 3lb., inch and a half diameter aluminum tube that expands to nearly 70" long, with a one pound sharp edged head mounted on the end. I would put it up against any police baton I've ever touched for the ability to beat someone to death with it.

[Westy]

:rofl:

They allowed me on the plane with my monopod. It's a 3lb., inch and a half diameter aluminum tube that expands to nearly 70" long, with a one pound sharp edged head mounted on the end. I would put it up against any police baton I've ever touched for the ability to beat someone to death with it.

I've seen them make people check baseball bats. There seems to be no problem if you have a cylindrical chunk of wood that is not a baseball bat.

[ohio]

:rofl:

They allowed me on the plane with my monopod. It's a 3lb., inch and a half diameter aluminum tube that expands to nearly 70" long, with a one pound sharp edged head mounted on the end. I would put it up against any police baton I've ever touched for the ability to beat someone to death with it.

No match for my 4.5oz of shampoo.

[MikeD]

I just bring my gun.

[binary visions]

No match for my 4.5oz of shampoo.

Dude, that's no joke. Have you ever gotten it in your eyes? Sh*t stings!

[ohio]

I just bring my gun.

Least creative penile nickname ever.

[binary visions]

Least creative penile nickname ever.

Do I have to put it in a plastic bag if it contains more than 2 ounces of liquid?

[DaveW]

I would put it up against any police baton I've ever touched



*snigger*
You've touched a lot of police baton's then? :brow:

[MikeD]

This thread is getting creepy.

It'd never have happened this way in Iran, lemme tell you.

[DaveW]

Yup their IED's are Durka durka good!

[MikeD]

Yup their IED's are Durka durka good!

Seriously, the EFPs they supply to the Shia militias are pretty heinous...

[DaveW]

The device's or the way they are used (probably both)?

[MikeD]

Both...but the militias have the know-how (although the Iranians play a role in learnin' 'em how to set new and devious methods of activating them, for sure) but it's the Iranian ability to manufacture devices (making them less of an IED and more of just a military-style mine, frankly) that makes them so nasty.