# RO: This is totally going to kill Bring Your Clock to School Day **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 16, 2015, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454 "2015-09-16T08:35:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/41 "2015-09-16T15:42:49Z")
Poor kid is probably on the “no fly” list now too. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/42 "2015-09-16T15:46:35Z")
Nothing unites kids like sticking it to authority. I hope kids start bringing in their alarm clocks. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/43 "2015-09-16T15:55:53Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > While it is possible to build a digital clock with hands, Occam’s Razor says it likely had a number readout. This article and the one on NPR just mention a digital display, not how the time was displayed. > > Just sayin’… 🆒 > > ETA: Reading it a third time, there is a possibility I was whooshed by **kambuckta** ’s post (alarm; minutes), but I’m not sure, and I’m unfamiliar with his/her other posts and positions. I think D\_Odds are pretty good that you were whooshed. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/44 "2015-09-16T15:59:45Z")
Ok, since no one here can proofread what they type, this shithole is named Irvin **g**. I know, I’ve lived in close proximity to it or worked in it all my life. In fact, I currently work less than 10 miles from the school in question, but in Dallas. It’s never been a really great place. It’s greatest claim to fame before now was that it used to be where the Cowboys played. I used to love a t-shirt I had that said “IRVINGMAN! If it’s not in Irving, it’s not important.” It was just so stupid and absurd, it even had a drawing of Irvingman flying over Irving. Oddly enough, I traded it for a very old N.A.S.A t-shirt. To be honest, one of the more awesome things about this city was that it has a large number of immigrants. Ages ago, before Japanese cuisine was common, they had Mr. Max. I still don’t know of another restaurant where I felt like the alien when I went in. As the years went by, the place would have been a wasteland if it hadn’t become a place where new immigrants could get a start. Taquerias, good Indian and Middle Eastern restaurants sprung up around the affordable housing and central location. Now, I’d love to think that the incident was brought about by a moronic teacher supervised by a moronic principal, who got in touch with a moronic officer. In fact, I kind of think that if I had brought an odd-looking home electronics project to school 30 years ago, I probably would have at least seen the principal. By the time it got that far, I’d probably just have ripped the thing open out of exasperation and berated the adults around me for not knowing how a fucking digital clock worked. I probably would have gotten suspended anyway for the outburst, but at least it might have been justified. But, now that I know this kid had the patience to debate a fool who thinks burning the Quran is a solution to anything but insufficient heat and ash, I figure he had too much restraint to do what would come naturally to me. The same debate, and my new understanding that the Mayor of said shithole is an Islamophobe, makes me think that something stinkier than usual (this does have the Trinity River to contend with) is going on in Irving. So, dear English teacher, before you go identifying bombs, please get within a few miles of being someone who can. Then, go rub your head in the bottom of a porta-potty so you remember how shitty your brain used to be. Dear Principal. Do the fucking same, and then go fuck yourself and set yourself on fire, to boot. Dear Irving Police department. Do all of the above. You don’t deserve an explanation for why a kid wants to build a clock. If you’re too dim to comprehend that you don’t deserve that answer (or why the answer is, ya know, fucking obvious), I’m surprised you shower without drowning. Just fucking absurd, shitty behavior out of an absurd, shitty suburb that I know all too well. They have shitty roads, shitty infrastructure, and apparently I’ve been able to blow down their shitty roads like it’s the Nürburgring because they’ve been searching for Osama Bin Laden. News flash guys, he’s never been to Irving, and he’s dead. Fucktards. ---
**Author:** ![AtomicDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@AtomicDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AtomicDog)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/45 "2015-09-16T16:01:29Z")
_Facepalm_ Building digital clocks were a standard science project in my school system back in the day. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/46 "2015-09-16T16:23:41Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > But, now that I know this kid had the patience to debate a fool who thinks burning the Quran is a solution to anything but insufficient heat and ash, I figure he had too much restraint to do what would come naturally to me. I presume you’re saying that because of THIS part of the linked story: > [@](#): > > Mohamed is familiar with anti-Islamic politics. He once made national headlines for debating a Florida pastor who burned a Quran. I’m pretty sure that sentence refers to the kid’s father. Every other reference to the kid calls him by his first name. Other than that, pretty good rant. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/47 "2015-09-16T16:26:32Z")
> [@Punoqllads](#): > > The English teacher says it looks like a bomb, but kid tells her it’s a clock. Teacher keeps the clock. I think this is a bomb, I better keep it in my desk and report it at the end of the day. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/48 "2015-09-16T16:33:09Z")
