I guess it splits down to two sides.  People like Ace who think there should be a small bit of punishment for causing such a stir, and jackasses like this who seem to think that taking terrorism seriously is the real terrorism.

Whatever.

My reaction is this: Now that it turned out to be nothing more than a publicity stunt a lot of people (see second link above) are getting all self-righteous about the way the city has reacted, but can you imagine being the person in charge of responding to that situation?  If it really had been an attack and people, possibly thousands, had lost their lives who would be blamed?  And who would be screaming the loudest about the authorities failing to do something to stop the attack?

My guess is some of the very same idiots who are busy mocking the city now.

All the authorities were trying to do is keep people safe.  I’m all for new and innovative marketing techniques, but there’s a way to pull that off while keeping public safety officials informed of what’s going on.

Update: The jackass linked above revises his position a bit:

I don’t blame Boston officials for initially being suspicious of the devices, though one would hope our paid homeland security experts can by now distinguish a bomb from an LED device shaped in the figure of a cartoon character without first shutting down major thoroughfares. The shame comes in what happened after they realized their mistake—in their refusal to admit it was a mistake, and in their scapegoating Turner Broadcasting, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and the artists for their own rash and ill-considered decision to close down the city. You guys screwed up. Quit calling this a “hoax.” It was a marketing gimmick. No one meant any harm. Stop the prison and punishment talk. Own up to your mistake and move on.

So there should be no consequences for this sort of thing?  This is the equivalent of shouting “fire” in a crowded theater.

It’s easy to be a smart ass after the fact and say things like “paid homeland security experts [should by now be able to] distinguish a bomb from an LED device” after the fact and when you aren’t the person responsible for keeping millions of people safe.

I don’t care if it was an innocent marketing stunt, they should have told someone.

I don’t think any prison time is warranted, but certainly they should reimburse the taxpayers for the money expended by law enforcement and security personnel.