3 ms·

I'd expect this in a southern state perhaps, but.. Massachusetts? What the hell?

dougp 18y ago
Both of these also happened in Massachusetts http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/01/boston.bombscare/ http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/01/boston.bombscare/ and http://boingboing.net/2007/09/21/mit-student-arrested.html http://boingboing.net/2007/09/21/mit-student-arrested.html
mechanical_fish 18y ago
It's a target-rich environment. If you want to find a state with the greatest concentration of people who love to build odd things in their basements... visit Massachusetts. I'm sure that if we transplanted all the scientists and engineers in MA to any other state we'd see at least the same number of incidents like this.
tdavis 18y ago
After living here for 3 months and experiencing laws such as the ridiculous liquor-sales regulations, I quickly realized that while there happens to be an anomalous preponderance of smart, progressive-thinking people here, it is still at heart (or at least in law) a very Puritan state.
rudyfink 18y ago
Coming from the South, I'd say it really would depend. Making shit in your garage or shed is practically a God given right in the South. I encountered more people there who regularly made things than I have in bigger cities. I think people would feel toying around is certainly all right if done on your own land and in a way that your screw up will only cost you your own life or property. That said community tolerance of tinkering is related to cultural norms. Things that are really "bad" will get people against you (eg better booze is fine work where better meth is certainly not). Honestly, I'd guess the article's kind of regulation or enforcement is probably more correlated with population density than anything else. The more packed in people get the more concerned everyone is about someone mucking up the finely tuned dance.
menloparkbum 18y ago
I have a friend who owns a home in Marlboro, the town in the article. He's had multiple issues with neighbors bringing up zoning laws. Apparently the bushes between homes on his block can only be 48 inches high (or something like that.) No motorcycles can be left overnight in the driveway. Etc. In a town where people call the cops on their neighbors for not pruning their hedges, I can totally see the SWAT team raiding a guy's house for doing chemistry experiments in the basement.

dougp 18y ago

Both of these also happened in Massachusetts http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/01/boston.bombscare/ http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/01/boston.bombscare/ and http://boingboing.net/2007/09/21/mit-student-arrested.html http://boingboing.net/2007/09/21/mit-student-arrested.html

mechanical_fish 18y ago

It's a target-rich environment. If you want to find a state with the greatest concentration of people who love to build odd things in their basements... visit Massachusetts. I'm sure that if we transplanted all the scientists and engineers in MA to any other state we'd see at least the same number of incidents like this.

tdavis 18y ago

After living here for 3 months and experiencing laws such as the ridiculous liquor-sales regulations, I quickly realized that while there happens to be an anomalous preponderance of smart, progressive-thinking people here, it is still at heart (or at least in law) a very Puritan state.

rudyfink 18y ago

Coming from the South, I'd say it really would depend. Making shit in your garage or shed is practically a God given right in the South. I encountered more people there who regularly made things than I have in bigger cities. I think people would feel toying around is certainly all right if done on your own land and in a way that your screw up will only cost you your own life or property. That said community tolerance of tinkering is related to cultural norms. Things that are really "bad" will get people against you (eg better booze is fine work where better meth is certainly not). Honestly, I'd guess the article's kind of regulation or enforcement is probably more correlated with population density than anything else. The more packed in people get the more concerned everyone is about someone mucking up the finely tuned dance.

menloparkbum 18y ago

I have a friend who owns a home in Marlboro, the town in the article. He's had multiple issues with neighbors bringing up zoning laws. Apparently the bushes between homes on his block can only be 48 inches high (or something like that.) No motorcycles can be left overnight in the driveway. Etc. In a town where people call the cops on their neighbors for not pruning their hedges, I can totally see the SWAT team raiding a guy's house for doing chemistry experiments in the basement.