# Did They Know? (Marathon Bomb) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 18, 2013, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-know-marathon-bomb/656004 "2013-04-18T03:06:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-know-marathon-bomb/656004/21 "2013-04-18T14:38:25Z")
> [@Blkshp](#): > > I am not suggesting anything like the False Flag crap, I just thought some news outlet would have mentioned that they happened to be running anti-bomb training exercises if only for some sad irony. If they were making announcements it wasn’t a secret. I can’t imagine why the guy being interviewed would simply make that up when, if he’s just an attention seeker, he could have come up with something a little more sexy. What kind of moron would run a bomb security drill right in the middle of an event where bomb security are going to be on active duty? It makes no sense. Wouldn’t you do the drill on, maybe, one on the unit’s days off? This guy was clearly just flapping his maw to get on TV. Sadly everyone in the media seems to be reporting his paranoia with no questioning and it is feeding yet another conspiracy frenzy. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-know-marathon-bomb/656004/22 "2013-04-18T15:12:40Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > I’ve seen some reports on this and it seems odd to me that anyone is making a big deal of it. I would be astonished if there _weren’t_ sniffer dogs at an event of this size as a matter of course. Maybe it comes from growing up in and around London, but I’d expect to see plenty of precautions being taken to detect bombs in such a situation. Even more so if they had some sort of non-specific threat warning. > > Sniffer dogs are certainly used at the London marathon, they were all over the place at the London Olympics, and I see no reason why they wouldn’t have been in Boston. Yet when you Google for it now all you get is loonies saying it’s proof of a false flag operation or something. Er what? Trying to detect bombs at a large public event is a sign that the government is in on it? > > Would people rather there were no sniffer dogs used? Agreed. The London Marathon has definitely always had a huge police presence. I’m also not sure what the argument is. They brought sniffer dogs out, therefore they must have known there was a risk and they what? Failed to detect it? Unlikely. Decided to ignore it? Wouldn’t it be a lot easier to ignore it by not sending out sniffer dogs in the first place? I’m also not sure what the argument is ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-know-marathon-bomb/656004/23 "2013-04-18T15:15:54Z")
What’s the timetable for when these dogs did their sniff? It’s my understanding that there was a thorough check before the start of the race, but the devices were placed after that. Dogs can’t find what isn’t there. Some people have pointed to the lack of casualties as an indicator of poor planning, because they could have simply placed them to go off before the race start where there would be mass crowds, but it may have been actually good planning because the searches may have stopped after the race started. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-know-marathon-bomb/656004/24 "2013-04-18T16:45:36Z")
The dogs are only there to find the time traveling cyborgs. (Hint, they are coming from the past, not the future, WAKE UP!) ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-know-marathon-bomb/656004/25 "2013-04-18T17:05:39Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > I’m also not sure what the argument is I don’t think there _is_ an argument; we all seem to agree that this guy is an idiot. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-know-marathon-bomb/656004/26 "2013-04-18T18:35:08Z")
I’ve actually read that before the big city marathons like NYC and Boston they actually go and weld the manhole covers shut. If they’re doing that then I’m sure they have dogs and rooftop spotters. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-know-marathon-bomb/656004/27 "2013-04-18T18:37:51Z")
I’m not sure whether to be amused or disgusted at the claims that one of the victims is really a soldier named Nick Vogt who got his legs blown off in the Middle East. I mean, they look alike, but (1) they both have their heads shaved, and their general height and build aren’t that uncommon and (2) you’d have to be a pretty desperate or stupid conspirator to use someone whose name and face was plastered all over the media. (Although I will say that pointing out that the vic has been IDed is pretty futile; “of course they’d say his name is Jeff Bauman Jr.! That’s his cover ID!”) ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-know-marathon-bomb/656004/28 "2013-04-18T19:26:26Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I think he’s an idiot. The article says that he’s “been in plenty of marathons in Chicago, D.C., Chicago, London and other major metropolitan areas but has never seen that level of security before.” Perhaps he never noticed it, but I know that there’s quite a high level of security in DC and London _all the time_. Maybe he thought the bobbies were decorative. ---
**Author:** ![Furious\_Marmot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@Furious\_Marmot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Furious_Marmot)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-know-marathon-bomb/656004/29 "2013-04-18T19:59:13Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Maybe he thought the bobbies were decorative. Maybe he just got back from the Galapagos. Where the boobies are decorative. ---
**Author:** ![Blkshp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blkshp/32/7135_2.png) [@Blkshp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blkshp)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-know-marathon-bomb/656004/30 "2013-04-19T04:24:39Z")
[quote=“Colophon, post:21, topic:656004”] What kind of moron would run a bomb security drill right in the middle of an event where bomb security are going to be on active duty? It makes no sense. Wouldn’t you do the drill on, maybe, one on the unit’s days off? Exactly. But what if, either through a tip or intelligence they had a credible reason to believe there might be a bomb or bombs. They can’t call the event off - maybe it’s too late to even consider that. They can’t just announce that there might be a bomb without inducing craziness. So they frantically search for it and, in an attempt to avoid arousing suspicion possibly leading to panic, they announce that they are conducting a drill. Then the bombs go off and nobody really thinks about what all the guys and dogs were doing the hour before. I suppose that the only indication of that scenario would be if there were more bomb guys and dogs than would be expected. Which is what Australian from Mobile was saying. I’m not saying that’s what happened, just that it’s plausible. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-know-marathon-bomb/656004/31 "2013-04-19T04:27:50Z")
