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MIT co-ed wears 'fake bomb' to Boston airport; nearly killed by police
Quote:
MIT coed with fake bomb 'art' arrested
By GLEN JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer
BOSTON - Troopers arrested an MIT student at gunpoint Friday after she walked into Logan International Airport wearing a computer circuit board and wiring on her sweatshirt. Authorities call it a fake bomb; she called it art.
Star Simpson's attorney said the charges against her were an overreaction, but authorities expressed amazement that someone would wear such a device eight months after a similar scare in Boston, and six years after two of the jets hijacked in the Sept. 11 attacks took off from Logan.
"I'm shocked and appalled that somebody would wear this type of device to an airport," said State Police Maj. Scott Pare, the airport's commanding officer.
The terminal was not evacuated and flights were not affected, airport officials said.
Simpson, 19, of Hawaii, has expertise in electronics and even received a Congressional citation for her work in robotics, according to her lawyer.
She wore the white circuit board on her chest over a black hooded sweatshirt, Pare said at a news conference. The battery-powered rectangular device had nine flashing lights, and Simpson had Play-Doh in her hands, he said.
Two phrases that looked hand-drawn — "Socket to me" and "Course VI" — were written on the back of Simpson's sweatshirt, which authorities displayed to the media. Course VI appears to refer to MIT's major of electrical engineering and computer science.
"She said that it was a piece of art and she wanted to stand out on career day," Pare said. "She claims that it was just art, and that she was proud of the art and she wanted to display it."
There was a career fair at the university on Thursday, according to the university's Web site.
Simpson was charged with possessing a hoax device. A not guilty plea was entered for her and she was released on $750 bail.
During the hearing, Simpson smiled as she entered wearing a T-shirt and sandals. After she posted bail, she left in a taxi with a man who identified himself as her boyfriend, but neither would answer more questions from reporters.
Prosecutor Wayne Margolis had requested $5,000 bail, saying Simpson showed a total disregard for airport security concerns.
Ross Schreiber, who was appointed to represent Simpson, said she was not a risk to flee, cooperated with authorities and was a good student with no prior convictions. He said they would fight the charges.
"I would characterize it as almost being paranoid at this point," he said of authorities' response.
He said she had gone to the airport to meet her boyfriend. "She was there for legitimate purposes," Schreiber said.
Simpson was arrested about 8 a.m. outside Terminal C, home to United Airlines, Jet Blue and other carriers.
A Massachusetts Port Authority staffer manning an information booth in the terminal became suspicious when Simpson — wearing the device — approached to ask about an incoming flight, Pare said. Simpson then walked outside, and the staffer notified a nearby trooper.
The trooper, joined by others with submachine guns, confronted her at a traffic island in front of the terminal.
"She was immediately told to stop, to raise her hands and not to make any movement, so we could observe all her movements to see if she was trying to trip any type of device," Pare said. "Had she not followed the protocol, we might have used deadly force."
He added, "She's lucky to be in a cell as opposed to the morgue."
Pare said Simpson had taken a subway to the airport, but he was not sure if she had the device on at that time.
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MIT issued a statement saying the school is cooperating with authorities. The statement said: "As reported to us by authorities, Ms. Simpson's actions were reckless and understandably created alarm at the airport."
Pare praised the booth attendant and said the incident is a reminder of the terrorism threat confronting the civil aviation system.
"In this day and age, the threat continues to be there," he said.
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Associated Press writers Mark Jewell and Glen Johnson contributed to this report.
Now that you've read all that, it's worth seeing what caused all the fuss. Here's a close-up of the sweatshirt she was wearing. There don't appear to be any permanent links up yet, so get it while you can.
Annoying how this is described in every news report as a 'fake bomb' when the nerd in question clearly didn't intend for it to be one. And feel free to rag on her looks, should you find a pic, but remember: she goes to MIT.
09-21-2007, 11:22 PM
MIT co-ed wears 'fake bomb' to Boston airport; nearly killed by police Post #2
OOOH, angry angry policemen! Geez, she's so lucky we didn't kill her! Circuit boards make me very angry! If we had killed her it would have been her fault! HER FAULT I tell you. The terrorists are making me kill people!
How about: "Miss, I may be a ******, but that looks funny to me, and to appease my even more brain-challenged superiors will you please explain to me what you are wearing whilst I escort you the **** out of here? I'm sure I'm mistaken, but you can understand my cautiousness I hope?" etc..
No no. KILL DEM ALLLLLLLLL!!!!! Then blame them! Yahoo! Sign us up for Patriot Act 24: "If wearing gun, shoot first".
09-21-2007, 11:59 PM
MIT co-ed wears 'fake bomb' to Boston airport; nearly killed by police Post #9
MIT co-ed wears 'fake bomb' to Boston airport; nearly killed by police 
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