Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - They're actually charging him

Can't find the pipe bomb thread anymore, but just saw that they're charging that kid who caused a bomb scare with a sticker:

http://thepost.baker.ohiou.edu/show_news.php?article=N2&date=030606

http://www.athensnews.com/issue/article.php3?story_id=23594

That's a little bit nuts, IMO. The city freaks out, and now they want him to pay for it?

Athens how glad I am that I left you...

This just makes me hurt to even think about it. I feel so bad for the poor kid.

"He noted that the bike was found in a part of campus that gets heavy foot traffic, though luckily it was found before classrooms had opened for the day."

....luckily it was found before classrooms had opened for the day??

Something is sooo wrong.

I laughed at this:

If he were to get one of the decals, Chaffin said he would not put it on his bike, especially after learning Hanlin was charged in the incident.

When are we going to see a "this shirt is a bikebomb" shirt? I'm wearing that shiz to the airport.

His defense should be:

"Come on....come on...."

when did this Great Nation lose its spine? :(

it's enough to make one weep.

Those who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty nor security.

yep.

so they destroyed his bike and now wants him to pay for it? this country is getting to be very ass backwards now.

when did this Great Nation lose its spine? :(

it's enough to make one weep.

and when did it lose it's brain?

Im sorry, but to put that sticker on your bike and leave it in a public place is incredibly stupid, especially given the current agitated state everyone seems to be in.
His act may have not been malicious but come on, use your head.

Looks like This Bike is a Pipe Bomb is getting some free publicity out of this though.

The terrorists wanted to infuse America with paranoia and panic, torpedo our way of life, and have us spend unlimited time, money, and lives jumping at shadows and fleeing the falling sky. Status? That banner on the side of the aircraft carrier pretty much nailed it.

Im sorry, but to put that sticker on your bike and leave it in a public place is incredibly stupid, especially given the current agitated state everyone seems to be in.
His act may have not been malicious but come on, use your head.


Yeah, that guy should have known that Americans can be fu*king ******** knee-jerk reactionary 'patriots'

The terrorists wanted to infuse America with paranoia and panic, torpedo our way of life, and have us spend unlimited time, money, and lives jumping at shadows and fleeing the falling sky. Status? That banner on the side of the aircraft carrier pretty much nailed it.

Define "terrorists" please.

C'mon, if I were to put a bomb inside a bike, am I gonna advertise it? Sheesh.

Jeez, do we have to start putting disclaimers on everything?

Caution, this as advertised hot coffee may be extremely hot.

Caution, this plastic bag is not a toy (always liked that one)

Note, this bike is, in fact, NOT a pipe bomb

Yeah, that guy should have known that Americans can be fu*king ******** knee-jerk reactionary 'patriots'

I would be willing to be that this would have happened (at least the bomb squad coming) pre-9/11. He probably wouldnt have been charged but the matter would have been still handled the same way.

Think about it. You are a school official. You get a report that there is a bike on campus that says 'this bike is pipe bomb'. Why would you risk people by leaving it there? It'd be your ass if there WAS actually something in there.

Im sorry, but to put that sticker on your bike and leave it in a public place is incredibly stupid, especially given the current agitated state everyone seems to be in.
His act may have not been malicious but come on, use your head.

I've seen that sticker on SO many bikes, and I'm not in Florida, or some urban area. I've never heard of a single incidence of bumper sticker being used as a bomb threat. The very idea is absurd. The cops who over reacted are the ones who should have been using their heads. Seriously, how many THOUSANDS of those stickers do you suppose are on bicycles in public places. How many cops do you suppose have seen them so far, and not evacuated a city block, and taken the bike apart looking for a bomb?

The charges will never stick. the only way that could be considered making a bomb threat is if you admit you're stupid enough to believe it. The cops can't deny they believed it, now the only way they have to save face is to charge the kid, and hope a judge and jury agrees that the threat was plausible. It probably would be better for them in the long run if they quietly apologized now, rather than dragging it out, but I guess that's stubborn pride for you.

Think about it. You are a school official. You get a report that there is a bike on campus that says 'this bike is pipe bomb'. Why would you risk people by leaving it there? It'd be your ass if there WAS actually something in there.

There is probably more than one bike with that sticker on every decent sized college campus in the country. It's been out there for years. This is the first reported problem with that bumper sticker. So it would seem that more than one school official has seen one of these, and NOT chosen to over react quite so dramatically.

