BC, only people our age or older got that joke.

And one of the news reports said this:

A Massachusetts Port Authority staffer manning an information booth in the terminal became suspicious when Simpson -- wearing the device -- approached to ask about an incoming flight, Pare said. She did not respond when the employee asked her about the device she was wearing, so the employee repeated the question, police said.

Simpson then said the device was artwork and left the counter and walked around the terminal area, causing some employees to leave the building in fear, police said.

This Salon letter sums up my feelings well: [link]

I concur, Ple.

I definitely went to:

The exact same thing happened with the infamous ATHF incident.

Except that...

If she DID have Play-doh in her hand that really does add credence to the theory that she did it intentionally.

I suppose many people in their twenties walk around playing with play-doh? While wearing wired things? To Airports?

With play-doh "Bad Choice Performance Art" really seems feasable.

I suppose many people in their twenties walk around playing with play-doh? While wearing wired things? To Airports?

I don't know if she really was carrying it, as some reports indicate that "putty" was actually the fabric paint. However, many tech geeks wander around with play-doh or silly putty (the latter of which is more common and looks more like an actual explosive material) in their hands no matter what they're wearing.

I'm STILL picking that shit out of my things from an incident seven years ago with it. (Note to all: when packing loose Silly Putty because your friends have ordered it bulk, make sure you have it in a container from which it cannot escape.)

This is the culture of my people. I know what they keep at their desks.

BC, only people our age or older got that joke.

t Raises hand

The culture of my people includes a lot of self-absorbed immature artists who are likely declaring this a brilliant commentary on man's realationship of fear with a mechanized society in a post-9/11 pre-apocalyptic age.

It could absolutely be a perfect storm of geekitude... but I'm not yet convinced that it isn't a performance.

But because of the unfortunate combination of paranoia, history (how many of the flights on 9-11 flew out of Logan?), weird homemade electronic shit on someone's clothing, and the lack of response when directly asked WTF is with your shirt, the police's actions seem pretty reasonable to me.

Assuming that she really didn't answer, and actually was asked, then some kind of action being taken is one thing.

Pressing charges AFTER it was found to be a non-malicious fuck up and compounding that by saying she's just lucky they didn't use deadly force is an entirely different ball of wax.

Fuck that shit.

Okay, yes -- let me make sure I'm differentiating, here. Although I think that current airport "security" measures are overkill (and not actually effective at preventing a really motivated terrorist), the fact remains that even though it is overkill, airport employees are going to be on edge with anything out of the ordinary.

Given that, wearing a shirt with a circuit board and LED lights, etc., in an airport is simply going to raise some hackles. And if the MIT student didn't answer when she was asked what the deal was with her shirt, then it's not unreasonable for security to intervene.

However, I definitely agree with you, Plei -- being charged with a bomb hoax is beyond overkill. The comments about her being lucky they didn't use deadly force is also way way way past overkill. Security staff training should include a section on Just Because It's Electronic Doesn't Mean It's A Bomb, OR, How To Tell The Difference Between A Lite-Brite And An IED.

It's like the police are embarassed that they overreacted, so therefore they're going to punish the MIT student for making them look like big overreacting bumpkins. Like with the ATHF incident.

And THAT? Is bullshit.

Birthday happies to smonster.

Mom~ma to Trudy.

Peace~ma to Anne, Anne's mom, and whole family.

If the book I am reading right now is true ( At Risk by Stella Rimmington) Silly putty is useful in manufacturing C4. author was head of MI5- now writing fiction.

Not sure that one would actually make C4 at an airport.

It is one of those stories where I feel the 'truth' of what happened won't really shake out for a few days.