The Snohomish Smokescreen
In September, a robber disguised as a gardener pepper-sprayed an armored car driver using a pesticide sprayer and ran off with a bag stuffed with $400,000 in cash. When police arrived seconds later, they found the sidewalk crowded with dozens of men decked out in the same attire as the perp: blue shirt, Day-Glo vest, safety mask and glasses. While the cops hacked through a forest of suspects, the real perp fled to a nearby creek and escaped in a waiting inner tube.
Turns out the unwitting decoys had been lured to the crime scene by a Craigslist ad that promised construction work to those showing up in a “yellow vest, safety goggles, a respirator mask … and, if possible, a blue shirt.” A month later, following a lead from a homeless man who witnessed the preparation for the Brinks job, police arrested 28-year-old Anthony Curcio fresh from a Las Vegas vacation. Curcio is now charged with “Interference with commerce by threats or violence,” because “Pulling the most awesome robbery ever” isn’t listed in the U.S. code.
Looks like the OP is a hacker according to definition 7 from the Jargon File, which is a glossary of slang used in certain circles: “One who enjoys the intellectual challenge of creatively overcoming or circumventing limitations”.
Well, other than “Heists,” the OP lists a bunch of activities that can be performed in a controlled, legal setting. I mean, magicians incorporate a lot of those into their bits all the time. Ok, so the OP probably doesn’t want to be a master of street magic, but you can practice lock picking, code breaking, and card counting in your home just for fun or to impress your friends.
So, no, I did not expect him to respond, “Yes, we’re planning a heist.” Some people like to research a topic, others like to practice it, and some both. Sure, these topics are often related to an illegal activity, but it’s not always the case.
