Suspicious devices part of marketing plan (media terrorist)

MSNBC ^ | 1/31/2007 | AP

[tobyhill]

BOSTON - At least nine electronic devices planted at bridges and other spots in Boston threw a scare into the city Wednesday in what a cable network said was a marketing campaign for a late-night cartoon.

Highways, bridges and a section of the Charles River were shut down and bomb squads were sent in before authorities declared the devices were harmless.

“It’s a hoax — and it’s not funny,” said Gov. Deval Patrick before the objects were determined to be part of an ad campaign.

[cripplecreek]

You would think they could have at least alerted authorities about it in the beginning.

[tobyhill]

Turner Broadcasting

[ndt]

Lordy, if they ever run across a geocache they would probably wet themselves on the spot.

[maquiladora]

*sigh* If the whole world turns upside down because of a lightbox with a smiley face hanging from a bridge is viewed as terrorism then we really are letting the terrorists win by becoming this paranoid/incompetent.

Meanwhile the borders are left unsecure....

[SteveMcKing]

I think they knew exactly what would happen, and they knew they could claim innocence afterwards.

They got their publicity, and it is possible that nothing will happen to them.

[cripplecreek]

I think you're probably right.

[Gorzaloon]

They were wildly successful at getting publicity.

Now we will all find out how _cute_ "Guerilla Advertising" is.

We will always laugh at Boston flacks who brought us the Big Dig and collapsing tunnels, and our distinguished representatives, but on September 11, a few planes left here, remember. So the sense of humor may not be as well-developed as formerly.

Someone owes thousands of stranded commuters and a a lot of personell overtime.

Someone owns those structures, and commercial guerilla ads are not legal on them, anyway.

If the advertisers and their agency gain because of this, something is wrong.

I think that it is technically possible to use a Remington Stud driver and the appropriate metal reinforcing plates to nail the people responsible to every location where they cutely put these.

Otherwise, I happen to dislike Boston (All cities), myself, but this was over the line, screwing over the commuters on a cold miserable day.

[tobyhill]

I hope the Feds prosecute and bankrupt Turner Broadcast for this stunt and with any luck CNN will go down with the ship.

[Gorzaloon]

I hope the Feds prosecute and bankrupt Turner Broadcast for this stunt and with any luck CNN will go down with the ship.

The more I think of it, the more I like the Remington Stud Driver Idea. I have been getting cell calls from loved ones stuck on 93 and the T much of the day.

Yeah, it's just SO CUTE. So sophisticated. Why the dung-caked bumpkins in Boston could not appreciate the artful effort is so puzzling.

So let's see. Just pick a number...5,000 commuters for a lowball figure of two hours at another lowball absurd estimate, and a lowball wage guess of $10.00 per hour=$100,000 in lost productivity. How much is each stuck-in-traffic idling Express, Coca Cola, or Fedex truck cost? What does the overtime for all the cops and bomb squad members cost?

And before someone says it's a JOKE, remember they were not just placed on Private Property, they were placed on bridges and other critical infrastructures.

[ninonitti]

It’s a hoax — and it’s not funny

I beg to differ.......it's hillarious and a perfect example of Massachusett's off the hook and out of step mentality.

The irony of a state that sends Kennedy, Kerry, Frank, Delahunt, etal to Congress; Duval Patrick to the State House; Mumbles Menino to City Hall and gays to the altar; flipping out over a cartoon channel advertising campaign is way too rich.

[Gorzaloon]

The irony of a state that sends Kennedy, Kerry, Frank, Delahunt, etal to Congress; Duval Patrick to the State House; Mumbles Menino to City Hall and gays to the altar; flipping out over a cartoon channel advertising campaign is way too rich.

Yeah, but we do not exhibit THOSE jokes on bridges.

Though come to think of it, you may have something there.

[tobyhill]

It was funny watching CNN report the cruel terrorist hoax then it turns out to be their own parent company.

[BigBobber]

To libs who don't think there is an Islamist threat to the free world:

Why did you shut down your city because of a few packages left around?

Do you like the world the way it is?

Want to live this way the rest of your life, in fear of a lunch bag?

Still think we can all get along?

Liberals bent on mutual suicide in the face of global war make me sick. We are not going to go quietly like you are.

[ishabibble]

Ever been to Boston? It's twice as congested and crowded as NYC. The streets are narrow and the entire place has been under construction since the days of Curley. IED packages would rip that place apart.

Please do not dismiss this criminal action. This is Ted Turner's organization and it's just a hoot that they stopped an entire city and frightened the stuffing out of thousands who work in those building, are stuck in traffic under those overpasses, who walk through those dinky streets with their kids. I am so mad I could spit.

CARTOONS/IED TERRORISM/CROWDED AMERICAN CITY.
HANG THESE PEOPLE.

[WVNan]

I do hope the city sues the pants off ole Ted.

[ninonitti]

Yeah, but we do not exhibit THOSE jokes on bridges

No, but one of those jokes exhibited his true nature on a bridge on Chappaquidick

[festus]

It looks like a light brite with a battery pack to make it work.

Are the folks in Boston scared of lights ?

Sheesh.

[syriacus]

Why did the folks in Boston panic, but the folks in other cities didn't?

[montag813]

If Deval Patrick were a Republican, everyone would be saying how paranoid and incompetent he was for blowing this out of proportion. How come other cities didn't go crazy like they did in Boston?