Does the Artist Treated Like a Terrorist Still ?NY?

Over the weekend New York City police arrested Takeshi Miyakawa over an unauthorized art project that involved hanging illuminated "I?NY" shopping bags from trees and lampposts in Brooklyn. A friend told The New York Times that Miyakawa, a 50-year-old Japanese-born artist and furniture designer who moved to the city in 1989, "wanted to promote a positive message." That clearly was not the NYPD's aim. After somebody called the bomb squad, the cops treated Miyakwa like a terrorist, a lunatic, or possibly both. They ominously described one of his bag signs as "an assembly consisting of a plastic box containing wires which was connected by a wire to a plastic bag containing a battery suspended from a metal rod." In a development reminiscent of Boston's 2007 Mooninite panic, Miyakawa has been charged with reckless endangerment and placing "a false bomb or hazardous substance." His lawyer calls the whole thing "a gross misunderstanding."

Comments

[Rich]

[Police] described one of his bag signs as "an assembly consisting of a plastic box containing wires which was connected by a wire to a plastic bag containing a battery suspended from a metal rod."

Are you kidding?! *That* was the scariest description they could come up with?

[Randian]

Re: NYC. Someone give me the obligatory Ripley quote, please.

[Fist of Etiquette]

It truly is the only way to be sure.

[Almanian's Evil Twin]

That'll learn ya, ya trendy art fuck

[Paul.]

"an assembly consisting of a plastic box containing wires which was connected by a wire to a plastic bag containing a battery suspended from a metal rod."

A metal tube with a wire at the end traveling up through the assembly, and connecting to the side of a small, metal assembly, with the one end of the battery pressed against a metal contact point on that same assembly. The rear of the assembly contains a screw cap with spring, placing pressure upon the batteries which have been connected in series. Or, a flashlight.

[Robert]

Could it just be possible for this guy to explain it to the judge the same day, everybody have a laugh and forget about it?

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

The fuzz might be subjected to embarrassment and have their esteemed authority questioned. Can't have that.

[BakedPenguin]

...Boston's 2007 Mooninite panic...

"Those dogs can smell anything. That's why you got to kick 'em in the throat."

[IceTrey]

I actually don't have any problem with this. For once it's the citizen who lacks common sense not the cops.

[perlhaqr]

"Placing a false bomb"?

So that would be "It's not a bomb, but we decided to call it that anyway"?

[CE]

Just like the Christmas t-shirt with blinking LEDs the MIT student wore to the Boston airport a few years back.

[MP]

Flashback.

My name is...
Shake-Zula.
The mic-rula,
The old schoolah,
Ya wanna trip? I'll bring it to ya.
Frylock and I'm on top, Rock you like a cop
Meatwad you up next with your knock-knock.
Meatwad make the money, see.
Meatwad get the honeys, G.
Drivin in my car, livin' like a star.
Ice on my fingers and my toes and I'm a Taurus

[Brandybuck]

I heart NY but I hate its cops

[mr simple]

Yes, let's all take a moment to laugh at how stupid New York and Boston are.

[Bee Tagger]

But they only play each other 175 times a year in sports so each one should be nationally televised.

[LarryA]

I blame the movies. Every time some prop person comes up with a "bomb" it has the little flahing light on it to tell you it hasn't gone off. So anything with lights is a "false bomb."

[ritao]

http://www.shopvvvv.com

[Coach Outlet123]

http://www.coachoutletonline-five.com
http://www.ccoachfactoryoutletonline.com

[Mickey Rat]

OK, terrrorism may be too much, but this is is littering with malice aforethought. Putting "art" on property you do not own without permission of the owner is vandalism.