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.

But she WAS lucky that she wasn't killed.

I haven't heard the tone of voice in the quote, so maybe there is something I'm not getting, but my first thought was "Oh my god, she's lucky she wasn't killed."

She by no means deserved to be killed, but she easily could have been.

OK, reading one of the accounts shows that the person behind the desk asked her what it was and she didn't answer. So they asked her again, and this time she did answer.

Of course, the particulars on how long it took her to answer the second time weren't stated, but the "she didn't answer" thing might need to be qualified....

BREAKING NEWS BREAKING NEWS!!!

Magistrate Higgins from Jaynestown [link] is starring in our new play!! [link]

:: xposted in Firefly ::

edited to ask... is that something to post in Sunnydale?

Something else I was being mildly cranky about in email, having seen now what the shirt looked like [link] and seeing pictures of Ms. Simpson herself (she appears to be A/PI), is that part of me is wondering if the airport people would have even noticed or cared about the shirt, were she, oh, say, clearly white.

I've not seen pictures of her at all, and that was the first I've seen of the shirt. Either she hasn't flown in the last five or six years, or she's a fucking idiot.

"Well of COURSE that isn't a bomb -- anyone could see that!"

Huh. Never said or seen it said non-sarcastically before but...that's pre 9-11 thinking. Not in the sense that "OMG we're all at risk" but in the dude, you have to know people -especially airport people who have something to prove - are going to flip. I feel weirdly blame the victim about this, but, come on. Have you been living in this country the past few years? You can't assume rational responses anymore.

Mind, I think charges for this are wrong. But I'm with Trudy on the fact that the cops who said she's lucky she's not dead were speaking more to the crazy over-reactiveness she could have provoked, and not making a judgment about whether that would have been an appropriate response.

(Also - judgment really should have another "e" in there. Just saying.)

E-ingTA my ITA with Steph and Plei just because:

However, I definitely agree with you, Plei -- being charged with a bomb hoax is beyond overkill.

edited to ask... is that something to post in Sunnydale?

Prolly not, but thanks for posting it here.

I've not seen pictures of her at all, and that was the first I've seen of the shirt. Either she hasn't flown in the last five or six years, or she's a fucking idiot.

Or, more likely, just wasn't thinking Flight Security before going and picking up her friend (as full disclosure, I can totally see myself wearing/carrying something to the passenger pick up area that I'd never in a million years fly with--my purse would need a lot of editing before I could carry it on, and depending on the purse, yes, that does include Silly Putty) and did something pretty freakin' asstastically dumb.

But I'm with Trudy on the fact that the cops who said she's lucky she's not dead were speaking more to the crazy over-reactiveness she could have provoked, and not making a judgment about whether that would have been an appropriate response.

The wording they used REALLY doesn't read like that to m. It reads like a global threat to anyone who goes near an airport, ever, not a, "Thankfully, Ms. Simpson was compliant and cooperative. Had she not been, this could have had a different and tragic end." caution and reminder not to do stupid things.

And if this report is true (from the Salon letters section)

This morning I happened to be dropping off my husband, who works in Terminal C of the airport and so I was "lucky" enough to see this circus first hand. Walking into a scene where the police (machine guns pointed) were screaming at this little girl like she just killed a bus full of elderly people or something was awful to watch and literally one of the most terrifying things to ever be part of...until we realized that we were not, indeed, standing next to a bomb laden terrorist. I cant help but think that the response to this was not the greatest- yeah walking into an airport with an electronic device strapped to your shirt is reckless and irresponsible, but the hoodie she was wearing was clearly not a bomb- it was a tiny little rectangle with blinking lights in the shape of a star. Had I seen this girl walking down the street, I would not have looked twice- the police response to it was insane and utterly terrifying.

Makes me think there were better ways they could have handled it.