Boston wins the prize, AGAIN

[solkanar512]

Originally published at Mikel Grenzner.com. You can comment here or there.

From Boston.com:

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

Comments

Headline for media outlet with balls

[anonymous]

"Airport Employees, Police Mistake Electrical Artwork on Sweatshirt for Bomb, Call It 'Fake Bomb' to Spread Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt"

[iguanawow]

In this case, I'd say the police did the right thing. There's no way to know if there wasn't something inside her sweatshirt that would detonate, or if she didn't have wires running to the putty in her hand. Plus, it says they asked her what it was and she didn't answer. It really sounds like she was trying to get in trouble. And if they didn't stop her, she probably would have contacted the media and told them what she got away with.

[kurtm]

You're right. We should shoot anyone wearing a sweatshirt in an airport.

Honestly, do you think the terrorist is going to wear a circuit board with blinking lights on their chest? And ask a security guard about when a flight is coming in? I wish the terrorists did that. It'd make stopping terror plots a lot easier. Maybe we can get them to wear little "terrorist" badges too...

If anything, this just shows the terrorists the best way to actually pull something off at an airport. Have a compatriot who wears something with blinky lights on it. A full alert will draw the attention of all security to the person with blinky lights, while the person actually carrying plastic explosives uses the distraction to get through security.

I can't wait for the first kid with a new video game with flashy bits and carrying a handful of putty-like candy who is so distracted by said video game that they don't respond to the security guard. *bang* But it'll be justified, because it might have been a terrorist.

[spazska]

When was the last time you went to an airport? There's not a whole lot of "they're busy, so I'll let everyone else go through while we're dealing with this" going on. The reality is that she probably held up a bunch of other people and made them miss their flights. In the big picture, that's for the best, but it's certainly not the case that TSA is being way too easy on screening people. I get the full run-down almost every time I go through the airport, and while they're not exactly efficient about it, they're at least as thorough as can be reasonably expected. I say B+ job, TSA.

[solkanar512]

A later report said that she indeed answered questions. She was asked what it was, and replied it was an art project. I'm looking for a decent link so I can post an update. I'm getting a bit confused as particular details are changing, and not every source is bothering to keep up.

As to her wanting to get in trouble, she was just trying to meet her boyfriend at the airport. I don't know many folks that would want an attention whoring stunt to get in the way of that. It's certainly more plausible than being a terrorist though.

[mermit]

And I thought people at MIT were smart. Who cares if it's an art project (some "art")? It's like wearing a ski mask into a bank. On some level security people have to be trained what to respond to, and hell, if I were a terrorist, if they caught me, I might well say that "it's an art project". The error in judgement here is on her part, not the TSA's (for once).

Yes, Boston doesn't have a great track record with blinking lights. But Logan is still trying to make up for past securtiy errors. You have to think, "once bitten, twice shy".

And if that's the current state of art, damn, I should go into business with my cat. We'd make a fortune.

[spazska]

Also, +1 to all the cats who said she asking for it. How many of you would walk into an airport with an 'electronics kit' taped to your chest? Even before 9/11, weren't we all taught that the airport is the place where you don't make cavalier remarks and don't act suspiciously? It ain't like someone's not going to let you on a plane because you're a Hutu and your nose is too wide, or because your records indicate you voted against the president- just be straightforward, honest and serious. You don't have a natural right to act however you want in a public airport.

Furthermore, isn't this an example of the liberal victory on the 'demographics don't matter, don't profile me!' campaign? Terrorists are statistically young, middle-eastern males- shouldn't this be a considered a shining example of an 'even young American chicks with stupid haircuts get the 5th degree at the airport'?

Way to be a dolt, gal. The rest of us would have taken our 'electronics project' off our shirt before we loitered around the airport.

-Kyle