OT: Bought some fuse

[HeyBub]

At the hobby store.

I've got a toilet tissue core covered with red construction paper on which I've printed "DANGER!" and "EXPLOSIVES".

When the little tricksters come to the door, I'll say "Just a sec," reach behind the door where lies my faux dynamite and a candle.

When I swing back, with the sputtering-fuse big-banger, I'll say: "Okay, which of you little darlings wants a trick? Heh-heh-heh!"

Last year I had some really thick glasses and made out like I couldn't see their bags as I dropped the candy.

Little kids are so much fun to mess with!

[Dean Hoffman]

Whatcha gonna dew when sum big kid with know cents of humos shows up? He sez I'm from the fedurl goobermint. Yule be goin' with me.

[aemeijers]

Translating the gibberish back to English, sadly, he has a valid point. Even joking about explosives rates a visit from the authorities these days. A couple years ago, during a disaster drill at work, one employee pulled a similar stunt with a giant 'firecracker' made from office supplies. I happened to have my radio turned on at the time, and all the local responders for the drill were ordered to 'go hot' and switch to live ammo. They hauled the guy away in cuffs, even though a cursory inspection made it obvious it was not a real device. He managed to avoid going to prison, but there was a huge fine, and he lost his job. In my experience, a lot of local responders take their jobs a tad too seriously, and will pull out the SWAT suits and weaponry at the slightest excuse.

[HeyBub]

Ah, you make a good point.

[Dean Hoffman]

I've seen it on the news when a person is charged with terroristic threats for threatening a single person. This link is to a Texas lawyer's website.

one is to the Houston Chronicle. Some people got into an argument over a bumper sticker. One of them evidently said something dumb during the heat of the argument.