Malfunctioning fax machine prints out bomb ClipArt, forces evacuation of area

In any normal town across America there are countless faxes sent and received which feature poorly chosen ClipArt: why then must a promotional fax like the one pictured above fail to print out correctly -- leaving only a picture of a bomb -- in the town of Ashland Massachusetts, not far from the recent high profile Boston bomb scares? This innocent fax caused the evacuation of a dozen nearby businesses after it was received at a Bank of America branch, coinciding with what police said was the delivery of a suspicious package by a customer. The package turned out to merely be "papers," and the fax turned out to be a promotion counting down to an explosion event called "Small Business Commitment Week." Maybe next time the company behind the fax will be a little more wary of the consequences of inappropriately using bomb imagery, and the staff that received the fax will stop to consider whether a potential bomber would use an off-center and badly stretched ClipArt image of a bomb to illustrate their intent. Or, if the Aqua Teen Hunger Force farce is anything to go by, then everyone will blame the person responsible for maintaining the fax machine, and he/she'll appear on TV talking about hairstyles from the 70s.

[Thanks, George]

[Lunatic Fringe @ Jun 2nd 2007 11:22PM]

Remember,
If you miss small business commitment week, the terrorists win.

[V.I. @ Jun 2nd 2007 11:56PM]

Folks are a bunch of psychology pussies nowadays...

Why should this be called a bombthreat and cause for evacuation? DUMB SHIT!

[Sa_n) @ Jun 3rd 2007 2:33AM]

It's not that the fax caused the scare, it was due to other factors that coincides with that fax. So, considering the circumstances; Boston bomb scares, fax/letter, and mysterious package (to a bank), one should be wary of the possible danger.

[Jeremy K. @ Jun 3rd 2007 12:12AM]

No offense buddy, but this is almost a week old news.

[m @ Jun 3rd 2007 12:48AM]

There have been a spate of violent robberies at Bank of America branches in recent years, particularly in the SF Bay Area, in which several employees have been killed. There is nothing hyterical about this at all. Banks usually have a lot of money in them, if you haven't heard.

[Tiberian @ Jun 3rd 2007 1:11AM]

Yes, and we all know how often paper with printed imagery robs and destroys banks.

[chris @ Jun 3rd 2007 1:03AM]

someone faxes you a bomb you fax them a cruise missile that's the Chicago way

[m @ Jun 3rd 2007 1:59AM]

The bomb you refer to would have been in the package. You're creative for somebody posting to a blog, but clearly not up to bank robber/terrorist level.

[ryan @ Jun 3rd 2007 1:43AM]

What they did not report, however, was that soon after that fax was received, another one came in with the large, bold-print word "BOOM!!!"

an old lady fainted, it was considered unrelated, otherwise there were luckily no casualties.

[Joe @ Jun 3rd 2007 4:15AM]

I can't imagine what would have happened if the Mac OS still showed a bomb when it crashed...

[Zut @ Jun 3rd 2007 6:34AM]

How stupid do you have to be to interpret this as a bomb threat?!

So do we all have to stop using pictures of bombs now? Maybe we should stop saying the word bomb too, just to be sure we don't get arrested.

[Mr Lizard @ Jun 3rd 2007 12:53PM]

@ Zut:

"How stupid do you have to be to interpret this as a bomb threat?!"

Almost as stupid as you. Working for a bank myself, I can say with absolute certainty that receiving a suspicious package, coupled with this fax, plus being in an area of a recent bomb scare, I would much rather err on the side of caution and leave the building.

You're welcome to stay behind and check inside the package though.

[sam @ Jun 3rd 2007 10:45AM]

"The company behind the fax" was Bank of America itself. It was an internal marketing promotion.

[LotusEliseBlog @ Jun 3rd 2007 12:19PM]

It's really sad when generic bomb clipart is used as part of a flyer and it's assumed to be something of a bomb threat. I don't care what organization it is, it's sad. On the other hand, if a page had come through with just that clip art (piece of paper with nothing on it but a big bomb graphic) then it's somewhat understandable.

[o29 @ Jun 3rd 2007 4:20PM]

rtfa

[Stephen W. @ Jun 3rd 2007 12:55PM]

They'll be taking hair questions only, thank you.

[Johnny T. @ Jun 3rd 2007 1:51PM]

WTF is "ClipArt"? "Clip art" is two words.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/clip%20art

[drsilverworm @ Jun 3rd 2007 2:35PM]

First off, the fax malfunctioned, and the bomb WAS the only image printed. Second, clipart, as one word, is somewhat of a brand name that office uses for their classic collection of images.

[REDbULL Runner @ Jun 3rd 2007 4:27PM]

P.C. Load Letter... What the f*** does that mean? *BOOM*

[Martin @ Jun 3rd 2007 4:40PM]

Here's the image of what was actually transmitted:
http://media.kansascity.com/smedia/2007/05/30/20/873-False_Bomb_Threat.sff.standalone.prod_affiliate.81.jpg
A lot more reasonable to believe once you see what was seen.

[BatteryAcid @ Jun 3rd 2007 10:10PM]

I don't see much difference betwen a bomb and a bomb with a metter and hand lighting it.

[John @ Jun 4th 2007 12:39AM]

They should evacuate the preschools when 3-2-1 Contact comes on

[Tony Bowman @ Jun 4th 2007 12:43AM]

like this was an "accident?" no way anyone gives a shit about the thing being promoted, but you can be damn sure people will remember it now that there was a "bomb" scare.

clever marketing is all.

[me @ Jun 4th 2007 12:50PM]

Is "suspicious package by a customer" code for, "he wasn't white"?

[nigel @ Jun 4th 2007 12:51PM]

Have the peoples in MA ever heard of the boy who cried wolf?..one day it will be too late.

[marvin @ Jun 7th 2007 3:41AM]

what will they think of next

http://www.officeprofiles.co.uk/c-business-laserinkjetbubble-5015011.aspx