# Explosions at Boston Marathon **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 15, 2013, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781 "2013-04-15T19:16:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 69
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1361 "2013-04-26T14:59:13Z")
I’m with **Magiver** on this one.\* Animals dying in an apartment without water is foreseeable, not something only realized in retrospect. I’m glad they investigated the bombing fully too, but it’s very hard to imagine how giving someone brief, one-time access to their apartment, which was not in any way a crime scene, would have prevented a full investigation of the bombing. - Although I don’t know if I’d characterize this as “deliberate” animal cruelty. More like blatant disregard for the animals. We’ve seen this with other terrorist attacks… because it’s TERRORISM!!! all other concerns go out the window, whether it’s civil liberties, animal rights, whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1362 "2013-04-26T15:19:55Z")
Granting that it was a huge crime scene and they must have been living in fear of the possibility of missing some important piece of evidence - but this sounds like total overkill and it’s hard to see why it lasted more than a week. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1363 "2013-04-26T15:27:19Z")
> [@tim314](#): > > - Although I don’t know if I’d characterize this as “deliberate” animal cruelty. More like blatant disregard for the animals. We’ve seen this with other terrorist attacks… because it’s TERRORISM!!! all other concerns go out the window, whether it’s civil liberties, animal rights, whatever. OK, maybe “deliberate” was too strong. If it were my pets, I’d call PITA and see if I couldn’t get a crowd going for the 6 o’clock news. If that didn’t work then it would be deliberate. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1364 "2013-04-26T15:38:02Z")
Yeah, those middle eastern breads have a lot of political influence. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1365 "2013-04-26T15:42:35Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > If it were my pets, I’d call PITA and see if I couldn’t get a crowd going for the 6 o’clock news. While those people are pains in the ass, the organization is called PETA. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1366 "2013-04-26T16:12:44Z")
🙂 > [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Yeah, those middle eastern breads have a lot of political influence. 😉 Pain in the Ass animal rights groups probably have a sense of humor. Not sure. But I WAS going for PETA. thanks to you both for the correction. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1367 "2013-04-26T16:13:34Z")
Someone else could have removed the pets. It wouldn’t have to be the pet’s owner. An official could have gotten them. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1368 "2013-04-26T16:14:58Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > Someone else could have removed the pets. It wouldn’t have to be the pet’s owner. An official could have gotten them. Oh yeah, I want the same people in flack jackets rousting the neighborhood to pick up my dog. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1369 "2013-04-26T16:27:37Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > They had their own car, they carjacked the MB and forced the driver to withdraw money from an ATM. They drove both cars (one brother in each) with the carjacked person before he managed to run away. From the [interview](http://www.boston.com/metrodesk/2013/04/25/carjack-victim-recounts-his-harrowing-night/BhQWGzarWee8MZ6KtMHJNN/story.html) with the carjacking, victim, though, first of all Dzokhar was following behind in the ither car, but later they were all in the same car - as they were when they stopped for petrol and he escaped. So I still don’t see quite where the other car came from, unless they went back for it, or stole another one? ---
**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 26, 2013, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1370 "2013-04-26T16:28:18Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > OK, maybe “deliberate” was too strong. If it were my pets, I’d call PITA and see if I couldn’t get a crowd going for the 6 o’clock news. If that didn’t work then it would be deliberate. IMO, the people in Boston wouldn’t support that protest, at least not more than a few. Not after the last week - they (we) seemed content to let the authorities do their work undisturbed. It hasn’t been a news story at all, just a minor blip in light of the rest of the things that went on. I’m also not sure of the extent of the problem based on a single report from a single sports radio host. Does anyone have any other reports that would give us more details? ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1371 "2013-04-26T16:38:08Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > From the [interview](http://www.boston.com/metrodesk/2013/04/25/carjack-victim-recounts-his-harrowing-night/BhQWGzarWee8MZ6KtMHJNN/story.html) with the carjacking, victim, though, first of all Dzokhar was following behind in the ither car, but later they were all in the same car - as they were when they stopped for petrol and he escaped. So I still don’t see quite where the other car came from, unless they went back for it, or stole another one? OK, so on reading that interview in full it appears that they parked the sedan in Watertown (Fairfield Street), close to where the final shootout occurred. So presumably they drove back to Watertown to fetch more supplies from the parked car. ---
**Author:** ![AndrewL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@AndrewL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndrewL)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1372 "2013-04-26T17:42:39Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > OK, so on reading that interview in full it appears that they parked the sedan in Watertown (Fairfield Street), close to where the final shootout occurred. So presumably they drove back to Watertown to fetch more supplies from the parked car. It’s also possible that they realized that the escaped driver would give the description of their stolen car to the police, who would then be on the lookout for it, and decided to switch back to their original car. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1373 "2013-04-26T17:55:12Z")
I guess these guys can still look down on Faisal Shahzad (bomb didn’t go off, locked his keys in the car) and Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab (bomb didn’t go off, got crotch burns and a life sentence). But that’s not saying very much. ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1374 "2013-04-26T19:47:05Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > IMO, the people in Boston wouldn’t support that protest, at least not more than a few. Not after the last week - they (we) seemed content to let the authorities do their work undisturbed. It hasn’t been a news story at all, just a minor blip in light of the rest of the things that went on. > > I’m also not sure of the extent of the problem based on a single report from a single sports radio host. Does anyone have any other reports that would give us more details? That was my question as well. I also live in Boston and I haven’t heard a word about these allegedly dead animals except here. The one person I know who was displaced by the ongoing investigation has no pets and was happy to let the FBI collect the evidence they needed, for as long as they needed. She happens to be a surgeon, though, so maybe that’s just indicative of her priorities. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1375 "2013-04-26T19:56:54Z")
