James Phillips wrote:

Personally I'm glad to see that someone was vigilant enough to even question
what it might be. Obviously they didn't know what it was. So they did what
they were supposed to do and notified authorities.  The police etc. then
ensured public safety by evacuating the area immediately, even before they
knew what it was because otherwise it could be to late. All of this is
exactly what they should do. So it was a false alarm. What would we be
saying about these people if they hadn't taken action and it was an actual
threat? I bet we'd say the same things. So what are they supposed to do?
Though it may seem ridiculous I'm pleased that  they are erring on the
conservative side. I'd rather have something to chuckle about than cry over.
I agree with Rick Girard.

Russell Kent wrote:

I'd rather they would use enough manpower to investigate the object *and* evacuate
the area *simultaneously*.  Then, presumably, they would be able to halt the
evacuation within a minute or two.  Instead, they increased public fear and
reduced the already low public opinion of the police force's intelligence.

All that aside, I believe that we as a group can help prevent this sort of lunacy
in the future by clearly labelling our experiments.  The whole crazy thing started
because some boob with an I.Q. less than 80 thought Paul's test rig looked like it
might be a nefarious device.  I'm with Pogo ("We have met the enemy and them is
us.")

Russell Kent

I don't think they teach physics and chemistry in high school anymore.
I could be wrong. They probably teach "science" with heavy over tones
of a political point of view. If I had my way I would teach physics
and chemistry in every year of high school along with reading, writing,
history and arithmetic.

When I was a kid all boys worked on cars. Cars are so complicated now and 
the gov is so against working on your own car with laws to that effect that 
many people grow up in an urban environment that cannot identify a car 
radiator, copper tubing, plywood and rubber hose. I see young men along the 
highway that cannot change a flat tire. Some of these people become police 
officers. In fact the sergeant in charge was a very attractive and intelligent 
woman. If I were not married to Robin I would have hit on her :-) Perhaps 
they need better training to identify common bomb making materials.


Paul Lamar
 
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