TIL: Building a clock in Texas is illegal

[Ichinisan]

Genius or not, he probably learned lot of general information about how electronics worked with the project, which was the whole point anyway. Even if the end result is just a clock, getting everything assembled properly took some studying and thinking about.

*shrug* I don't think it's a bad project at all, but the end result DID resemble what a kid might think a bomb was supposed to look like. That much seems undeniable.

He took the guts from a clock. He cut a hole in his case so the display faces out and is visible when the case is closed. He mounted the display.

It doesn't appear that he disconnected a single wire or connected anything...except maybe plugging the power cord into the wall.

He must not understand how a transformer works or how dangerous AC electricity can be with that transformer dangling around in a metal case.

 

[Ichinisan]

you twisted reality a bit there, MIT astrophysics postdoctoral fellow Chanda Prescod-Weinstein invited the kid to MIT.

The very first articles I saw in my Facebook feed were from Wired, Gizmodo, Engadget, etc. All suggested NASA should hire him someday because he was wearing a NASA shirt.

 

[Ichinisan]

What? Like the President didn't jump to conclusions by injecting himself into past incidents ("if I had a son...")?

"The police acted stupidly." -BO

 

[Ichinisan]

There is no battery in the pic so I highly doubt it made a noise while concealed in his bag. It was almost certainly plugged in.

I'm fairly certain the police would have removed the battery immediately after confiscating it, so the battery not appearing in the picture doesn't tell us anything at all.

 

[CZroe]

So nobody thinks its a bomb, the guy that made it says its not a bomb, no threats are made, and the guy that owns it gives a full and plausible explanation as to whats going on but you still think its a bomb hoax?

What you're saying is that you think carrying harmless electronics should be punishable.


Durr

Reminder: Time dimension.
Who says that he told his teacher it was a clock before she called the police to report a possible hoax? Who says he told the police that right away? Assumptions. If you are going to assume anything, it makes sense to make the assumption that makes sense. Here are a few "makes sense" assumptions that still result in the police being called:
He immediately told them it was just a clock but they still suspected that he intentionally made a hoax bomb (What? Kids don't ever lie when caught?)
He's a little slow (my impression) and proudly referred to it as his "invention" until he later admitted under pressure that it was just a clock.
It's a scam and he intentionally didn't call it a clock until under pressure (after the police arrived?).

Once again: a hoax bomb is serious. It does not matter if they knew it was just a clock if they ALSO suspected it of being a hoax. The authorities would still be contacted. Durr Stop trying to make that idiotic point.

I'm fairly certain the police would have removed the battery immediately after confiscating it, so the battery not appearing in the picture doesn't tell us anything at all.

It would still be in the frame somewhere, most likely.

 

[WelshBloke]

Reminder: Time dimension.
Who says that he told his teacher it was a clock before she called the police to report a possible hoax? Who says he told the police that right away? Assumptions. If you are going to assume anything, it makes sense to make the assumption that makes sense. Here are a few "makes sense" assumptions that still result in the police being called:
He immediately told them it was just a clock but they still suspected that he intentionally made a hoax bomb (What? Kids don't ever lie when caught?)
He's a little slow (my impression) and proudly referred to it as his "invention" until he later admitted under pressure that it was just a clock.
It's a scam and he intentionally didn't call it a clock until under pressure (after the police arrived?).

Once again: a hoax bomb is serious. It does not matter if they knew it was just a clock if they ALSO suspected it of being a hoax. The authorities would still be contacted. Durr Stop trying to make that idiotic point.


It would still be in the frame somewhere, most likely.

Assumtions? That would be what youre making. I just posted facts.

So nobody thinks its a bomb, the guy that made it says its not a bomb, no threats are made, and the guy that owns it gives a full and plausible explanation as to whats going on but you still think its a bomb hoax?

Are you disputing anything there?

How is this a hoax bomb? If I see you with a mobile phone can I call the police and get you arrested as bombs have been disguised as phones before?

 

[Aharami]

They got the right people involved. The right people made the right decision. Everything went perfectly.

proof that al queda has won

 

[Red Squirrel]

I'm fairly certain the police would have removed the battery immediately after confiscating it, so the battery not appearing in the picture doesn't tell us anything at all.

Sounds like a stupid move to me, if it was a bomb like they thought, it could have had a hidden battery that then triggers it to detonate when the main battery is pulled. It's like if they partially knew it was not a bomb but wanted to cause fear and terror anyway.

