The residents of a tiny Ohio town called the bomb squad when they started discovering "suspicious packages" littered throughout the town on April 1st. It turns out that the packages were the result of an April Fools prank in which five girls from Ravenna, Ohio (a town of approximately 12,000 residents) placed 17 cardboard replications of the iconic Super Mario Brothers power-up cubes throughout town, according to news stories carried in local papers (1, 2).
How friggin' ridiculous is it that a town of 12,000 residents is scared that Osama bin Laden snuck in overnight and placed bombs wrapped in gold wrapping paper in highly-visible public places?
How long until Ravenna Police Chief Randall McCoy makes a run for mayor on the back of his successful defense of the town against teenaged terrorists? McCoy was quoted as saying that the Mario-themed blocks "could be deadly," (according to the Record Courier). His office "will be working with the Portage County Prosecutor's Office regarding possible criminal charges" according to the Beacon Journal.
Why were other fun-lovers throughout the country able to carry off successful versions of the same exact prank without some opportunistic politician-cum-police chief making a bomb scare out of it? In response to the Record Courier's story, Ohio resident Janice Cochran wrote, "I think these girls are old enough to no [sic] better than to pull a joke like this with all that is going on in the world today. Leaving suspicious packages is enough to scare the dickins [sic] out of anyone."
http://www.joystiq.com/2006/04/02/tiny-ohio-town-freaked-out-by-mario-prank/
What American wouldn't know what those were? The should have called a plummer instead of the bomb squad. 😃
Anyone that HASN'T been living under a fucking rock for the past 2 and a half decades would know what those blocks were supposed to really be. Oh well, just shows the effects of our neat terror alert system and the amount of crap you hear on CNN has had on us.
And possible criminal charges? For what?! Placing boxes with question marks in public areas? It seems to me that the Police Chief just wants to look like the hero for putting the mean, terrorist girls in jail for something that, 5 years ago, would have gotten a laugh or two. God forbid someone place a bright box in a public area. Oh well. If any charges are filed and by some ungodly chance they get sent to prison, I sure hope the chief can sleep at night knowing he just ruined the lives of 5 young girls because of a prank that harmed no one.
Also, now, I'm not an Al Qieda(sp?) member, but I don't think Osama would place bombs in a small ass town in Ohio in bright, golden boxes with question marks on them.
I could just imagine that on CNN.
Ugh.
People in small towns need to stop worrying about terrorism. They're not going to be the target of any attack. Terrorists don't think they're important enough. Hell, I live in a town of 60,000 and I doubt anyone sees my town as a potential terrorist target.
Hahaha, Ohio people are stupid.
...what?
Dear god. Now people will start thinking italians or fat people are a terrorist source. Uhhhg...
Didn't that fact that it was April 1st give them any hint? Also, bombs arn't normally wrapped in shiny gold paper and left in public areas in plain sight. Stupid Americans.
LOL. All I'd have to say has been said already, except that I find it a really cool prank. "Could be deadly" ? The number of times I've died trying to jump onto blocks ... er, got carried away there.
The should have called a plumber instead of the bomb squad.
LOL!!!
And possible criminal charges? For what?! Placing boxes with question marks in public areas?
LOL again.
:rofl:
What the heck are they thinking?!? would a terrorist put bombs in MARIO BLOCKS? I don't think so! how could anyone fail to recognize them for what they were?
what's next? christmas presents are gonna be considered bomb threats?
mind you, we canadians don't have that problem. people love canada! CANADA FTW!!!
They should have dressed midgets as green spotted mushrooms to hide in the boxes.
They should have dressed midgets as green spotted mushrooms to hide in the boxes.
They should have put money in them.
They should have put a sign by each of them outlining what they are since in today's world people are too fucking retarded to actually think. It was a neat idea, but it's such a shame lame people ruin it. I mean if they were putting these boxes in Government buildings, then sure that's wrong. But oh ya, some terrorist from across the globe is gonna blow up your dinky little town.
moocow wrote:Hahaha, Ohio people are stupid....what?
No you're the stupidest more than me...
Archibaldo wrote:Didn't that fact that it was April 1st give them any hint? Also, bombs arn't normally wrapped in shiny gold paper and left in public areas in plain sight. Stupid Americans.
Any day that is marked on the calendar is a potential threat. Watch the terror move up a level on mothers day because it's a holiday.
I had a similar experience about five years ago.
I was on a plane, and I was like hey, everyone I'm a high jacker and I took over the plane, and then I heard this guy said let's roll and he stabbed me and crashed the plane in pennsylvania. Guy totally ruined my prank, what a dick.