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State Troopers Fail to Appreciate Geek Chic
So here's the chain of events:
Nice 19-year-old girl from MIT goes to pick up her
boyfriend at the airport last September. Perhaps in honor of that
special occasion, Star Simpson is wearing a sweatshirt that she
made herself. It consists of a circuit board wired with green
LEDs.
She makes an inquiry at the information desk, and then "Troopers, with machine guns aimed at Simpson, surrounded her outside the terminal and ordered her to raise her hands."
Months later, after fighting off criminal charges about a hoax bomb, Simpson wound up with a sentence of 50 hours of community service, pronounced yesterday. She also issued an astonishingly groveling apology through her lawyer:
"I want to apologize for the results of my conduct on Sept. 21, 2007," Simpson said in the statement. "Although I never intended to act in a disorderly fashion, I now realize that the shirt I created caused alarm and concern at Logan Airport.
"I am appreciative to the Massachusetts State Police for their diligence in protecting our citizens and apologize for the expense that was caused that day," she added.
Simpson "is scheduled to return to MIT this fall for her junior year but will spend the first semester with other MIT students installing an electrical power grid in a Guatemalan village."
You know, after she finishes those 50 hours of community service.
The opening sentence of the Globe's coverage pretty much captures the absurdity of the situation: Star Simpson "apologized for the actions that nearly led to her being shot by State Police as a suspected terrorist."
Via Hit & Run reader Jilly
Fluffy|6.3.08 @ 3:37PM|#
Well, of course. If you ritualistically abase yourself before
the state, you will receive a lighter sentence. Because it's about
submission, not about reason or justice or the
facts.
Maybe the bootlicking apology was the price of admission for a
community service sentence instead of 10 days in the clink or
something.
|6.3.08 @ 3:39PM|#
The longer I can stay away from planes and airports, the happier I am. I used to work a job where I had to fly around, but from here on out, I'm slapping "0% travel" on my resume.
|6.3.08 @ 3:40PM|#
but will spend the first semester with other MIT students
installing an electrical power grid in a Guatemalan
village.
OK, but no flashing lights this time. Maybe a light up "on" switch,
but that's it. We mean it. Can't be too careful.
Nick_M|6.3.08 @ 3:41PM|#
Seriously? Now I consider myself as libertarian as anyone, but
the woman showed up to an airport with a circuit board wired to her
sweatshirt? In September?
I mean come on. That's extremely stupid.
ed|6.3.08 @ 3:43PM|#
I now realize that the shirt I created caused alarm and
concern at Logan Airport...and [I] apologize for the expense that
was caused that day
Apology accepted. Don't do it again.
And see a good hair stylist for god's sake.
Mike Laursen|6.3.08 @ 3:43PM|#
I mean come on. That's extremely stupid.
Rrright. Because real-life bombs have blinkenlights all over them,
just like in the movies.
duster|6.3.08 @ 3:57PM|#
I mean come on. That's extremely stupid.
It's one of those cases where it was stupid to not be stupid enough
to realize how stupid people are.
Tsu Dho Nihm|6.3.08 @ 3:58PM|#
Next we'll hear of a 4-year old getting shot at an airport for wearing those cute little shoes with the flashing LEDs...
|6.3.08 @ 4:01PM|#
I'd be suspicious of a girl who looks like that claiming she has
a boyfriend...of course, I'd imagine your standards alter when
you're an MIT geek.
DISCLOSURE: My undergraduate app to MIT was rejected almost
immediately during my senior year in HS...
|6.3.08 @ 4:14PM|#
"I am appreciative to the Massachusetts State Police for
their diligence in protecting our citizens and apologize for the
expense that was caused that day," she added.
Quoted verbatim from the plea agreement, I'd say.
|6.3.08 @ 4:23PM|#
Too bad she's not in law school. She could spend her fifty hours of community service filing pro bono suits against the DHS.
|6.3.08 @ 4:27PM|#
It's like "what is the limit of how retarded we'll allow society to get?" and the answer is "None, there's none more retarded we won't go"
|6.3.08 @ 4:35PM|#
I also am sorry and would like to thank the police for whatever
it is that I am causing them to think that I did or am doing.
Sorry.
|6.3.08 @ 4:40PM|#
Warren--I'm reminded of an old t-shirt mesasge: The only difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits.
Ken Hagler|6.3.08 @ 4:47PM|#
I've read that ritual apologies of this nature were commonly extracted from political prisoners in the old Soviet Union. It's hardly surprising that the new Soviet Union would follow that example.
|6.3.08 @ 4:53PM|#
I'd hit it. Just thought I'd put that out there.
