This post is a pipe bomb

Paranoia strikes deepInto your life it will creepIt starts when you're always afraidStep outta line, the men come, and take you away

Question: How many pipe bombs, or objects containing pipe bombs, are labeled "This is a pipe bomb"?

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Original post by Andrew Russell Question: How many pipe bombs, or objects containing pipe bombs, are labeled "This is a pipe bomb"?

I'm glad I'm not the only one who was wondering that.

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Original post by Andrew Russell Question: How many pipe bombs, or objects containing pipe bombs, are labeled "This is a pipe bomb"?

42?
Yeah, how can he be charged with anything? It's not like he was trying to bring it on an airplane or something.

As far as I'm concerned they owe him a new mountain bike

So as long as it's a sticker for a badly named garage band, any phrase advertised in public without warning or disclaimer is ok?

There is a usual example for explaining the limits of free speech - specifically that calling out "fire" (when there is none) in a crowded threater is crossing out of the free speech arena, and into using words to assault more then just a few individuals personal taste.

Malicious intent is not required for a crime to be committed - in some cases we even have special names for when a specific type of regular crime is committed without actual intent, i.e. manslaughter ("The unlawful killing of a human being without malice or premeditation, either express or implied").

A person going into a crowded room, closing his eyes, and then firing a gun in random directions is guilty of a crime, even if he had no intent to kill anyone. What consitutes a crime even without original "intent" is that a "reasonable person" should have realized the consequences (that firing a gun blind in a crowded room could injure or kill someone). In this case, a "reasonable person" (or someone that wasn't a doped up college student listening to crappy bands) would realize that a sticker proclaiming an object to be an explosive device (there are no common alternative meanings for "pipe bomb". You don't say "that movie was a pipe bomb") would consistute a threat to public safety - in much the same way that shouting "fire" would.

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Original post by Andrew Russell Question: How many pipe bombs, or objects containing pipe bombs, are labeled "This is a pipe bomb"?

Do some reading about domestic (any western country) bombings. It is actually very frequent that the bomber advertises that they have planted a bomb. Most common occurance being that they phone in and tell someone they've planted a bomb, or they put the bomb in a public place and label it (or call in and say exactly where the bomb is).

Having an object labeled "this is a pipe bomb" (and half the time really being a bomb) is exactly what one would expect if a psychopath was in town. The psychopath wants attention and he wants tension. Having a bomb just go off is someone looking to spread an agenda (political terrorist). Scarying people by showing that you can plant a bomb and make everyone fall over themselves to react to your actions, is the calling card of the attention seeking psychopath.

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Original post by Michalson A person going into a crowded room, closing his eyes, and then firing a gun in random directions is guilty of a crime, even if he had no intent to kill anyone.

In this example, the crime would be murder, not manslaughter, since this is a clear example of recklessness.

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Original post by Michalson It is actually very frequent that the bomber advertises that they have planted a bomb. Most common occurance being that they phone in and tell someone they've planted a bomb, or they put the bomb in a public place and label it (or call in and say exactly where the bomb is).

Or perhaps even label it as a bomb knowing people wouldn't believe it. Although, I would wonder how many times I'll get pulled over if I have a bumper sticker reading "Gun Runner" or "I'm smuggling drugs"

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Original post by LessBread Paranoia strikes deepInto your life it will creepIt starts when you're always afraidStep outta line, the men come, and take you away

Nice; although 'afraid' and 'away' don't really rhyme.

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Original post by furby100 Quote: Original post by Michalson A person going into a crowded room, closing his eyes, and then firing a gun in random directions is guilty of a crime, even if he had no intent to kill anyone. In this example, the crime would be murder, not manslaughter, since this is a clear example of recklessness.

Ok, so we replace the gun with a less obvious weapon, like a sledge hammer. Construction guy comes onto the job site, grabs his big old sledge hammer and says hi to some of his buddies, then just for kicks he closes his eyes and starts spinning around and around while holding the hammer in his outstretched hands. The hammer turns the face of one of his co-workers into jelly. He is guilty of manslaughter. He did something stupid and reckless, without intent to do any harm, and he killed someone. People who are that stupid and irresponsible are a danger to society, so they get locked up.

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Original post by Michalson So as long as it's a sticker for a badly named garage band, any phrase advertised in public without warning or disclaimer is ok? There is a usual example for explaining the limits of free speech - specifically that calling out "fire" (when there is none) in a crowded threater is crossing out of the free speech arena, and into using words to assault more then just a few individuals personal taste.

Not quite the same. If his bike had a speaker on it shouting "I'm a pipe bomb" then maybe. But this is a sticker on a bike. How many times have cops busted in on someone looking for firearms and flowers cuz their car has a "Guns N Roses" sticker on it?

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Malicious intent is not required for a crime to be committed - in some cases we even have special names for when a specific type of regular crime is committed without actual intent, i.e. manslaughter ("The unlawful killing of a human being without malice or premeditation, either express or implied"). A person going into a crowded room, closing his eyes, and then firing a gun in random directions is guilty of a crime, even if he had no intent to kill anyone. What consitutes a crime even without original "intent" is that a "reasonable person" should have realized the consequences (that firing a gun blind in a crowded room could injure or kill someone). In this case, a "reasonable person" (or someone that wasn't a doped up college student listening to crappy bands) would realize that a sticker proclaiming an object to be an explosive device (there are no common alternative meanings for "pipe bomb". You don't say "that movie was a pipe bomb") would consistute a threat to public safety - in much the same way that shouting "fire" would.