I've seen that sticker on SO many bikes, and I'm not in Florida, or some urban area. I've never heard of a single incidence of bumper sticker being used as a bomb threat. The very idea is absurd. The cops who over reacted are the ones who should have been using their heads. Seriously, how many THOUSANDS of those stickers do you suppose are on bicycles in public places. How many cops do you suppose have seen them so far, and not evacuated a city block, and taken the bike apart looking for a bomb?

The charges will never stick. the only way that could be considered making a bomb threat is if you admit you're stupid enough to believe it. The cops can't deny they believed it, now the only way they have to save face is to charge the kid, and hope a judge and jury agrees that the threat was plausible. It probably would be better for them in the long run if they quietly apologized now, rather than dragging it out, but I guess that's stubborn pride for you.

Ok so by using their heads, they should have left it. And if the bike would have exploded and killed 50 people im sure the public would have said "Oh they were just using their heads in leaving the bike sitting there, its ok." and not "Why didnt they do something, the bomb HAD a sticker on it saying it was a bomb!" :p Hindsight is 20/20 folks.

While it's so massively idiotic that I can't even form words to express it that the guy might face any further repercussions than having his bike cut up, I don't really think anyone has a leg to stand on when citing this as some example of how American homeland security/paranoia has gone too far.

If you put a sign on something that says "this is a bomb," and leave it somewhere unattended, there is a really good chance that people might actually think it's a bomb. It's not an unreasonable conclusion to come to. Exercising free speech means bearing a reasonable degree of responsibility for the consequences of that speech. The band name is clearly supposed to be provocative, and guess what? Someone got provoked. Now that guy has a pile of cut up pipes instead of a bike.

Airline security people are contractually required to treat every threat - no matter how obviously facetious it may be - the same, just like schools have to treat every bomb threat that gets phoned in the same way - even if it's phoned in by giggling prepubescents on exam day. Look at it from the point of view of the security guard on duty - best case you're a hero, worst case you get to see something torn to shreds with the jaws of life. I imagine that's sort of a win-win situation.

I should've hit "refresh" before posting.

when did the last terrorist advertise years/months/weeks/days/hours before that they were going to bomb something on the bomb itself?

It's like going to the airport and labeling your suitcase "bomb", Ginetta. Who the **** would do that?

when did the last terrorist advertise years/months/weeks/days/hours before that they were going to bomb something on the bomb itself?
They are trying a new tactic of reverse psychology, because their previous without-warning attacks were considered 'too successful'

Define "terrorists" please.

I was thinking of the participants in the 9/11 attacks. It just seems to me they got a large return for small effort, and not due to any execptional competence on their part.

when did the last terrorist advertise years/months/weeks/days/hours before that they were going to bomb something on the bomb itself?

Whats your point? That because it says 'this is bomb' its not a bomb just because you cant recall an instance of someone doing it previously?

His defense should be:

"Come on....come on...."

i'd probably throw my hands up and go "dude....dude...dude?? seriously?"

I was thinking of the participants in the 9/11 attacks. It just seems to me they got a large return for small effort, and not due to any execptional competence on their part.


Sorry, kind of off topic, but can you clarify this statement? The 9-11 attackers would have had to put in an incredible abount of effort (and their lives), and you'd have to be a better (more competent) pilot than most career jumbo pilots to actually hit a target that small. There was definitely alot of work, and alot of expertise involved in 9-11... This idea that they were just stupid young suicide bombers is pretty much implausible... but this is totally off topic so I'll stop now.

ginetta hates my freedom of speech.

Am I the only one who finds the " hit the bike with a high-powered water jet" crazy? Smart people over there, after all there is no way a "bomb" enclosed in a 99% waterproof container might explode from getting knocked around.

Stupid!!!

ginetta hates my freedom of speech.

Nah.. I think its more of a case that.. I say 'po-TAY-to' you say 'po-TAH-to' :D

America is ****ed up, kids

Whats your point? That because it says 'this is bomb' its not a bomb just because you cant recall an instance of someone doing it previously?

If you believe bombs are ever labeled "bomb" you've been watching too many cartoons :P

ok so after thinking about it for a little while sure, the bike could be thought of as a bomb because of the sticker.

Those people who know its a band would think "ha, thats funny, what if this bike really was a pipe bomb, but i know that is a band name, but its better putting that sticker on a bike than a flower pot" and go on our way.

Those people who do not know its a band would think "ha, that is funny, wait... this bike might actually be a pipe bomb because why would anyone put a sticker saying that on an actual bike?!?!!!!!!" and they panic and call the cops.

SO, since there was no one on the bomb squad that knew This Bike is a Pipebomb is a band they ripped it apart. that is understandable.

But don't charge the kid. The cops should be like "well we thought it was a pipebomb, followed procedure and whoops, we f***** up, haha oh well, here is a new bike kid, my bad"

see that way everyone wins, the public is safe from possible exploding bicycles, the bike owner gets a new bike, and the cops are laughed at, which is what cops are for anyway.

"This bike is a box-cutter"

If you believe bombs are ever labeled "bomb" you've been watching too many cartoons :P

<sarcasm> Right, and effective security is based upon selectively choosing which threats to take seriously predicated on whether or not it has ever happened in the past. Because you know, everyone here on planet earth is pretty sane and thinks exactly the same. I mean, I couldnt even imagine a scenario where some crazy would write 'bomb' on an object that really WAS a bomb because he wanted to make a point that people dont pay enough attention to the world around them and focus only on themselves.. Or maybe he just got a kick out of it and wanted to see if anyone noticed right before he detonated it. That really could never happen. </sarcasm>

ok so after thinking about it for a little while sure, the bike could be thought of as a bomb because of the sticker.

Those people who know its a band would think "ha, thats funny, what if this bike really was a pipe bomb, but i know that is a band name, but its better putting that sticker on a bike than a flower pot" and go on our way.

Those people who do not know its a band would think "ha, that is funny, wait... this bike might actually be a pipe bomb because why would anyone put a sticker saying that on an actual bike?!?!!!!!!" and they panic and call the cops.

SO, since there was no one on the bomb squad that knew This Bike is a Pipebomb is a band they ripped it apart. that is understandable.

But don't charge the kid. The cops should be like "well we thought it was a pipebomb, followed procedure and whoops, we f***** up, haha oh well, here is a new bike kid, my bad"

see that way everyone wins, the public is safe from possible exploding bicycles, the bike owner gets a new bike, and the cops are laughed at, which is what cops are for anyway.

I like this solution.

<sarcasm> Right, and effective security is based upon selectively choosing which threats to take seriously predicated on whether or not it has ever happened in the past. Because you know, everyone here on planet earth is pretty sane and thinks exactly the same. I mean, I couldnt even imagine a scenario where some crazy would write 'bomb' on an object that really WAS a bomb because he wanted to make a point that people dont pay enough attention to the world around them and focus only on themselves.. Or maybe he just got a kick out of it and wanted to see if anyone noticed right before he detonated it. That really could never happen. </sarcasm>

Or maybe effective security would have something to do with having some freaking clue of how a pipe bomb is made, and how improbable it would be that someone would weld explosives into a bicycle frame. Most cops know that it's not a good idea to get explosives hot. If you treat every object as a potential bomb no matter how improbable, well I pity you if anyone ever sticks a sign on your back that says "this ass is a chemical weapon" ever had a firehose high colonic?

Who wants to join my "This is a holdup, gimme all the money" band. We'll make some t-shirts, bet I won't have to wait so long in line at the bank anymore.

What the hell is folk punk anyway?

"When are we going to see a "this shirt is a bikebomb" shirt? I'm wearing that shiz to the airport."

All my senior year of high school I wore a "I am a pipe bomb" shirt I was never once torn apart by the bomb squad.

xvx
wes

What the hell is folk punk anyway?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folk_punk

If I lived there here is what I would do:
1) Order 400 "this bike is a pipe bomb" stickers
2) walk around campus putting them on bikes

Or maybe effective security would have something to do with having some freaking clue of how a pipe bomb is made, and how improbable it would be that someone would weld explosives into a bicycle frame. Most cops know that it's not a good idea to get explosives hot. If you treat every object as a potential bomb no matter how improbable, well I pity you if anyone ever sticks a sign on your back that says "this ass is a chemical weapon" ever had a firehose high colonic?

Ok so now we've gone from 'it's not a bomb because it says bomb on it' to 'it's not a bomb because its difficult to make a pipe bomb out of a bicycle'. Why would you need to weld anything? Make a bomb smaller than the diameter of the seat tube and drop it in the frame.

The band name is clearly supposed to be provocative, and guess what? Someone got provoked.


true. i personally thought it was only a matter of time till something like this happened. people are morons.

I put a woody gutherie sticker on my old bike that I sold to my friend:

"This machine kills fascists"

Do you think this might also end badly?

"This machine kills fascists"

I'm buying one of their albums on the way home from work today. The publicity worked. Just remind to put the sticker on the gas-pipe frame instead of the 853.