They deserve nothing, gorilla ads are normal in Boston... no one else gets probation. I call BS.
Turner did nothing wrong. I call BS.

I guess you do have a point that they were just doing their job...

...So I guess its just the job I hate. If we start panicking at every single thing with computer parts and lights... The terrorists've won. If we don't let them affect us, they can not possibly win.

I don't think it's sad... I think this is a win win win for Turner. They got several times the return on investment for their advertising dollar, *even including* the cost of the response. PLUS they get to look like a good corporate citizen.

Come on, what in the world would they say otherwise, NO! You're all dumb poopy heads! Even if, no, especially if they are poopy heads, they can't say that. I think they're happy to pay, and thanks very much, don't forget to tune it to ATHF!!

Now, the double standard is having the individual pay. That's just punitive. I think there's a deeper well of sympathy for an individual (or two) for the public to draw on when the individual is in opposition to Gummint.

It's not consistent, but nothing about the whole situation is very rational for more than a couple of steps in a row. Then it's off the rails.

This is a very good point. Anyone know how much the average advertising campaign is for a typical movie? It sounds like Turner probably got away with a steal (front page news, "breaking news" airtime) for $750,000-$1mil!

So, what happens when the guilty are punished, and the doors are flung open for every Joe Briefcase who lost a critical deal or couldn't be present for the birth of a child, etc, etc, starts suing Turner for causing a disruption?

You just *know* some smart guy lawyer out there is going to find somebody who was seriously harmed by this stunt, right?

Fark's take on it:

These ads were places in 10 cities.
Only Boston freaked out.

Here is a conversation between two beat cops in Manhattan:
"Hey, Joe, what the fuck is that?"
"Well, Bill, it looks like a 'Lite-Brite™."
"Well, I'll be, it is a Lite-Brite™."
"Coffee? I'll buy."

Mayor Menino is more worried about a fucking kids toy than making sure that drivers aren't crushed by 10 ton steel plates falling off bridges.

"All your Lite-Brite™ are belong to us"
4/01/1998

Terrorist Lite-Brites are just the thing to distract people from the real danger...namely, Big Dig components falling on you. Or real terrorists.

another example of "big dig" thinking, 85%, midgets, etc.

Did you miss this earlier post?

Go go GRL!

I guess it wasn't all good. :neutral:

Shit.

Once again, the corporation survives at the expense of the individual.

So, do you think Boston will file suit against its own department of transportation? :)

Really, is the default to "we don't know what it is" to call the freaking bomb squad?

Just as the chorus of indignant voices had stopped chastising us for calling Boston a bunch of idiots.