HereNT

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:

https://thepost.baker.ohiou.edu/show_...N2&date=030606

https://www.athensnews.com/issue/arti...story_id=23594

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

Fugazi Dave

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

KirbyxKamikaze

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.

koyman

I laughed at this:

junioroverlord

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

Yoshi

His defense should be:

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

ch0mb0

when did this Great Nation lose its spine?

it's enough to make one weep.

koyman

yep.

wangster

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

r-dub

and when did it lose it's brain?

Ginetta

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.

AlamoJetWhiskey

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

geog_dash

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.

Shiznaz

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

Jose R

Define "terrorists" please.

worker4youth

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

Moximitre

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

Ginetta

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.

mattface 

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.

mattface 

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.

Ginetta

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!" Hindsight is 20/20 folks.

mcatano

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.

mcatano

I should've hit "refresh" before posting.

spud

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

s_9

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