Am I the only one wondering if they let Jerry Jones pick the school administrators? I can’t conceive of any other way of finding people that incompetent. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/49 "2015-09-16T16:35:53Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > I presume you’re saying that because of THIS part of the linked story: > I’m pretty sure that sentence refers to the kid’s father. Every other reference to the kid calls him by his first name. > > Other than that, pretty good rant. You are technically correct, and that’s the best kind of correct, thanks. 🙂 And if I can get a little more rant on. If the kid really wanted to blow up the school, the device would need some weight. I’ll fast for 24 hours (from goddamn everything, including weed and cigarettes, but I’ll still drink water) if anyone can bring a reliable cite of this battery powered clock weighing more than 42 grams. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/50 "2015-09-16T16:38:10Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > You are technically correct, and that’s the best kind of correct, thanks. 🙂 > And if I can get a little more rant on. If the kid really wanted to blow up the school, the device would need some weight. I’ll fast for 24 hours (from goddamn everything, including weed and cigarettes, but I’ll still drink water) if anyone can bring a reliable cite of this battery powered clock weighing more than 42 grams. What are you ignorant? Don’t you watch those documentaries with Jack Baur, a bomb can fit in your pocket and always has a countdown timer. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/51 "2015-09-16T16:39:24Z")
It happened around 9/11 so he must be guilty!! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/52 "2015-09-16T16:52:58Z")
The school congratulates themselves on how they handled this (Mods note, this is NOT copyrighted material): > [@](#): > > DANIEL CUMMINGS > Principal > > JOSE L. PARRA, Ed.D. > Superintendent of Schools > > September 15, 2015 > > Dear Parents/Guardians, > In Irving ISD and at MacArthur High School, your child’s safety and well-being is always our top priority and we want to maintain open, honest and timely communication with you. If there was ever an imminent threat to your child, we would take immediate and necessary precautions, and we would inform you immediately. > > While we do not have any threats to our school community, we want you to be aware that the Irving Police Department responded to a suspicious-looking item on campus yesterday. We are pleased to report that after the police department’s assessment, the item discovered at school did not pose a threat to your child’s safety. > > Our school is cooperating fully with the ongoing police investigation, and we are handling the situation in accordance with the Irving ISD Student Code of Conduct and applicable laws. Please rest assured that we will always take necessary steps to keep our school as safe as possible. I recommend using this opportunity to talk with your child about the Student Code of Conduct and specifically not bringing items to school that are prohibited. Also, this is a good time to remind your child how important it is to immediately report any suspicious items and/or suspicious behavior they observe to any school employee so we can address it right away. We will always take necessary precautions to protect our students. > > Thank you for your understanding and support of MacArthur High School as we do everything we can for your child’s safety. > > Sincerely, > > Dan Cummings > > MacArthur High School > 3700 N. MacArthur, Irving, Texas 75062 Tel. 972.600.7200 Fax 972.261.2299 By Og’s Beard, the stupid, it burns like the heat from a thousand suns. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/53 "2015-09-16T16:59:29Z")
It’s really a shame zero-tolerance can’t work in the other direction with summary firings of all adults involved. ---
**Author:** ![aaelghat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c5a1d2/32.png) [@aaelghat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaelghat)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/54 "2015-09-16T17:03:37Z")
The Irving police chief held a press conference. From here: [http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/northwest-dallas-county/headlines/20150915-irving-ninth-grader-arrested-after-taking-homemade-clock-to-school.ece](http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/northwest-dallas-county/headlines/20150915-irving-ninth-grader-arrested-after-taking-homemade-clock-to-school.ece) > [@](#): > > Update at 11:20 a.m. Wednesday: At a press conference this morning, Irving Police Chief Larry Boyd said Ahmed Mohamed was arrested for bringing “a hoax bomb” to school – and not a clock, as Mohamed said he repeatedly told his teachers. > > But, Boyd said, “we are confident it’s not an explosive device” intended to cause “alarm.” Rather, he said, officers determined it was “a hoax bomb” and a “naive accident.” > > As a result, he said, no charges will be filed against Ahmed, and “the case is considered closed.” He also said “the reaction would have been the same regardless” of the student’s skin color. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/55 "2015-09-16T17:12:38Z")
“Police Chief lies to cover up incompetence. In other news, fire is still hot. More at 11.” ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/56 "2015-09-16T17:22:15Z")
Can the police chief be sued for slander? ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/57 "2015-09-16T17:30:02Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > By Og’s Beard, the stupid, it burns like the heat from a thousand suns. [Quote=Principal Knucklehead] I recommend using this opportunity to talk with your child about the Student Code of Conduct and specifically not bringing items to school that are prohibited. [/Quote] So, circuit boards are prohibited in Irving schools now? I guess parents must be pretty hot over all those laptop computers and cell phones confiscated. ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/58 "2015-09-16T17:34:16Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Can the police chief be sued for slander? Nope. Limited liability. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/59 "2015-09-16T17:37:25Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > Just very poor timing really. Ironic, isn’t it ? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454/60 "2015-09-16T17:37:39Z")
> [@Punoqllads](#): > > Nope. Limited liability. The how about the department, or the city? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-this-is-totally-going-to-kill-bring-your-clock-to-school-day/731454.md?page=4)