*read it a fourth time* and try not to miss the forest for the trees. no better yet since you are assuming leave the trees as read (Although I do go on the unfair tangent of comparing my own hypothetical to a real world equivalent.)
I love the history and texture of Boston but don't care much for it present day.
As for ATHF tell me
THIS isn't suspicious.
Advertising seems to attract more than the average amount of sleazy fvckers into it's ranks.
I love relatively harmless Pranks but know all too well that they can go too far get out of hand and cause a range of property/emotional damage and emotions both to individuals or the public at large. Annoyance all the way to full blown terror. Once found out as a prank/hoax/street ad law enforcement escalation should shift from protection to as quickly as possible getting ****e back to normal (this seems not to be true for many in the media politicians or prosecutors who are reacting with other motives than imidiate public safty)
And as for support over a freak out why would I in hindsight offer that? I think the guys who did it were fall guys to be sure but also arrogant pricks whoring in front of the media circus that erases any sympathy for them being over zealously prosecuted to me.
I can understand if not support Boston's Emergency services / Police procedure when getting multiple calls about similar suspicious devices treating it seriously until proven otherwise.
Where it went from there was out of hand on many public and private individuals part but what do you expect from cops or politicians or comedy central employees or agents we are living in a nanny state so who wants to take the initiative to risk their ass on being wrong/liable/accountable? Everyone is in CYA mode nowadays and acts accordingly. Would you stick your ass out on the line if you got a phone call saying we think they are harmless but there are these light bright looking devices all over the city and we don't know how many there are yet also bomb squad is on it's way but they wont be there for 1/2 hour should we implement emergency plan X?
And come the fvck on. "If its not a flag it must be a bomb" despite its context and overtones that I find annoying isn't it just too trite and plain stupid for anyone else? If I saw it on a bumper sticker I would wish the driver a full anal cavity search and a delayed flight.