FULL DISCLOSURE: It's been awhile.
Taktix®|6.3.08 @ 4:54PM|#
Two things are infinite: the universe and human
stupidity.
"It's two things are infinite in the universe: hydrogen and
stupidity."
Get your Zappa right, fool...
Jennifer|6.3.08 @ 5:00PM|#
The bitch is lucky she's not dead.
Careful there, Cesar. Pretending to be someone you're not is just
as suspicious as wearing LED lights in our brave new world.
|6.3.08 @ 5:05PM|#
The longer I can stay away from planes and airports, the
happier I am.
Ditto that.
Rimfax|6.3.08 @ 5:22PM|#
Sorry, Boston, but it takes a special kind of stupid to consider
this
a suspicious device. It's about as suspicious as an abacus or a
telescope.
Is it because of the battery hanging off of it? That makes about as
much sense as saying that it was suspicious because it had "XXX"
written on it. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
If she tries to walk through security with it, then give it a good
close look. But she steps in to ask a question about an arrival and
the police go after her as she leaves? She's not the one that
should be apologizing, unless she wants to apologize for granting
them an assumption of a sub-moronic or higher intelligence.
Rimfax|6.3.08 @ 5:29PM|#
Art-P.O.G.,
Tap-tappity-tap-tap! But I'm a sucker for the crazy, geeky, dyke
look. For example, I thought that Ani DiFranco was hawt when she
was near bald.
KenK|6.3.08 @ 5:32PM|#
We are no longer citizens but instead subjects.
I suppose we should be glad we are not simply slaves, yet.
Franklin Harris|6.3.08 @ 5:42PM|#
The whole state of Massachusetts should be spanked with moon rocks.
|6.3.08 @ 5:47PM|#
Rimfax, Art POG-
I agree. She's hot.
All you simple-minded haters need to get back to your boring
laminated Pam Anderson posters and shut the hell up.
|6.3.08 @ 5:52PM|#
Let's not forget that Boston was also the only city to go crazy
over the Aqua Teen Hunger Force promotion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Boston_bomb_scare
Seriously, there was a prefectly simple way to handle this
situation. Take a quick look at the device, ask her a few questions
and send her on her way. Maybe give her a fine if you want to flex
a little.
What's truly worrisome is that the people who are in charge of
looking for bombs at the airport apparently have no idea
what a bomb actually looks like.
|6.3.08 @ 5:55PM|#
There was a chick in college with that same hair that I was
chasing. Granted this was the late 80's so it was in, mostly.
She ended up sleeping with my roomate. Awwwww. [/zoidberg]
|6.3.08 @ 5:56PM|#
I'd be suspicious of a girl who looks like that claiming she
has a boyfriend.
I think blinking nipple lights make up for almost any plain Jane
face.
|6.3.08 @ 5:57PM|#
What's truly worrisome is that the people who are in charge
of looking for bombs at the airport apparently have no idea what a
bomb actually looks like.
Airport security missed a golden opportunity to recreate the
Lost bomb defusing scene inside the airport.
Ska|6.3.08 @ 5:58PM|#
What's truly worrisome is that the people who are in charge
of looking for bombs at the airport apparently have no idea what a
bomb actually looks like.
So are you thinking Spy v. Spy black ball with a fuse, or one of
those old skool football with fins joints?
Paul|6.3.08 @ 6:05PM|#
It's truly sad that she uttered this apology. But the government can just beat people down to the point they'll admit to anything, just to make the scrutiny go away. Why the government ever needed waterboarding, I have no idea. All that's needed is the zillion pound hammer of a municipal government to 'cite' you for some obscure violation such as 'disorderly conduct' and beat those charges to fucking death, and you'll finally just cop to whatever you're charged with.
Paul|6.3.08 @ 6:09PM|#
Now I consider myself as libertarian as anyone, but the
woman showed up to an airport with a circuit board wired to her
sweatshirt? In September?
I mean come on. That's extremely stupid.
Why is that "extremely stupid"? There has never been a terrorist
attack committed by someone showing up to a a domestic airport
counter with any circuit boards wired to their sweatshirts. Ever.
Ever.
I'm trying to remember one terrorist attack that comes to mind. It
was pretty big. And as I recall, everyone had legal paperwork,
looked like businessmen in Dockers, and had no bombs or seriously
dangerous weapons of any kind, less a box cutter or two. Help me
out here, folks, does anyone remember this attack I'm thinking of?
I'm pretty sure they didn't storm the airport counters with circuit
boards and LED lights on their sweatshirts.
Paul|6.3.08 @ 6:14PM|#
Y'know, I'm thinking of going to the Airport in...*shudder* september sporting a digital watch. Do I deserve a cavity search if I make that "extremely stupid" error in judgement?