> [@lorene](#): > > That was my question as well. I also live in Boston and I haven’t heard a word about these allegedly dead animals except here. The one person I know who was displaced by the ongoing investigation has no pets and was happy to let the FBI collect the evidence they needed, for as long as they needed. She happens to be a surgeon, though, so maybe that’s just indicative of her priorities. It seems to me that dead pets in this context would be front-page news. I also think it would be newsworthy if local residents were kept from their homes for more than a week. I wonder whether there was a miscommunication somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1376 "2013-04-26T20:21:20Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > It seems to me that dead pets in this context would be front-page news. I also think it would be newsworthy if local residents were kept from their homes for more than a week. I wonder whether there was a miscommunication somewhere. The area re-opened on Tuesday. I haven’t gone and looked personally, but I think that information is correct. It was reported on Tuesday (at least here it was). I do remember the article mentioning that people were _concerned_ about their pets, but nothing specifically about actual dead pets. Also on Tuesday there was a service for Officer Sean Collier in Stoneham (I think), which was followed by MIT’s service for Officer Collier on Wednesday. While dead pets might seem newsworthy, there were other things to report. The explosion in Texas didn’t get nearly as much coverage as its ‘newsworthyness’ would indicate either. Also, what kind of pets are we talking about here? I’d be surprised if a healthy cat couldn’t make it 8 days without meow mix. I’m guessing the majority of pets survived. While sad for the ones that died, it doesn’t seem like they all did. I don’t know all that much about cats and dogs, but I do recall reading news stories about cats trapped in trucks and shipping containers living without food and water for over a week. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1377 "2013-04-26T20:27:01Z")
> [@sachertorte](#): > > Also, what kind of pets are we talking about here? I’d be surprised if a healthy cat couldn’t make it 8 days without meow mix. I’m guessing the majority of pets survived. While sad for the ones that died, it doesn’t seem like they all did. That may not be much comfort to people whose pets shat all over their apartments for a week. Eww. Anyway this sounds like the type of story that will probably only be noticed and play out over time. It’s not going to attract that much attention when we’re still learning significant facts about the bombers and their batshit crazy parents are busy playing Truther or Durr. ---
**Author:** ![edwards\_beard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@edwards\_beard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwards_beard)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1378 "2013-04-26T20:45:13Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > It seems to me that dead pets in this context would be front-page news. I also think it would be newsworthy if local residents were kept from their homes for more than a week. I wonder whether there was a miscommunication somewhere. Here are a few articles talking about allowing the residents and business owners back onto Boylston St on Tuesday. The two from [boston.com](http://boston.com) mention that one of the concerns people had were about deceased pets. The DJ mentioned lives in the building so it is his story I heard, I wasn’t listening to anything politically motivated or anything that was being told secondhand. He told his story and someone in the studio asked if the rumor was true that some people found dead pets. He softly and sadly said yes. There was nothing else said about it. > **[Residents return to homes forever changed - The Boston Globe](https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/04/23/copley-square-reopening-stages-today-first-time-since-boston-marathon-bombings-april/jgD08go9UUbykbCLDt708M/story.html)** > > The city’s Copley Square neighborhood is reopening this morning on a block-by-block basis now that investigators have completed scouring the largest crime scene in the history of Boston for evidence from the Boston Marathon terrorist bombings. Access... [http://www.boston.com/metrodesk/2013/04/23/residents-return-moment-frozen-time-copley-street-reopens/5jtHkr4JTaerywFUoQ8P5I/story.html](http://www.boston.com/metrodesk/2013/04/23/residents-return-moment-frozen-time-copley-street-reopens/5jtHkr4JTaerywFUoQ8P5I/story.html) > **[Residents, businesses slowly returning to Copley Square](https://www.bostonherald.com/2013/04/23/residents-businesses-slowly-returning-to-copley-square/)** > > Somber and weary city residents and businesses began the much-anticipated trek back to their homes and storefronts in Copley Square today after the city announced a “staggered” schedule… > **[Boylston Street Re-Entry Plan For Residents And Businesses](https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/boylston-street-re-entry-plan-for-residents-and-businesses/)** > > Here is the staggered schedule released Tuesday for businesses and residents to begin returning to the areas of Boylston Street impacted by the Boston Marathon bombings. ---
**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 26, 2013, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1379 "2013-04-26T20:50:20Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > That may not be much comfort to people whose pets shat all over their apartments for a week. Since others where cleaning human blood and body parts off the sidewalks below I don’t think it’s going to attract too much attention. It would be unfortunate if pets died because of this, but the greater Boston area seems to have other concerns at the moment. I’m not saying to dismiss what you say, but just give you a feel for the state of mind here. ---
**Author:** ![edwards\_beard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@edwards\_beard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwards_beard)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1380 "2013-04-26T20:58:44Z")
I think it is tragic that the pets were left behind and some may have died. However, Boston and especially Boylston street are trying to transition back into normalcy, and with all the other things going on with this international story, I can see why something like this wouldn’t get a lot of media attention. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781.md?page=68) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781.md?page=70)