> [@Blkshp](#): > > I’m not saying that’s what happened, just that it’s plausible. No it’s not. ---
**Author:** ![Blkshp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blkshp/32/7135_2.png) [@Blkshp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blkshp)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-know-marathon-bomb/656004/32 "2013-04-19T04:28:04Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > What kind of moron would run a bomb security drill right in the middle of an event where bomb security are going to be on active duty? It makes no sense. Wouldn’t you do the drill on, maybe, one on the unit’s days off? Exactly. But what if, either through a tip or intelligence they had a credible reason to believe there might be a bomb or bombs. They can’t call the event off - maybe it’s too late to even consider that. They can’t just announce that there might be a bomb without inducing craziness. So they desperately search for it and, in an attempt to avoid arousing suspicion possibly leading to panic, they announce that they are conducting a drill. Then the bombs go off and nobody really thinks about what all the guys and dogs were doing the hour before. I suppose that the only indication of that scenario would be if there were more bomb guys and dogs than would be expected. Which is what Australian from Mobile was saying. I’m not saying that’s what happened, just that it’s plausible. And Alistair is not, therefore, an idiot ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-know-marathon-bomb/656004/33 "2013-04-19T04:41:25Z")
> [@Blkshp](#): > > I’m not saying that’s what happened, just that it’s plausible. And Alistair is not, therefore, an idiot No it isn’t. And yes, therefore, he is. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-know-marathon-bomb/656004/34 "2013-04-19T08:40:23Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I don’t think there _is_ an argument; we all seem to agree that this guy is an idiot. Agreed - I meant the guy referenced in the OP. If they had really good reason to think there was a bomb, they would have called the race off or delayed it. Similar events in the UK got delayed due to credible bomb threats in the IRA era. No cites because it was mostly too long ago, just personal memories. If the threat was about the finish line, which seems to be the claim because that’s the only place the OP’s bloke is talking about, moving it or delaying the start would be even easier. It would be inconvenient, but so is a bomb. ---
**Author:** ![Blkshp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blkshp/32/7135_2.png) [@Blkshp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blkshp)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-know-marathon-bomb/656004/35 "2013-04-19T16:22:22Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > No it isn’t. And yes, therefore, he is. Well, it would add to the breadth of available plotlines for the inevitable movie. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-know-marathon-bomb/656004/36 "2013-04-19T17:30:33Z")
> [@Blkshp](#): > > Well, it would add to the breadth of available plotlines for the inevitable movie. It’s illogical drivel, just the ranting of a loon. If you’re looking to movies for fact based scenarios you’re looking in the wrong place. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-know-marathon-bomb/656004/37 "2013-04-19T18:07:24Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > It’s illogical drivel, just the ranting of a loon. If you’re looking to movies for fact based scenarios you’re looking in the wrong place. In all fairness, the actual story here is as wildly illogical as the parnoid rantings of the loon. Perhaps not so after the facts are sorted out from the fiction, but the past 24 hours based on news coverage has been remarkable, and I think would seem inplausible even in a movie. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-know-marathon-bomb/656004/38 "2013-04-20T02:54:31Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > How the Hell would an Alabama Nitwit (a non-endangered species) know the difference between bomb-sniffing dogs & regular police dogs? because you can observe the actions of the handler and perceive what is going on. They point to objects to be sniffed out. There is only one logical reason for this behavior and that’s to search for something dangerous. As to the nature of the actions taken, it was not an unusual thing to do for an event like this. The perpetrators may have known this ahead of time or simply observed the screening process and delayed their actions. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-know-marathon-bomb/656004/39 "2013-04-20T11:53:31Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > How the Hell would an Alabama Nitwit (a non-endangered species) know the difference between bomb-sniffing dogs & regular police dogs? > [@Magiver](#): > > because you can observe the actions of the handler and perceive what is going on. They point to objects to be sniffed out. There is only one logical reason for this behavior and that’s to search for something dangerous. Cite? Even if true–prove that this **looks different** from drug-sniffing dogs, or even conventional police dog training & practice. And cite. Conspiracy Theorists are guilty until proven factual, pal. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-they-know-marathon-bomb/656004.md?page=1)