[ChristianRock]

Be careful with your photography projects, y'all!

An arts student apparently tried a pinhole camera experiment taping it to a bridge over one of the busiest highways in the country, right in the middle of midtown Atlanta. The result: the highway was shut down for hours while the police was trying to find out if it was an explosive, and eventually they blew it up to smithereens.

Downtown Connector may have been shut down by camera in Pepsi can (VIDEO) - Atlanta Business Chronicle

It seems a bit funny now but I'm sure thousands and thousands of people stranded on the highways that all convene to what is called the "downtown connector" were not amused.

[Docrwm]

Be careful with your photography projects, y'all!

An arts student apparently tried a pinhole camera experiment taping it to a bridge over one of the busiest highways in the country, right in the middle of midtown Atlanta. The result: the highway was shut down for hours while the police was trying to find out if it was an explosive, and eventually they blew it up to smithereens.

Downtown Connector may have been shut down by camera in Pepsi can (VIDEO) - Atlanta Business Chronicle

It seems a bit funny now but I'm sure thousands and thousands of people stranded on the highways that all convene to what is called the "downtown connector" were not amused.

Including my wife. Idiot students. Sorry but in this day and age to be an "adult" and not get that such a thing is just plain irresponsible is tough to understand.

[tvdtvdtvd]

Reinforcing a policy of fear?

There are thousands and thousands (and a further thousands) of stray Pepsi cans lurking about
and in all likelihood not 999,999x out of 1,000,000x are the least bit problematic, let alone legitimately
hazardous. We live in twitchy times. All too often too twitchy.

[ChristianRock]

Reinforcing a policy of fear?

There are thousands and thousands (and a further thousands) of stray Pepsi cans lurking about
and in all likelihood not 999,999x out of 1,000,000x are the least bit problematic, let alone legitimately
hazardous. We live in twitchy times. All too often too twitchy.

Yeah there's lots of Pepsi cans around, but they're not duct-taped to the side of a busy bridge in a downtown area.

I'd say it was a bad idea from the word go. Having said that, I know I'd also be capable of making this kind of mistake if I was just focused on getting my project done. So, lesson learned for a lot of people, hopefully.

[tvdtvdtvd]

Replace "Pepsi can" with "object", (and add a further thousands and thousands), and then decide if it's
worth being that twitchy. EVERY SINGLE CAR IN THE PARKING LOT MIGHT BE A BOMB. The chance,
small though it might be, does exist.

The article does not give details of the conversation that took place, so no telling how this innocent phone
tip escalated into real concern. It does still strike me as a gross miscalculation and over reaction. It is
a very easy extrapolation to send out the bomb squad to investigate many, many, many thousands and
thousands of out of place objects. Perhaps this particular Pepsi can pinhole camera had been decorated
with pipe cleaners and tinsel for an added bit of flair, which then was just enough to suggest a random phone
in tip and an otherwise innocent looking object in an odd location was indeed a looming menace? And yet,
our concerned caller wasn't the first to see the device, yet it was his critical eye and decisive moment that
set off the chain of events. No, I don't think the 'student' or the can was at fault in creating that traffic jam.

I'll say again, twitchy. Proof enough, we're all still removing our shoes at the airport.

[mrNewt]

" ...a worker who saw the device told police there was an inscription that read, "Slow motion video. Do not move until spring." "

Enough said...

[DeadJohn]

As photographers, we shouldn't attach our cameras to anyone else's property without their consent regardless of bomb fears. I don't want to see bridges littered with improvised pinhole cams, Gopros, locks, bumper stickers, or other clutter.

If you have a legitimate need to stick something on a bridge there's probably a [possibly cumbersome] permit process.

" ...a worker who saw the device told police there was an inscription that read, "Slow motion video. Do not move until spring." "
Enough said...

Not really enough. If signs liked that worked on real cameras, they would also work on fake cameras (aka bombs).

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Last edited by DeadJohn; 02-04-2015 at 06:15 AM.

[mrNewt]

Too much paranoia...