Manslaughter still implies you were doing something you shouldn't have been (drunk, stoned, speeding, etc...). If I am driving along and a guy jumps in front of me and he dies, I don't get charged. If I was high or driving drunk, there's a chance I might get manslaughter.

And the gun in theatre, he still has the intent of causing panic, and that is what he would be charged with, wreckless endangerment, probably some firearm violations as well.

And, I just disagree. I think anyone who sees a sticker on a bike that says "This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb", and really thinks it's a pipe bomb, will be in the minority. Oh, and they're an idiot too.

without a website or something showing that it was an ad, then the guy deserves what he gets. (don't think he really deserves jail time however, or even really fines)

Also, leaving your bike somewhere over night is a good way to lose it anyway. Atleast this time he might get the parts back. never know, maybe one of his friend's is a pipe fitter.

The kid did nothing wrong, and he shouldn't be charged with anything. Completely ridiculous. Is this the USSR? Nazi Germany? How can a kid be charged for doing absolutely nothing?

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Original post by Stonicus Manslaughter still implies you were doing something you shouldn't have been (drunk, stoned, speeding, etc...). .... And, I just disagree. I think anyone who sees a sticker on a bike that says "This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb", and really thinks it's a pipe bomb, will be in the minority. Oh, and they're an idiot too.

In most cultures making a bomb threat is considered something you shouldn't be doing.

And why don't you tell that to the many people that have spotted a package marketed "this is a bomb" and it turned out to be a real bomb, planted by some maniac looking for attention.

This all sounds like the classic college kid "adults are stupid for not knowing about all our moronic, constantly shifting popular culture". Perhaps the next time a guy screams out "that girl over there is being raped!" we should all ignore it, because it's probably just some stupid new college age phrase meaning something completely different, or it's the stupid name of yet another pointless, talentless 20 something band that doesn't have a record deal.

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Original post by StonicusAnd, I just disagree. I think anyone who sees a sticker on a bike that says "This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb", and really thinks it's a pipe bomb, will be in the minority. Oh, and they're an idiot too.

Yeah, I agree with you completely. There was no reason to assume the bike was a bomb. It seems like people are letting fear and panic rule their judgement, either that or they just have no common sense. A bumper sticker is not a cause for police response, no matter what it says.

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Original post by Michalson In this case, a "reasonable person" (or someone that wasn't a doped up college student listening to crappy bands) would realize that a sticker proclaiming an object to be an explosive device (there are no common alternative meanings for "pipe bomb". You don't say "that movie was a pipe bomb") would consistute a threat to public safety - in much the same way that shouting "fire" would.

Without seeing a picture of the sticker in question, you simply can't say that. If this was a peice of torn out paper with "this bike is a pipe bomb" scrawled on it, then maybe. If this was a standard bumper sticker or similar, even if it only had these words and nothing else on it, then this is total rubbish. Any "reasonable person" will instantly recognize a bumper sticker, regardless of what it said. When's the last time a terrorist used a glossy plastic sheet with adhesive on one side and professional print?

*Assuming* this was a normal bumper sticker or similar, then the response of the university police was nothing more than paranoid idiocy.

EDIT: As far as I can tell with google, this appears to be the sticker in question. References are made to this being the band's sticker here. White print on green glossy plastic, doesn't look particularly threatening to me.

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Original post by joanusdmentia Quote: Original post by Michalson In this case, a "reasonable person" (or someone that wasn't a doped up college student listening to crappy bands) would realize that a sticker proclaiming an object to be an explosive device (there are no common alternative meanings for "pipe bomb". You don't say "that movie was a pipe bomb") would consistute a threat to public safety - in much the same way that shouting "fire" would. Without seeing a picture of the sticker in question, you simply can't say that. If this was a peice of torn out paper with "this bike is a pipe bomb" scrawled on it, then maybe. If this was a standard bumper sticker or similar, even if it only had these words and nothing else on it, then this is total rubbish. Any "reasonable person" will instantly recognize a bumper sticker, regardless of what it said. When's the last time a terrorist used a glossy plastic sheet with adhesive on one side and professional print? *Assuming* this was a normal bumper sticker or similar, then the response of the university police was nothing more than paranoid idiocy.

That makes absolutely no sense. It should be fairly obvious that putting a sticker proclaiming "this bike is a pipe bomb" on a bike and leaving it in a public place probably isn't the best thing to do, and it's his own fault. This is exactly like yelling out "fire" on an airplane--the medium on which it is presented is irrelevant.

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Original post by bytecoder This is exactly like yelling out "fire" on an airplane--the medium on which it is presented is irrelevant.

So if someone walked in the cinema airplane wearing a shirt that said 'This building plane is on fire', would you run out screaming?

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Original post by joanusdmentia Quote: Original post by bytecoder This is exactly like yelling out "fire" on an airplane--the medium on which it is presented is irrelevant. So if someone walked in the cinema airplane wearing a shirt that said 'This building plane is on fire', would you run out screaming?

THE PLANE IS ON FIRE?

OH GOD!