Roger Clemens|6.3.08 @ 6:36PM|#
I agree. She's hot.
Eh, not bad I guess, but kinda old for my taste.
<b>PLAY-DOH</b>|6.3.08 @ 6:56PM|#
thank God she answered there questions immediately, didn't act in a suspicious manner and wasn't carrying anything that resembled SEMTEX plastic explosive.....Oh wait...only 50 hours of community service? The bullet to the brain would have been cheaper, but then Massachusetts isn't known for their frugality.
DJ Voton|6.3.08 @ 7:39PM|#
OOOOOO-kay: she's been sentenced to 50 hours of community
service, and a humiliating apology to the airport rent-a-cops, for
wearing a geeky sweatshirt to the airport.
I heart Massachusetts!
jac|6.3.08 @ 8:38PM|#
Hey that's not even a circuit board it's a bread board. She was clearly just prototyping and wasn't serious. Now if she came in with a newly etched circuit board and LEDs I could understand their reaction or not.
|6.3.08 @ 9:50PM|#
Paul- "less a box cutter or two"?.....Looks like another has fallen for the government conspiracy theory.
|6.4.08 @ 12:47AM|#
Why is that "extremely stupid"? There has never been a
terrorist attack committed by someone showing up to a a domestic
airport counter with any circuit boards wired to their sweatshirts.
Ever. Ever.
Yeah, and as of 9/10/01 no group had ever, ever hijacked a bunch of
airliners with the intent of turning them into suicide vehicles,
either.
it's the job of security people to look for anything suspicious or
unusual. That is why anyone with common sense and basic social
skills understands it's stupid to act suspicious, provocative or
even "unusual" in high-security places like airports or near
Presidential candidates. It's even more stupid for people with
weird and scary hair to do such things. It's like driving an old
van with Grateful Dead bumper stickers and lighting up the last
half of your hand-rolled tobacco cigarette next to a cop car at a
stop light, then complaining about the unfairness of being pulled
over.
Dave W. Explains It All|6.4.08 @ 7:14AM|#
I'm trying to remember one terrorist attack that comes to
mind. It was pretty big. And as I recall, everyone had legal
paperwork, looked like businessmen in Dockers, and had no bombs or
seriously dangerous weapons of any kind, less a box cutter or two.
Help me out here, folks, does anyone remember this attack I'm
thinking of? I'm pretty sure they didn't storm the airport counters
with circuit boards and LED lights on their sweatshirts.
Actually, last year a couple of gents tried to drive into an
airport in Scotland with a homemade detonator. So, it can
happen.
Yeah, and as of 9/10/01 no group had ever, ever hijacked a
bunch of airliners with the intent of turning them into suicide
vehicles, either.
Maybe not, but:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Byck
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FedEx_Flight_705
|6.4.08 @ 8:33AM|#
Just the latest in a long line of ridiculous terrorist-related overreactions which just shows that Americans are probably the dumbest people on Earth. Remember the Aqua-Teen Hunger Force promotion, or the amateur running club marking out running lanes with flour being mistaken for anthrax-toting terrorists? The authorities should be apologising to this girl.
Nick_M|6.4.08 @ 9:51AM|#
Paul | June 3, 2008, 6:14pm | #
Y'know, I'm thinking of going to the Airport in...*shudder*
september sporting a digital watch. Do I deserve a cavity search if
I make that "extremely stupid" error in judgement?
If you made the digital watch yourself, and wear it strapped to the
front of your torso, then yes, that would be extremely
stupid.
I really do want to hate the authorities, but I've got to give them
this one.
|6.4.08 @ 11:15AM|#
You can't call yourself a libertarian if you value life, at any cost, up to and including a lifetime of servitude to leviathan, more than you value the spirit in which life is lived.
Ben Kalafut|6.5.08 @ 5:31AM|#
Did anybody ever put in a bar complaint against the prosecutor (Margolis) for pursing charges (regarding a "hoax device") any educated adult would know are false?
Ben Kalafut|6.5.08 @ 5:37AM|#
"Nick M": It takes a real dunce to confound a breadboard and a
bomb. Some people get their idea of reality from television and
think a bomb is full of blinkenlights and gepokenwiren; others go
to places like MIT and get their idea of reality from
reality.
Remember that the "Lockerbie" bomb was hidden *inside* a tape
deck.
|6.7.08 @ 7:04PM|#
What a dumb cunt. You go to an airport with lights flashing on your person and expect that no one would be concerned? Stupid bitch. And fuck the lot of you losertarian halfwit fucktards.
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