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Bomb hoax in Boston--Marketing campaign

GoodOmensGoodOmens Registered User regular
edited February 2007 in Debate and/or Discourse
Just informing everyone...there is a strange situation playing out in Boston and the metro area today, as numerous "suspicious items" have been found. They are part of a marketing campaign for Aqua Teen Hunger Force, light-up signs which have been placed in several cities, apparently for 2-3 weeks. Boston police have been working with state police, as well as the ATF, to deal with it.

Part of the Charles River has been closed, as has part of the MBTA (subway), the I-93, and the bridge between Boston and Cambridge.. Huge police resources have been put into this. Mayor Menino has stated that this is a federal crime, which carries a possible penalty of up to 2-5 years PER ITEM. Big, big mess. Thankfully, it was just a massive security reponse without any actual danger.

So, to actually make this a discussion thread, why would a marketing company actually engage in such a foolish campaign? And, for those of you in other cities where this has been done (including Chicago, Seattle, Austin, etc.), have these things been found in your areas, and was there an uproar about it?

[EDIT]Check here for more info: http://www.boston.com/news/globe/city_region/breaking_news/2007/01/suspicious_obje.html

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    DocDoc Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited January 2007
    Uh, do they look at all like they could be bombs, or are they LED signs? Until I see a picture of one, I'm guessing that the leadership in Boston is being retarded.

    Doc on
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    ak74uak74u Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    I want one 8)



    1170277332151wr4.jpg




    1170277400426ue7.jpg

    ak74u on
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    SenjutsuSenjutsu thot enthusiast Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    Doc wrote:
    Uh, do they look at all like they could be bombs, or are they LED signs? Until I see a picture of one, I'm guessing that the leadership in Boston is being retarded.
    Ditto

    Edit: That's them? Boston PD is retarded.

    Senjutsu on
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    DarkWarriorDarkWarrior __BANNED USERS regular
    edited January 2007
    ...Wtf? Those are bombs?

    DarkWarrior on
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    GlaealGlaeal Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    I'm guessing that Boston PD will try their hardest to prosectute someone for this.

    Amazing.

    Glaeal on
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    GoodOmensGoodOmens Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    Doc wrote:
    Uh, do they look at all like they could be bombs, or are they LED signs? Until I see a picture of one, I'm guessing that the leadership in Boston is being retarded.

    Well, when they started getting calls about "suspicous items" they had to react. Who can say what a bomb looks like? It does seem like a gigantic clusterfuck, but I can understand why they started taking action.

    Of course, it's always best to assume that Boston leadership is being retarded. That's just playing the percentages.

    GoodOmens on
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    YarYar Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    I don't see any mention of ATHF.

    Yar on
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    redxredx I(x)=2(x)+1 whole numbersRegistered User regular
    edited January 2007
    I like how they blured out the lit one, but not the unlit one.




    Boston brought to its knees by fucking litebrite.

    mother fuck. That's some pathetic shit.

    redx on
    They moistly come out at night, moistly.
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    ÆthelredÆthelred Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    Someone's getting fired.

    Æthelred on
    pokes: 1505 8032 8399
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    DynagripDynagrip Break me a million hearts HoustonRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    edited January 2007
    Doc wrote:
    Uh, do they look at all like they could be bombs, or are they LED signs? Until I see a picture of one, I'm guessing that the leadership in Boston is being retarded.
    They're probably Irish...

    Dynagrip on
    http://leonidas-res.com
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    SenjutsuSenjutsu thot enthusiast Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    I guess someone should tell them about all the suspicious packages down at the Toys R Us.

    They have the words Lite-Bright on them.

    Senjutsu on
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    CorvusCorvus . VancouverRegistered User regular
    edited January 2007
    DarkWarrior wrote:
    ...Wtf? Those are bombs?

    I think the whole point is that they aren't.

    Corvus on
    :so_raven:
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    Andrew_JayAndrew_Jay Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    Yar wrote:
    I don't see any mention of ATHF.
    GoodOmens wrote:
    Boston police have been working with state police, as well as the ATF, to deal with it.
    They're working with the Boston Police. GoodOmens just made a typo in their OP.

    Rest assured, Frylock is on the case.

    Andrew_Jay on
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    DarkWarriorDarkWarrior __BANNED USERS regular
    edited January 2007
    Corvus wrote:
    DarkWarrior wrote:
    ...Wtf? Those are bombs?

