Posted on 01/31/2007 12:04:30 PM PST by Howlin
BOSTON -- Four "hoax devices" were found at several Boston locations Wednesday, hours after officials detonated a suspicious package on an elevated structure above the Sullivan Square Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority station.
The additional packages were found at the Boston University Bridge, the Longfellow Bridge and near the intersection of Stuart and Columbus streets. A device described by officials as a pipe bomb was found in the basement of the Tufts New England Medical Center at 185 Harrison Ave.
A spokesman for the Boston Police Department said that all of the packages appeared to be similar.
"Our device was not an active device. We are still treating the area as a crime scene. There were no injuries. Everyone was evacuated properly, and everyone now back to their locations," Tufts New England Medical Center's Brooke Hynes said.
Mayor Tom Menino said that all of the packages found posed no danger, but the incidents remained under investigation. Storrow Drive eastbound was shut down for a brief time, and the MBTA suspended service on the Red Line and planned to bus afternoon commuters between Kendall and Park Street stations.
Earlier Wednesday, the state police bomb squad was called and detonated the package in Sullivan Square just before 10 a.m. Officials said it contained an electronic circuit board with some components that were "consistent with an improvised explosive device," but they said it had no explosives. They determined that the device was not dangerous, but destroyed it as a precaution.
"We determined that this device, in particular, was not explosive," said MBTA Lt. Sal Venturelli.
He said MBTA police were told about the package by a transit passenger who spotted it on a column that supports Interstate 93. The parcel was located on an elevated structure above the bus way and below I-93 in the Charlestown section of Boston at about 8 a.m.
"This is a perfect example of our passengers taking part in Homeland Security," Venturelli said.
An investigation will be conducted into how the package got there and when, he said.
Train service on the Orange Line between Sullivan Square and Wellington stations was suspended in both directions. No injuries were reported.
The northbound side of I-93 was closed, causing significant traffic backups. Motorists were not allowed to access the highway near Sullivan Square coming up from the south.
"Quite a sign of the times we're living in."
Indeed.
Well, I just hope the actual makers of the show weren't intimately involved in this marketing campaign - it's a damn funny show.
It's a symbol from a video game.
I'm back at work now- but I heard Wolf Blitzer read a statement from Turner Broadcasting saying it's all a big misunderstanding....it was part of a marketing campaign.
UNREAL. This is exemplary of the crackheads who come up with these ideas for marketing....sheeesh.
What 'ya mean, a Turner Broadcasting marketing ploy?
" if you saw a light up Bart Simpson on a wall, would you freak out? "
I may be just an old fuddy-duddy, but it seems to me that there's some kind of qualitative difference between "seeing a light-up Bart Simpson on a wall" and simultaneous phoned-in reports to police regarding "suspicious packages" being found....
1. The Turner people haven't the faintest idea of the law.
2. The Turner people do not take terrorism seriously.
Arrest them all!
Geez, not ALL of us. I feel like Custer riding into the Little Bighorn.
I believe you.
all of the above
I think what I'm hearing from some posters....the police over-reacted to a funny prank. Nothing illegal about a cute advertising gimmick. The police, Homeland Security, bomb squads, etc. should be ashamed for not recognizing the cute little cartoon characters.
I predict that these advertising gurus will be hailed as extremely clever pranksters.
I'm sad to say.
"Gee, Mr. Custer...I don't want to go...."
Explicitly consciously? No. Semi-consciously and subconsciously? Of course, and it's pretty obvious when you read the innumerable number of threads like these.
We don't get to have people rioting going around burning Mosques and we don't (as people think) get to NOOK MECCA unless there's another major Muslim terrorist attack within the country - and the waiting is driving people that want to see both of the above happen nuts.
Look at how desperately people cling to the possibility that some incident or accident or in this case, apparent hoax was connected to Muslim terrorism and how upset they get at anyone suggesting otherwise.
Well, this tells us the following things:
1. The Turner people haven't the faintest idea of the law.
2. The Turner people do not take terrorism seriously.
Arrest them all!
I saw a barrel with a flashing light on it while driving down the highway the other day.
Scary stuff.
Yea, and accidentally everyone will NOW know what Aqua Teen Hunger Force is.... If it wasn't so serious. It would be hysterical.
What? At least it's an innocuous symbol:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e6/Triforce.png/300px-Triforce.png
Not a scary package.
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