I suddenly want to buy this clock now:

http://www.amazon.ca/Novelty-Defusable-Alarm-Clock-Bomb-like/dp/B00C587QUM

As a side note, we freaking get screwed in Canada when it comes to retail prices. That same clock in the states is $35.

I wonder if that clock is even legal to ship or own. lol.

 

[waggy]

Sounds like a stupid move to me, if it was a bomb like they thought, it could have had a hidden battery that then triggers it to detonate when the main battery is pulled. It's like if they partially knew it was not a bomb but wanted to cause fear and terror anyway.

I suddenly want to buy this clock now:

http://www.amazon.ca/Novelty-Defusable-Alarm-Clock-Bomb-like/dp/B00C587QUM

As a side note, we freaking get screwed in Canada when it comes to retail prices. That same clock in the states is $35.

I wonder if that clock is even legal to ship or own. lol.

yeah. good luck finding someone to buy it and mail it to you! :biggrin:

 

[Ichinisan]

proof that al queda has won

Deliberate bomb hoaxes at schools happened routinely in the '70s, '80s, and '90s -- when most Americans were blissfully unaware of foreign terrorists.

There's not much you could possibly do to make it look more like a hoax bomb (besides adding some "dynamite" tubes or blob of clay / dough). They responded appropriately. The kid was welcome to come back to school and now understands what his device looked like.

Anyway, would you or I deny that foreign terrorism has made us more sensitive to this sort of thing? No.

 

[preslove]

There's not much you could possibly do to make it look more like a hoax bomb (besides adding some "dynamite" tubes or blob of clay / dough). They responded appropriately. The kid was welcome to come back to school and now understands what his device looked like.

Nothing in this paragraph is true. You are literally what is wrong with America. Go fuck yourself, fascist.

 

[Ichinisan]

Nothing in this paragraph is true. You are literally what is wrong with America. Go fuck yourself, fascist.

Kindly point out the falsehood. Thanks.

It sounds like you're deluding yourself so you can go along with the bandwagon on this.

 

[CZroe]

Assumtions? That would be what youre making. I just posted facts.

No, you assumed that something was known from the start with no indication. I make it clear that I am assuming and that there are many possibilities but you hide it, pretend it is "fact," and try to make points based on your assumptions.

It's just like everyone assuming that the police shooting an "unarmed" suspect is clearly unjustified simply because said suspect was "unarmed," never mind that it could be that the suspect was actively trying to take the officer's weapon to shoot the officer. :Oh noooooooo. If that fact wasn't known from the start then it's just an "assumption" and the shooting was "clearly unjustified."

If your opinion is that possibilities aren't worth considering because each is an assumption until we know otherwise, then Let me just say that you are a murderer and a child rapists until we get some facts that contradict, even if things don't add up with that assumption in the mean time.

Are you disputing anything there?

How is this a hoax bomb? If I see you with a mobile phone can I call the police and get you arrested as bombs have been disguised as phones before?

Back to this again. Ugh.
It may be. It may not be. It depends on the kid's intentions. Durr. Don't play dumb.

If it was built to look like a kid's idea of what a bomb looks like, it's a hoax bomb, whether the kid claims it's just a clock and that he never intended for it to look like a bomb or not. As others have said, there's very little more he could do to make it look any more like a kid/movie's idea of what a bomb looks like. Any more and he would lose deniability, which may be precisely why it does not include a pipe or fake dynamite or a ball of Play-Doh with wires in it.

No matter what the kid said (unless you think kids never lie to get out of trouble), the teacher suspected that he built a hoax bomb which is ENTIRELY REASONABLE whether it "is" or not.

It very well may not have been a hoax bomb. That's not the point. The point is that they had reason to suspect it was and that reasoning does not apply to anyone walking around with cellphones. The kid may have even been following the first teacher's suggestion not to talk about it, which would have made it even more suspicious to others. Regardless, it was appropriate to treat it as a POSSIBLE hoax bomb and that is exactly what they did. I will refer back to this the next time you ask me how it "is" a hoax bomb in your futile attempt to make a point. MOST confirmed bomb hoaxes don't even go this far (called in; suspicious device doesn't exist). You can't ignore the possibility while making assumptions to dismiss it.

 

[WelshBloke]

There's not much you could possibly do to make it look more like a hoax bomb (besides adding some "dynamite" tubes or blob of clay / dough).

So why do you think it looks like a bomb?

Because bombs may have a harmless bit attached to them thats a clock?

