BombScare
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Geocacher causes Auckland bomb scare, Bostonians find soul-mates
In a world gone mad with fear, another global city has ground to a halt in the wake of harmless fun. Like Boston's visceral aversion to Mooninites, Auckland New Zealand has demonstrated an armed distaste for Geocaching. Geochaching is a GPS treasure-hunting game where participants find hidden containers placed around this big blue planet. Unfortunately, security caught the gamer on CCTV strapping a package to a rail near Aotea Center; they then called in the bomb squad. Tip to geocachers: don't wear a bearded, ninja-suit when placing your cache in busy urban areas.Update: Tip 2: don't use a cache that looks like a bomb! Pics of the device after the break.
LED pranksters remember the Aqua Teen Hunger Force "bomb" scare
In an expression of remembrance for a historical moment in hair-trigger overreactions, artists all over the Boston area have taken to the streets armed with provocative LED signage. Paying homage to the "bomb" scare of January 31st, 2007 (which was actually just viral promotion for the Aqua Teen Hunger Force movie using LED art), creative pranksters have descended upon the city with electronic recreations of President Bush, Osama Bin Laden, and a number of other inflammatory images sure to rile the local authorities but-good. Truck on over to MAKE to see a collection of images, and if you happen to be in the Boston area, don't miss a chance to snap some photos of your own!
MIT student arrested for fake bomb at Boston's Logan airport
Boston authorities have once again put their hair-trigger reactions on display for the world today in a case involving an MIT student and bad fashion choices. In a situation eerily similar to the Aqua Teen Hunger Force debacle, Star Simpson (the student in question) was placed under arrest at gunpoint (submachine gunpoint, that is) at Boston's Logan airport because of an "art project" she was wearing. Simpson, who was at the airport to meet her boyfriend, was sporting a black sweatshirt with a circuit board and flashing LEDs attached... and was inexplicably holding Play-Doh. Authorities mistook the combination for some type of explosive device. Maj. Scott Pare, the airport's commanding officer said, "I'm shocked and appalled that somebody would wear this type of device to an airport," and then lovingly added, "She's lucky to be in a cell as opposed to the morgue." Here's our suggestion to authorities next time: just ask, "What's up with the bad art?"
Unclaimed Blackberry causes flight to be diverted
A San Francisco-bound United Airlines flight was forced to divert to Dallas as a precautionary measure Monday after an unclaimed BlackBerry and backpack were found on the plane. Not an unreasonable cause for alarm, if you ask us -- after all, who's ever heard of an unclaimed BlackBerry? This, of course, isn't the first time a gadget has caused security concerns. Just last month, an iPod in a toilet turned out to be the source of a bomb scare at Ottawa airport. As with that instance, the mysterious BlackBerry turned out to be harmless and the flight eventually made its way to SF as planned. The exact BlackBerry model wasn't disclosed, though it seems safe to assume it wasn't a Pearl -- no one would dare let one of 'em out of their sight.
Bomb scare at Ottawa airport just an iPod
In the age of terrorism, security officials are a bit on edge these days, you know? British travellers have had to check their electronics, Americans are facing the war on liquids, and the Canadians have just opened up a new front in the war on carry-on items. Some twelve days ago an incoming plane from Chicago, landing in Canada's capital city, Ottawa, was kept away from the main terminal as a suspicious item was found on board in the plane's lavatory. The passengers were taken off the plane, a canine team and bomb squad were brought in and the plane was checked from stem to stern. The offending item? An iPod. No word on what kind, though. Folks, please be careful with your iPods -- don't let them go wandering off to the loo unattended, ok?P.S. - A guy turned up on the World of Warcraft forums, claiming that it was his iPod that caused the whole fiasco. He recounts his tale here. Airport security FTW!P.P.S. - A woman who was on that flight contributed an op-ed piece to the Ottawa Citizen, confirming many of the details of the above story.