    I think the whole point is that they aren't.

    I know.

    I should have said it more like...

    WTF! Those, are meant to be bombs?

    DarkWarrior on
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    GaddezGaddez Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    Yar wrote:
    I don't see any mention of ATHF.
    The lite brite figures are moonenites.

    Gaddez on
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    ak74uak74u Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    Senjutsu wrote:
    I guess someone should tell them about all the suspicious packages down at the Toys R Us.

    They have the words Lite-Bright on them.


    we the moonites like to flip the bird :lol:

    ak74u on
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    LitejediLitejedi New York CityRegistered User regular
    edited January 2007
    Yeah, it wasn't "a hoax," at all. Nor was it funny. It's not like by putting these things around that the marketing people were trying to trick people into thinking lite-brites in the shapes of moonanites were bombs.

    In other news, people are idiots.

    Litejedi on
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    LudiousLudious I just wanted a sandwich A temporally dislocated QuiznosRegistered User regular
    edited January 2007
    I hope the lead investigator in this case that called all of these shots goes home tonight and gets berated by his hot topic children for fucking with a moonenite.

    Ludious on
    I stream sometimes and talk to myself.
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    GlaealGlaeal Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    They're talking about it on CNN. Apparently they've been in place for weeks.

    Glaeal on
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    redxredx I(x)=2(x)+1 whole numbersRegistered User regular
    edited January 2007
    damn, If I had a camara, I'd totally be on my way to the store to buy a lite-bright so I could make fun of this properly.

    redx on
    They moistly come out at night, moistly.
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    IShallRiseAgainIShallRiseAgain Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    There was one taped to the underside of the bridge. That would look quite suspicious, because you probably couldn't see the ATHF character unless you were standing underneath it, and even so its pretty damned suspicous because somebody could just do that to make people think its harmless. Its not exactly easy to put something up there. That one at least, was pretty darn stupid on ATHF's part. After they found out it was indeed not a bomb, they should have stopped wasting their time though. Basically, everyone was acting moronic about it.

    IShallRiseAgain on
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    LudiousLudious I just wanted a sandwich A temporally dislocated QuiznosRegistered User regular
    edited January 2007
    Street teams have long been known to stick flyers/signs in strange places.

    It's part of the fun of being on a promotional street team.

    This was completely harmless. I refuse to put any blame on the ATHF guys because we've become such an overly paranoid, pussified country.

    Ludious on
    I stream sometimes and talk to myself.
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    GlaealGlaeal Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    It was a third-party advertising campaign.

    Glaeal on
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    redxredx I(x)=2(x)+1 whole numbersRegistered User regular
    edited January 2007
    I am totally going to laugh my ass of if it turns out they got permision to do it.

    I'm chuckling a little bit about right now, but that would probably make me hurt myself.

    redx on
    They moistly come out at night, moistly.
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    sarksark Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    i live in chicago, and have not noticed these things.

    the marketing people are retarded.

    the police are retarded too.

    isn't just dropping shit around the city like that littering?

    it seems like you would have to get something like this approved by the city first.

    sark on
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    ShoggothShoggoth Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    What does this actually say about the competency of those in power?

    Yeah, fuck.

    Shoggoth on
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    ElkiElki get busy Moderator, ClubPA mod
    edited January 2007
    nexuscrawler is now banned, for the safety of the forum.

    Elki on
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    CouscousCouscous Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    Shoggoth wrote:
    What does this actually say about the competency of those in power?

    Yeah, fuck.
    To be fair, most of the cities in which this was in didn't think they were bombs.

    Couscous on
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    Knuckle DraggerKnuckle Dragger Explosive Ovine Disposal Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    If one didn't know what ATHF was, I could see how an electronic device with an image like an angry building on it could spark certain thoughts. Even knowing what it was, I don't see the response as completely off the wall; It's not like a bomb has to be all big and round with a wick like a sparkler sticking out the top.

    Knuckle Dragger on
    Let not any one pacify his conscience by the delusion that he can do no harm if he takes no part, and forms no opinion.

    - John Stuart Mill
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    MikeManMikeMan Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    One would assume police would know what, you know, actual bombs tend to look like.

    As opposed to the bombs in fucking movies with all sorts of flashing lights and shit.