So now you think that just the clock bit constitutes a bomb hoax.

Arrest people for owning alarm clocks?

 

[preslove]

No, you assumed that something was known from the start with no indication. I make it clear that I am assuming and that there are many possibilities but you hide it, pretend it is "fact," and try to make points based on your assumptions.

It's just like everyone assuming that the police shooting an "unarmed" suspect is clearly unjustified simply because said suspect was "unarmed," never mind that it could be that the suspect was actively trying to take the officer's weapon to shoot the officer. :Oh noooooooo. If that fact wasn't known from the start then it's just an "assumption" and the shooting was "clearly unjustified."

If your opinion is that possibilities aren't worth considering because each is an assumption until we know otherwise, then Let me just say that you are a murderer and a child rapists until we get some facts that contradict, even if things don't add up with that assumption in the mean time.




Back to this again. Ugh.
It may be. It may not be. It depends on the kid's intentions. Durr. Don't play dumb.

If it was built to look like a kid's idea of what a bomb looks like, it's a hoax bomb, whether the kid claims it's just a clock and that he never intended for it to look like a bomb or not. As others have said, there's very little more he could do to make it look any more like a kid/movie's idea of what a bomb looks like. Any more and he would lose deniability, which may be precisely why it does not include a pipe or fake dynamite or a ball of Play-Doh with wires in it.

No matter what the kid said (unless you think kids never lie to get out of trouble), the teacher suspected that he built a hoax bomb which is ENTIRELY REASONABLE whether it "is" or not.

It very well may not have been a hoax bomb. That's not the point. The point is that they had reason to suspect it was and that reasoning does not apply to anyone walking around with cellphones. The kid may have even been following the first teacher's suggestion not to talk about it, which would have made it even more suspicious to others. Regardless, it was appropriate to treat it as a POSSIBLE hoax bomb and that is exactly what they did. I will refer back to this the next time you ask me how it "is" a hoax bomb in your futile attempt to make a point. MOST confirmed bomb hoaxes don't even go this far (called in; suspicious device doesn't exist). You can't ignore the possibility while making assumptions to dismiss it.

The facts are not in dispute. You are defaming an innocent child. You should be ashamed of yourself. Of course, you're a shameless bigot, so that's not gonna happen. You'll just make up lies about brown people to confirm your hateful beliefs.

 

[Wreckem]

To reiterate, you have no idea what he'll grow up to be nor what his parents are teaching him. The % of muslims converting to extreme islam in their teens is much much higher than your average white boy, but that should be obvious. If anything, fear breeds fear and he'll be more resentful of the American system. FFS, this kid's parents must be the dumbest on the earth to let him go to school with that thing. Kid in OH got suspended for biting a cookie into the shape of a gun. 9/11 induced a lot of paranoia, some of it unfounded but being vigilant is still important. The Red Under you Bed and all that jazz except shit got a lot more real than the Cold War era. Go search for 9/11 Jumpers on Youtube if you think fear of Muslims is just hilarious. I'd also challenge you to tell your boss that you think 9/11 was hilarious and that it's hilarious that we have knee jerk reactions to Muslims now. It essentially gave the country PTSD through a news broadcast. Times have changed and they won't stop changing until Islam is branded as a terrorist organization because their holy book explicitly instructs its followers to kill others. When it's a divine religious command from their "prophet Muhammad", kind of hard to defeat that. In the end, it wouldn't surprise me if our security eventually became like Israel (martial law), their incident rate is a lot less than the US' but at a steep price.

You are clearly Islamophobic.

People react without knowing what's what. The family is very much a western Islamic family that is pro-america and his father is a well known figure in the Western Islamic world. Last but not least the family follows the Sufism form of Islam.

 

[preslove]

Kindly point out the falsehood. Thanks.

It sounds like you're deluding yourself so you can go along with the bandwagon on this.

The entire paragraph is false, you deluded bigot.

 

[CZroe]

The facts are not in dispute. You are defaming an innocent child. You should be ashamed of yourself. Of course, you're a shameless bigot, so that's not gonna happen. You'll just make up lies about brown people to confirm your hateful beliefs.

You don't seem to understand logic, reason, or English. Pointing out the possibility is not defamation. Ignoring it and assuming it went the most outrageous way you can imagine is f--king retarded.

 

[preslove]

You are clearly Islamophobic.

People react without knowing what's what. The family is very much a western Islamic family that is pro-america and his father is a well known figure in the Western Islamic world. Last but not least the family follows the Sufism form of Islam.

