Do you feel that as an admin of this site, advocating violence and bombings is appropriate behavior?

And you really read advocating violence and bombings in that quote? I find the disdain for thieves around here quite refreshing. Ever had your stuff destroyed and / or stolen by thieves?

We should follow the law, not blow people up. Terrorism isn't the solution to our problems.

You're reading WAY too much into my reply.



Both are true. Bomb-making is clearly wrong, no question about that.

At the same time, I don't feel pity, even for a second, for the asshole thieves that got hurt while perpetrating a crime.

The information provided by the investigator in the story seems to dispel both the terrorism and the IED narratives. The bag ignited into flames when the woman put her hand inside it (that doesn't equal an explosion, even if the flames were vigorous), and the police seem to know who the intended target of the bag actually was.

I agree that a terrorist blowing up random people with IEDs left throughout the city makes for good Internet outrage, but that doesn't seem to be what's happening here.

Shhhhhh. SB is on a roll, and I am trying to keep my stock in tin foil from tanking before I retire.

Yes I have. And trust me, the desire to create a booby trap for the next thief ran quite strong for some time after each event.

I resisted that urge but I can't say that, should I catch someone attempting to steal my stuff today, I wouldn't accidentally slam their hand in a door. Oops!

Yup, very little sympathy. Could there be more going on? Sure. But in this case there wasn't. They earned their prize for stupidity. Two separate things happened that joined in harmony. Turned out well for all involved.

Maybe thieves WERE the intended target?

If that's the case, then the vigilantes are morons. Because you don't know for sure who is going to find and open the bag. Could be the clerk at the store looking for a phone or ID. Or a cop trying to find the owner. Or a kid trying to do the right thing.
In this specific instance it worked out. Maybe not the next time though.