# BBC reporting a car bomb in London.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-reporting-a-car-bomb-in-london/409890
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [June 29, 2007, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-reporting-a-car-bomb-in-london/409890 "2007-06-29T08:16:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2007, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-reporting-a-car-bomb-in-london/409890/1 "2007-06-29T08:16:50Z")
They say that the London police have defused the car bomb near Piccadilly . No real details yet.
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### Author:  [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2007, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-reporting-a-car-bomb-in-london/409890/2 "2007-06-29T08:47:34Z")
[Link](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6252276.stm).
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### Author:  [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2007, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-reporting-a-car-bomb-in-london/409890/3 "2007-06-29T09:22:17Z")
The Beeb pronounced it to be a “potentially viable explosive device” :dubious:
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### Author:  [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2007, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-reporting-a-car-bomb-in-london/409890/4 "2007-06-29T09:47:11Z")
It sounds now as if it was not as big as some media outlets (Sky News) were making out.
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2007, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-reporting-a-car-bomb-in-london/409890/5 "2007-06-29T09:59:13Z")
I just hope it isn’t only one of several devices.
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### Author:  [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2007, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-reporting-a-car-bomb-in-london/409890/6 "2007-06-29T10:06:42Z")
BBC again (radio) saying the cops removed two green gas cylinders, of the “type used in home BBQ’s”. “Lots of nails on the car floor.” This could be nothing, or…?
It was a Merc and it’s been hauled away.
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### Author:  [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2007, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-reporting-a-car-bomb-in-london/409890/7 "2007-06-29T10:09:18Z")
I wonder how the [emergency response committee](http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/article2720879.ece) will operate, considering the transition of the Government.
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### Author:  [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2007, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-reporting-a-car-bomb-in-london/409890/8 "2007-06-29T10:13:04Z")
My WAG based on initial reading is that it’s a rough’n’ready homebrew bomb.
There’s a chance it’s a political statement by Islamists to “welcome” the new Prime Minister, but there is also a Gay Pride march tomorrow in that part of London, and the type of device is similar to [David Copeland’s](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Copeland) bombs back in 1999.
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2007, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-reporting-a-car-bomb-in-london/409890/9 "2007-06-29T10:18:53Z")
OTOH, nails and patio gas are available in B&Q (and other hardware stores exist), it’s not completely unreasonable to imagine that someone might buy both and leave them in their car for longer than just the journey home.
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### Author:  [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2007, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-reporting-a-car-bomb-in-london/409890/10 "2007-06-29T10:29:40Z")
The bomb was found outside of a nightclub. [Source.](http://www.harrowtimes.co.uk/mostpopular.var.1507700.mostviewed.car_bomb_found_in_west_end.php)
Thank God it wasn’t set off like the Bali nightclub bombings.
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### Author:  [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2007, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-reporting-a-car-bomb-in-london/409890/11 "2007-06-29T10:54:01Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout]
OTOH, nails and patio gas are available in B&Q (and other hardware stores exist), it’s not completely unreasonable to imagine that someone might buy both and leave them in their car for longer than just the journey home.
[/QUOTE]
That’s kinda’ what I was thinking. What’s British for redneck?
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### Author:  [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2007, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-reporting-a-car-bomb-in-london/409890/12 "2007-06-29T10:59:55Z")
[QUOTE=A.R. Cane]
That’s kinda’ what I was thinking. What’s British for redneck?
[/QUOTE]
At 2am in the morning… in central London… with a driver who legs it after crashing into some dustbins? :dubious:
Sure, on its own gas bottles and nails ain’t all that, but in context it certainly seems strange.
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2007, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-reporting-a-car-bomb-in-london/409890/13 "2007-06-29T11:00:55Z")
I’m not sure we have anything other than very regional approximate equivalents for the term.
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2007, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-reporting-a-car-bomb-in-london/409890/14 "2007-06-29T11:04:46Z")
[QUOTE=e-logic]
At 2am in the morning… in central London… with a driver who legs it after crashing into some dustbins? :dubious:
Sure, on its own gas bottles and nails ain’t all that, but in context it certainly seems strange.
[/QUOTE]
Dunno - almost anything could be made to seem strange in the context of crashing a car into bins and scarpering.
for example:
A bag of money in the glovebox = organised criminal
half an ounce of weed in the drivers side door pocket = drug dealer
Childrens clothing on the back seat = Quick! catch the paedophile!
..etc
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### Author:  [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2007, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-reporting-a-car-bomb-in-london/409890/15 "2007-06-29T11:29:54Z")
[QUOTE=e-logic]
At 2am in the morning… in central London… with a driver who legs it after crashing into some dustbins? :dubious:
Sure, on its own gas bottles and nails ain’t all that, but in context it certainly seems strange.
[/QUOTE]
Heh! I wasn’t stating conclusions, just speculating that it might be some run of the mill incident that cops deal w/ all the time. That’s just as valid as speculation about terrorists.
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### Author:  [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2007, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-reporting-a-car-bomb-in-london/409890/16 "2007-06-29T11:32:29Z")
Stolen car? Drunken driver not wishing to be IDed?
If some gas and nails are enough evidence for someone to be taken in as a bomber, I’d better let Dad know 😛
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### Author:  [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2007, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-reporting-a-car-bomb-in-london/409890/17 "2007-06-29T12:21:12Z")
Is Chav british for redneck?
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### Author:  [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2007, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-reporting-a-car-bomb-in-london/409890/18 "2007-06-29T12:43:35Z")
[QUOTE=E-Sabbath]
Is Chav british for redneck?
[/QUOTE]
Chavs tend to be an urban/sub-urban species - redneck (to me at least) suggests rural types.
Chav is about as close as you’ll get though - or possibly “pikey”.
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### Author:  [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2007, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-reporting-a-car-bomb-in-london/409890/19 "2007-06-29T13:16:30Z")
[QUOTE=E-Sabbath]
Is Chav british for redneck?
[/QUOTE]
In Ireland (both sides of the border) the term “culchie” is used for those who come from the countryside, but I’m not sure if its more for farmers in general rather than someone who might drive around in orange muscle cars.
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### Author:  [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2007, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-reporting-a-car-bomb-in-london/409890/20 "2007-06-29T15:04:33Z")
On the AM news shows they were saying that the bomb squad did deactivate a detonator.
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