    MikeMan on
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    redxredx I(x)=2(x)+1 whole numbersRegistered User regular
    edited January 2007
    titmouse wrote:
    Shoggoth wrote:
    What does this actually say about the competency of those in power?

    Yeah, fuck.
    To be fair, most of the cities in which this was in didn't think they were bombs.
    ok...

    so what does this say about those in power in Boston?

    redx on
    They moistly come out at night, moistly.
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    LudiousLudious I just wanted a sandwich A temporally dislocated QuiznosRegistered User regular
    edited January 2007
    redx wrote:
    titmouse wrote:
    Shoggoth wrote:
    What does this actually say about the competency of those in power?

    Yeah, fuck.
    To be fair, most of the cities in which this was in didn't think they were bombs.
    ok...

    so what does this say about those in power in Boston?

    The term "retard rodeo" springs to mind.

    Ludious on
    I stream sometimes and talk to myself.
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    RoanthRoanth Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    MikeMan445 wrote:
    One would assume police would know what, you know, actual bombs tend to look like.

    As opposed to the bombs in fucking movies with all sorts of flashing lights and shit.

    Just wanted to say that MikeMan has the best sig of all time. It is made of pure, unadulterated win

    Roanth on
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    Irond WillIrond Will WARNING: NO HURTFUL COMMENTS, PLEASE!!!!! Cambridge. MAModerator mod
    edited January 2007
    Jesus BPD what the fuck? Yes, better safe than sorry, but this defensive reaction after the fact is really making you look like fools.

    This probably also means that it's going to be fucking jammed up on I93 when I'm trying to get home.

    Irond Will on
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    SenjutsuSenjutsu thot enthusiast Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    Knuckle Dragger wrote:
    If one didn't know what ATHF was, I could see how an electronic device with an image like an angry building on it could spark certain thoughts. Even knowing what it was, I don't see the response as completely off the wall; It's not like a bomb has to be all big and round with a wick like a sparkler sticking out the top.
    Really? You see a weird alien-looking light-bright image giving you the finger, and you think "bomb"?

    No, a bomb doesn't have to look like a clock wired to a black ball with a cartoon fuse hanging off of it. A bomb doesn't have to look like anything at all.

    A bomb could look like anything. But we shouldn't go calling the bomb squad on every unattended thing we see during the day, because that would be a clusterfuck of immense proportions. And we sure as shit shouldn't go and charge the people behind the unattended thing for committing the heinous crime of "creating something which some fuckwit called in as a bomb".

    Senjutsu on
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    GlaealGlaeal Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    I believe one of them was actually attached to the bottom of an I-93 overpass, and they had to shut the highway down for a bit.

    Glaeal on
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    FencingsaxFencingsax It is difficult to get a man to understand, when his salary depends upon his not understanding GNU Terry PratchettRegistered User regular
    edited January 2007
    Elkamil wrote:
    nexuscrawler is now banned, for the safety of the forum.

    Wait, what? Why?

    Fencingsax on
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    MikeManMikeMan Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    Roanth wrote:
    MikeMan445 wrote:
    One would assume police would know what, you know, actual bombs tend to look like.

    As opposed to the bombs in fucking movies with all sorts of flashing lights and shit.

    Just wanted to say that MikeMan has the best sig of all time. It is made of pure, unadulterated win

    I thought it was a great quote too. I chuckle most every time I read it.

    MikeMan on
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    Knuckle DraggerKnuckle Dragger Explosive Ovine Disposal Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    MikeMan445 wrote:
    One would assume police would know what, you know, actual bombs tend to look like.

    As opposed to the bombs in fucking movies with all sorts of flashing lights and shit.
    Yes, but if the police keep getting calls about suspicious electronic devices on bridges and in subway tunnels, you think they aren't going to treat every new object like it is a potential threat?

    Knuckle Dragger on
    Let not any one pacify his conscience by the delusion that he can do no harm if he takes no part, and forms no opinion.

    - John Stuart Mill
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    DynagripDynagrip Break me a million hearts HoustonRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    edited January 2007
    Glaeal wrote:
    I believe one of them was actually attached to the bottom of an I-93 overpass, and they had to shut the highway down for a bit.
    Yeah...the locations selected seem rather suspect.

    Dynagrip on
    http://leonidas-res.com
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