TheJoe: You think I spend every second of my time checking the forums? No, people like you have already made me spend less and less time here. I occupy myself with other things. I'm a student in exam season.

I take my controversy and politics to better places with better audiences. I don't see why you can't, too. I really do not understand your obsession with this place. There are entire websites dedicated to smut huts, "stop liking what I don't like" rants and politics. This is one entire website dedicated to DRM-free gaming.

Anyway, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna post an essay on Obamacare on the Steam forums.

evilguy12: There appears to be a comment section on that article, so why make a thread about this here?

evilguy12: There appears to be a comment section on that article, so why make a thread about this here?

GameRager: Why does this sound like a veiled personal insult? :\

keeveek: Yeah, but they are not trained for bombs. They may accidentaly set them off. Their job is to secure the perimeter and call for specialists.

TheJoe: Oh, that's because it is. I figured the best way to communicate with you was just to sink down to rhetoric. You don't deal well with actual rationality. It's okay, we're all like that at some point. When you get older you'll be able to think much clearer and you'll begin to understand that thinking is a thousand times more important than actually talking.

Anyway, guess I'm gonna... take my ball and go home? Is that what we call conceding now?

keeveek: I don't know why people think this topic is anything less valuable than any other topic here. Especially "what is your favouirite poo shape?", "what poo are you pooing at the moment?" "what is this poo?" "Bitch about poo in general" etc etc.

If you just don't like GameRager, express it via PM's or keep it to yourselves, guys.

GameRager: I could also ask why not? As I said before others post offtopic threads here all the time, and it is general after all, so I saw no harm in it. It also gives the community one more thing to discuss for the day.

evilguy12: I am unsure what there is to discuss really. If there was anything I thought needed to be said I am sure it has already been said in at least once in one of the 1,047 comments. Even then I'm not sure what other reactions there would be apart from varying types of...

"That's bad and he shouldn't have been arrested."

or

"I agree he should have been arrested."

GameRager: You mean if our gov't/police didn't need to find the worst in everything all in an effort to keep the people in line this wouldn't be a story.

GameRager: Seriously, you need a permit to do too many things nowadays. Next you'll need a permit if you're not near a toilet and want to relieve yourself on a bush at the side of the road.

HereForTheBeer: No, I mean that if he had bothered to take the time to go through the permit process for displaying his art on public property, then he would either have been given approval along with steps to notify the authorities (or maybe that happens as part of the approval process), or they'd say "no" to the permit application.

HereForTheBeer: No, I mean that if he had bothered to take the time to go through the permit process for displaying his art on public property, then he would either have been given approval along with steps to notify the authorities (or maybe that happens as part of the approval process), or they'd say "no" to the permit application.
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Be that as it may, there is a process for these things. I know what you're getting at with this story, but I'm through getting upset with the results of these things when the whole problem starts after someone glazes over Step 1: get permission. I know, permission isn't "edgy" or "cool", and thus it isn't "art".
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And, really, obviously not a bomb? How in the world can you determine that from the photo? Looks to me like one could easily fit inside a couple soup cans filled with nails, a pound or so of homemade explosive, a couple D-cell batteries to light off such a device, a cell phone for remote detonation, and even a metal plate to direct the 'results'. Place the device inside a stapled-shut brown paper bag (it looks like there is a brown bag inside the white bag), and then place that in the plastic bag. Visual inspection isn't going to tell the police squat, except that it's potentially big enough to hurt a lot of people.

keeveek: Like any terrorist that would put real bombs in those bags could too. The point is?

HereForTheBeer: Don't know what to tell ya. I understand the over-permission aspects of the discussion. That's one issue. But I also understand that when dealing with public property, there need to be some standards and some approval processes.
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Regarding this particular incident, which is one anecdote from many possible examples, I don't see that the police have done anything wrong. A concerned citizen called, and they responded. From the photo that you linked, it sure looks to me like there could be just about anything in the bag that weighs 8 pounds or less and encompasses maybe a half a cubic foot. That could include a homemade destructive device. Or some lighting. Or simply something flat to weigh down the bag enough that the "I LOVE NY" message remains visible. Hell, he could have gOg's missing copy of System Shock 2 in there.

Now, I'm not willing to say "the terrorists won" just because in one incident one guy did something stupid and the police acted with caution. I have other reasons for saying that they've won. : )
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The same as it was from the beginning: If he had gotten a permit in the first place, this wouldn't be a story. I'm resisting the push to turn this into something bigger than it really is.

Either way, he'll be out within a few days, the big charges will get dropped, he'll pay a fine, and will hopefully get a permit next time or choose some other method for expressing enthusiasm for New York City.