Intent is not always required, which is why we have terms like 'criminal negligence,' or in plain speak, 'you were too stupid to think about the possible consequences of your actions.' Many of the arguments I've heard have been, 'It was a cartoon character!' Well, kind of. It was a bunch of LEDs with the wires visibly exposed and again, it was an inside joke limited to a small subset of the population. Sadly, if the 'artist' had done a better job of tidying up his cables so that it was just a lit box, this probably wouldn't have happened. Next time replace the WALK/DO NOT WALK masks in crossing lights with these things and there won't be as much of a stink.

Again, I only find fault with the guy placing them underneath interstate bridges in an effort to hide them, which is what brought the well deserved suspicion to the devices.

Dolemite

You seriously might want to take a moment and actually read the crap you are typing. You may want to consider changing your stance on this, because so far, every single reason you've cited as to why you feel the ATHF camp are at fault, is more applicable to the Boston Police.

This is at best a case of a policeman or two who felt he could make a name for himself and get some press time by blowing something completely out of proportion so there would a "major crime" to investigate. At worst, it's a police force incapable of using reasonable judgement, and too stupid to be able to research what it is they're looking at before declaring that it's a bomb.

The devices did not look like bombs.

The devices were not placed under overpasses and bridges exclusively as the terror-vending media would have had people believe.

The devices had actually been around for awhile now, in many other major metropolitan cities, in exactly the same types of locations, with no one having a stroke over it.

For that matter, why the hell would someone be trying to hide an advertisement that lights up.

RE: cbs4boston.com - Hoax Devices Creating Gridlock In Boston