Science project terrifies subway passengers

by Angie Felton (Subscribe to Angie Felton's posts) Mar 28th 2008 1:30PM

A college student on a subway is a common sight to New Yorkers, but a one man learned that hard way that a college student on a subway with smoke pouring out of his backpack is going to cause a huge, panic-filled commotion.

The computer engineering student at the New York City College of Technology was bringing home a model of the elevator innards when the contraption short-circuited and started smoking. Realizing what others were thinking, the man tried in vain to reassure his fellow travelers it was a science project and not a bomb but people dashed for the exits.

Police questioned and released the extremely apologetic student.

"I'm very sorry for what happened," the student said. "I hate to scare people. Next time, I'll be much more careful and keep my electronic projects at home."

Part of me feels really bad that kids today have to add "could this is misinterpreted as a terrorist attack?" to their list of things to consider, but the parent in me sort of feels like kicking this guy in the shins for freaking everyone out.

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Meagan 3-28-2008 @ 3:50PM

See I would have thought it was the parent in you thinking it was sad that kids have to consider whether they'll be mistaken for terrorists, the part of you wanting to kick him in the shins is the part of you that watches too much fearmongering news (aka any news at all).

Unfortunately we have to be careful about what we do and say today, to keep in consideration that jokes won't be taken as jokes, that even things as innocent as reading material can make security agents look on us with suspicion.

This kid wasn't even playing a bad joke. He didn't do anything particularly stupid: it doesn't sound like the scare could have been reasonably predicted. This story is sad not because of a kid being dumb, not because of authorities overreacting (which it doesn't sound as though they did) but because we live in a time where a science project can make us fear for our lives.