2 Backpacks Left Near Boston Marathon Finish Line.

[Yvaelle]

Don't they have robots to check it? How do you fight a bomb? With a bigger bomb? Lol?

Kind of a weird thing. I didn't realize it was Boston marathon time anyway.

I think you actually can blow them up using a small charge, once contained inside a big metal box. The key factor isn't actually the strength of the metal but the amount of oxygen inside the container - without oxygen most explosions are pretty useless.

[Gheld]

Do you know what "a suspicious person left two backpacks at the same site as a bombing involving a suspicious person leaving two backpacks in the same place a year ago" means? Here's a pro tip for you: It means a higher likelihood that it wasn't just "a backpack." Even if it turns out it was.

I believe it says so on the article in the OP already.

One bag contained a rice cooker filled with confetti, and the other is believed to have contained camera equipment.

[Spectral]

With that out of the way, I don't leave a backpack at the finish line of a race and disappear.

The bag check systems that they're sorting out for marathons now are kind of nice, by the way. The LA Marathon's was really swift. Off topic, but made me think of that.

[Kaleredar]

I believe it says so on the article in the OP already.

One bag contained a rice cooker filled with confetti, and the other is believed to have contained camera equipment.

Not saying it was supposed to look like a bomb, but a rice cooker in a backpack certainly doesn't look "ordinary."

Could have been someone trying to psyche people out.

[Garnier Fructis]

The bag check systems that they're sorting out for marathons now are kind of nice, by the way. The LA Marathon's was really swift. Off topic, but made me think of that.

It's depressing that we need them.

[Zoaric]

It's depressing that we need them.

It really is. =/ I really want to make a thing sort of like the bomb box Yvaelle described,
but person-sized. Each person enters with their luggage and it gets closed on them.
Then some sort of something turns on inside to make any explosives go off. If any go
off, there is a quick auto-cleaning of the inside, and the next person may enter.

[nyc81991]

Stop being willfully ignorant. Do YOU know what UNATTENDED backpacks are used for? Have you ever been to a sports event where a year earlier UNATTENDED BACKPACKS were used to hold bombs that killed ppl & injured many others?

I'm not being "ignorant" by saying people have been bringing backpacks to events like this for a long time. Sometimes people need to walk away for a minute. I understand why it is "suspicious" but to just assume its a bomb is ridiculous. I lived in NY during 911 and could see the smoke from my window, I don't look up and see air planes and assume they are going to crash into a building.

Again, I understand why it is suspicious but this was blown way out of proportion.

[Raldazzar]

They shoot it with compressed water I think, I am not EOD so take what I say with a pinch of salt, but basically they blow it to pieces with something that cannot detonate the explosive. It still produces a bang but a much smaller one, better to blow it up on your own terms rather than when the bomb maker says so.

Hardly an EOD tekkie either, but what they use most of the time is a water disruptor.

Video can be found here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osHIh3Y_dQ8

That is nothing but water pressure ripping apart a gas tank.

another more EOD based one - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQal6uPqKeI

either the pressure can blow it up, or simply be used to 'slice' through circuitry

[Spectral]

It's depressing that we need them.

Agree completely. I'm skeptical of the usefulness of security measures in general, simply because attacks come from the crowd, not from runners. It's a lot of fuckin' calories to burn to run 26.2 miles and then bomb something.

[Zoaric]

I'm not being "ignorant" by saying people have been bringing backpacks to events like this for a long time. I understand why it is "suspicious" but to just assume its a bomb is ridiculous. I lived in NY during 911 and could see the smoke from my window, I don't look up and see air planes and assume they are going to crash into a building.

Again, I understand why it is suspicious but this was blown way out of proportion.

It really wasn't though. ANY unattended bag in well-trafficked areas are typically
treated as a possible bomb.

[Gheld]

Not saying it was supposed to look like a bomb, but a rice cooker in a backpack certainly doesn't look "ordinary."

Could have been someone trying to psyche people out.

Well rice cookers are almost identical to pressure cookers. Obviously this individual thought they were being funny about last year's bombing. Maybe they intended to throw confetti out of the rice cooker or something but then police arrived to arrest him for standing barefoot in a veil making an ass of himself so he dropped the bags and ran?

Either way, I think this person was more stupid than malicious. If bad taste isn't already a crime it will be after this.

[nyc81991]

It really wasn't though. ANY unattended bag in well-trafficked areas are typically
treated as a possible bomb.

Which like I said, In my opinion, that is ridiculous and is the wrong way to live if you think everyone is out to kill you.

[Gheld]

Hardly an EOD tekkie either, but what they use most of the time is a water disruptor.

Video can be found here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osHIh3Y_dQ8

That is nothing but water pressure ripping apart a gas tank.

another more EOD based one - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQal6uPqKeI

either the pressure can blow it up, or simply be used to 'slice' through circuitry

It looks like a jug of water with det cord inside of it.

[Zoaric]

Which like I said, In my opinion, that is ridiculous and is the wrong way to live if you think everyone is out to kill you.

When it has occurred as many times as it has, I think it's better in this case to be safe.
Don't want your bag / box exploded? Then don't leave it alone.

It is sad that such precautions must be taken, but they are definitely musts.

The risk of safely detonating an unattended bag that turns out to be harmless is nonexistent. Someone lost some camera equipment and a rice cooker and two backpacks (that they left at the side of the road to begin with.) The risk of NOT taking precautions in regards to an unattended bag that's actually dangerous is... well, not nonexistent.

^^^^ This

[Kaleredar]

Which like I said, In my opinion, that is ridiculous and is the wrong way to live if you think everyone is out to kill you.

The risk of safely detonating an unattended bag that turns out to be harmless is nonexistent. Someone lost some camera equipment and a rice cooker and two backpacks (that they left at the side of the road to begin with.) The risk of NOT taking precautions in regards to an unattended bag that's actually dangerous is... well, not nonexistent.

[Gheld]

The risk of safely detonating an unattended bag that turns out to be harmless is nonexistent. Someone lost some camera equipment and a rice cooker and two backpacks (that they left at the side of the road to begin with.) The risk of NOT taking precautions in regards to an unattended bag that's actually dangerous is... well, not nonexistent.

But...but the confetti, children love confetti, won't somebody think of the children!?

[Kaleredar]

But...but the confetti, children love confetti, won't somebody think of the children!?

Maybe the precautionary detonation sent some of it flying.

[Gheld]

Maybe the precautionary detonation sent some of it flying.

And the bomb technician was all like "Worst... IED... Evar..."