Bigots like this have no idea what Sufism is, unfortunately.

 

[preslove]

You don't seem to understand logic, reason, or English. Pointing out the possibility is not defamation. Ignoring it and assuming it went the most outrageous way you can imagine is f--king retarded.

Says the piece of shit making up lies about a child.

 

[CZroe]

The entire paragraph is false, you deluded bigot.

He said it looked like a hoax bomb because it does look like what an 14-year-old's genuine attempt at making a deniable hoax bomb might look like.

How is that not true? He didn't say that it looked like a real bomb.

 

[CZroe]

Says the piece of shit making up lies about a child.

Where did I lie? What did I ever say that he did that wasn't true? I only pointed out what he MIGHT have done while simultaneously saying that it's still very possible that he never intended for it to look like a bomb. Sorry if I disturbed your happy/comfortable little vision by pointing out alternative possibilities. :awe:

 

[waggy]

He said it looked like a hoax bomb because it does look like what an 14-year-old's genuine attempt at making a deniable hoax bomb might look like.

How is that not true? He didn't say that it looked like a real bomb.

what? it does not look like something a 14 yr old would do? the fuck it does. It looks just like something a kid with some knowledge and extra junk laying around would build.

 

[Wreckem]

The real legal issues here are.

1. The school made a disciplinary decision without contacting his parents. At the school level this is a violation of a student's due process rights. There is a whole chain of protocol a school must follow to hand out a suspension. The school did not follow said protocol violating his due process rights. In some peoples backwards logic he wasn't suspended for three days because the three day suspension was reversed. It was reversed because it was a violation of his due process rights.

2. The police violated his constitutional rights once they denied his request and continued to interrogate him following his request to speak to his parents. A minor has the constitutional right to speak with their parents(or an attorney) during a custodial interrogation if they make that request. It is the same as an adult asking for an attorney.

 

[WelshBloke]

No, you assumed that something was known from the start with no indication.

And that would be?

None of the people involved thought that it was a live bomb. If they had then their actions were criminally negligent.

I make it clear that I am assuming and that there are many possibilities but you hide it, pretend it is "fact," and try to make points based on your assumptions.

I havent made any assumptions yet.

.....[irrelevant crap redacted]...

If your opinion is that possibilities aren't worth considering because each is an assumption until we know otherwise, then Let me just say that you are a murderer and a child rapists until we get some facts that contradict, even if things don't add up with that assumption in the mean time.

Ahh. Yes we know that your "style" of debate is to just make up flights of fancy but to call everything anyone else says an assumption.

Back to this again. Ugh.
It may be. It may not be. It depends on the kid's intentions. Durr. Don't play dumb.

It doesnt depend on his intentions, it depends on his actions.

If it was built to look like a kid's idea of what a bomb looks like, it's a hoax bomb, whether the kid claims it's just a clock and that he never intended for it to look like a bomb or not. As others have said, there's very little more he could do to make it look any more like a kid/movie's idea of what a bomb looks like. Any more and he would lose deniability, which may be precisely why it does not include a pipe or fake dynamite or a ball of Play-Doh with wires in it.

No matter what the kid said (unless you think kids never lie to get out of trouble), the teacher suspected that he built a hoax bomb which is ENTIRELY REASONABLE whether it "is" or not.

Do you ever think about what you write before you write it?

If it was built to look like a kid's idea of what a bomb looks like, it's a hoax bomb

Really? How do you expect an electronic clock made out of bits to look?

It very well may not have been a hoax bomb. That's not the point.

Is it not? Because I was under the impression that thats exactly the point.
That it wasnt a real bomb and that he wasnt pretending or implying that it was.

So if it wasnt a real bomb, nor a hoax bomb then whats the problem?

The point is that they had reason to suspect it was and that reasoning does not apply to anyone walking around with cellphones. The kid may have even been following the first teacher's suggestion not to talk about it, which would have made it even more suspicious to others. Regardless, it was appropriate to treat it as a POSSIBLE hoax bomb and that is exactly what they did. I will refer back to this the next time you ask me how it "is" a hoax bomb in your futile attempt to make a point. MOST confirmed bomb hoaxes don't even go this far (called in; suspicious device doesn't exist). You can't ignore the possibility while making assumptions to dismiss it.

So now we have bombs, hoax bombs, and possible hoax bombs.

This is great, are there any more classifications of not bombs you want to see people arrested for?