Boston Marathon Bombings Thread

[tobyjug]

Re: Open Thread

Expect a cottage industry of discussion of the implications of city wide warrantless searches and the ability of the government to declare defacto martial law in the movement of citizens. Was the fabulous result the product of our communal willingness and just desire to locate and destroy the alien virus, or was it was marbled with something else involving our civil rights.

Perhaps a discussion for later... For today, HOORAY!

 

[gooseberry]

Re: Open Thread

Latest reports are saying they were able to find him hidden in a parked boat in someone's backyard due to helicopters scanning the area with thermal imaging equipment. Suspect still isn't in custody yet, though at this point it seems it's a matter of minutes until that happens and not hours or days, thank god.

Actually turned out to be Grandpa noticing the tarp on his boat was ripped, walking over, climbing up and looking inside the boat and seeing him there. At which point the fearsome terrorist did nothing but lay there motionless. Yet we're supposed to believe that minutes later he had a big ol' shoot out with the police.

There's so much about what happened that doesn't make sense. I'm really not one of those conspiracy theory types, but there is a lot of information right now I need before I'll feel comfortable with what exactly happened from the bombings to the arrest.

 

[Shepard]

The biggest hole from my perspective is the nameless faceless person they hijacked and kidnapped before releasing half an hour later and half a mile away. Who is this person (likely involved somehow I would think) what happened in that half an hour (escape strategizing likely) etc etc... Not looking to preemptively slander anyone but in the absence of more info it's hard not to speculate.

 

[datadyne007]

Re: Open Thread

Actually turned out to be Grandpa noticing the tarp on his boat was ripped, walking over, climbing up and looking inside the boat and seeing him there. At which point the fearsome terrorist did nothing but lay there motionless. Yet we're supposed to believe that minutes later he had a big ol' shoot out with the police.

There's so much about what happened that doesn't make sense. I'm really not one of those conspiracy theory types, but there is a lot of information right now I need before I'll feel comfortable with what exactly happened from the bombings to the arrest.

That has been my primary question too. The officials are reporting that as the story, but why didn't Tsarnaev blow the guy's face off right away when he allegedly lifted the cover? Did this guy really walk over, lift the cover, and then Tsarnaev just said "Please go away?" It's a weird story.

I've heard an alternate story sometimes reported that he just noticed the blood and stepladder, saw some movement under the cover and called police. That is more believable.

Also, big thanks to whoever split this thread off from the Open Thread. =)

 

[kmp1284]

Looking at this set of pictures it appears as though the shrinkwrap cover was largely intact(see picture where outline of 'door' is visible and shot from the street). If the homeowner did go over, take a few steps up the ladder, lift an edge of the cover or unzip a little of the door and look in, Tarsnaev might not have been able to see him on account of his positioning behind the engine compartment.

http://bostonherald.com/photos/police_images_of_bombing_suspects_hidingspot

 

[czsz]

I'm not exactly clear on when the shootout was supposed to have happened, but it seems that he didn't move until they fired flashbangs at him to get him to react. I imagine it must have happened then or sometime after that.

 

[czsz]

And now for something really different (and insane)...an architecture critic who claims Dzhokhar's motive was the alienation he felt because of...wait for it...UMass Dartmouth's brutalist architecture.

http://www.jamessrussell.net/James_.../21_Paul_Rudolph_and_the_Marathon_Bomber.html

 

[Shepard]

Now that this is over, I'm interested to hear peoples' thoughts on short and long term implications for Boston of this whole series of events... 1) Tourism, 2) Reputation, 3) Investment in Back Day and downtown, etc.

 

[datadyne007]

Now that this is over, I'm interested to hear peoples' thoughts on short and long term implications for Boston of this whole series of events... 1) Tourism, 2) Reputation, 3) Investment in Back Day and downtown, etc.

1.) Stronger than ever.

2.) Stronger than ever.

3.) Stronger than ever.

This incident has done nothing but bring Boston/metro closer together and improve our image worldwide to even better than it was before.

 

[Ron Newman]

Back Bay will take a huge short-term hit (and I fear some financially shaky businesses there could go under as a result), but it will quickly recover and prosper.

 

[kz1000ps]

My biggest question right now is how this will affect Marathons going forward, as in how do you introduce greater security without resorting to the check-bags-at-controlled-access-points route.

 

[datadyne007]

My biggest question right now is how this will affect Marathons going forward, as in how do you introduce greater security without resorting to the check-bags-at-controlled-access-points route.

You really can't. Marathons are soft targets.

The only thing you can do is just make sure that you're consistently walking up and down the route with bomb dogs instead of sporadic checks.

 

[kz1000ps]

^ Agree with everything you say.

 

[czsz]

I would imagine they could impose controlled access to the thick crowds along the Boylston finish. Everyone talks about how it's impossible to secure a marathon, but no one is going to be bombing the sporadic people sitting out on lawn chairs in Wellesley or Newton. They're going to find the densest thickets of people to cause maximum harm / gain maximum attention.

 

[Ron Newman]

Wellesley Square is a pretty substantial cluster of spectators, as are BC, Cleveland Circle, Coolidge Corner, Kenmore, and Charlesgate.

 

[Shepard]

Has anyone felt a bit... Different... These past couple of weeks riding the T at rush hour or in a crowded bus? I admit that these thoughts have crossed my mind. Although I also felt the same thing after the London bombings but quickly got over that too. My concern though is that powers-that-be will act impulsively on these (understandable) public reactions and we will end up with even more kabuki security theatre than we already presently have.

 

[BostonUrbEx]

Has anyone felt a bit... Different... These past couple of weeks riding the T at rush hour or in a crowded bus?

To be honest... no. Not one bit. I just don't think anything is happening for a long time.

Same as it ever was. Almost. Still awful what happened to some people. Ugh. But other than that, life goes on for the rest of us.

 

[datadyne007]

Has anyone felt a bit... Different... These past couple of weeks riding the T at rush hour or in a crowded bus? I admit that these thoughts have crossed my mind. Although I also felt the same thing after the London bombings but quickly got over that too. My concern though is that powers-that-be will act impulsively on these (understandable) public reactions and we will end up with even more kabuki security theatre than we already presently have.

I rode the T during the peak last week from Tuesday to Thursday and there was sort of an eerie lull in the cars and everyone was just glancing at each other, especially on Tuesday. Everyone definitely had some shell shock and there was no closure yet. Now that we have some sort of closure and Boylston St is open, things are getting back to normal. I think the hardest hit of the commute last week was going through the darkened Copley.

 

[czsz]

Wellesley Square is a pretty substantial cluster of spectators, as are BC, Cleveland Circle, Coolidge Corner, Kenmore, and Charlesgate.

Control access at traditional gathering points. Guarantee crowds don't form elsewhere by stating that the police can't guarantee safety as effectively there. Something like that.

 

[datadyne007]

Here's the incredible memorial in Copley Square (and a few extras) for those of you who don't live close enough to Boston to come see it. Such a powerful experience. Copley Square makes the PERFECT venue for this type of thing. Perhaps going forward, we should be thinking about how we can keep bringing people together like this in Copley Square even without the face of tragedy.

Perfect location to bring people from Boston and around the world together:

"We will run again in joy, not fear."

Bomb site #1 in front of Marathon Sports/671 Boylston

Damage at 671 Boylston:

Bomb site #2 in front of Forum. You can't even tell a bomb went off. They redid a lot of the sidewalk and replanted the tree:

Max Brenner open for business:

Crate&Barrel's memorial window display:

All the buses are doing this between normal route info: