The Balloon Boy That Wasn't

[Peisandros]

The kid was never in the balloon, infact he was hiding in the attic and they let it go off. I think it's pretty self-explanatory.

[Birminghamia]

The kid was never in the balloon, infact he was hiding in the attic and they let it go off. I think it's pretty self-explanatory.

I thought so, also, but the Sheriff's Dept. says publicly they suspect it wasn't.

[Peisandros]

The kid was never in the balloon, infact he was hiding in the attic and they let it go off. I think it's pretty self-explanatory.

I thought so, also, but the Sheriff's Dept. says publicly they suspect it wasn't.

Bah, they're just trying to save face because they got pwned by a 6 year old.

[Birminghamia]

The kid was never in the balloon, infact he was hiding in the attic and they let it go off. I think it's pretty self-explanatory.

I thought so, also, but the Sheriff's Dept. says publicly they suspect it wasn't.

Bah, they're just trying to save face because they got pwned by a 6 year old.

I'm adding that to my sig.

[Chrobalta]

Didn't the family call the FAA as well? Who the hell has the FAA's number just lying around.

Who else noticed how quickly they were hitting up the talk shows as well.

[Birminghamia]

Didn't the family call the FAA as well? Who the hell has the FAA's number just lying around.

Who else noticed how quickly they were hitting up the talk shows as well.

A "scientist" who builds a hot-air balloon looking for UFOs.

[Peisandros]

I'm adding that to my sig.

just the truth my friend.
Shame I don't have sigs on heh.
But anyway, yes, this was all a hoax. Parents may or may not have been involved, but probably were. Or else the children did it for the lulz.

[Wilgrove]

This is a family that has been on Wife Swap....twice. So yea, I see the possibility of it being a hoax.

[Maurepas]

This is a family that has been on Wife Swap....twice. So yea, I see the possibility of it being a hoax.

Really?

[Wilgrove]

This is a family that has been on Wife Swap....twice. So yea, I see the possibility of it being a hoax.

Really?

Yep.

[Reblle]

Didn't the family call the FAA as well? Who the hell has the FAA's number just lying around.

Who else noticed how quickly they were hitting up the talk shows as well.

My dad works for the FAA. But we are in Memphis, the bad side of Tennessee.

[The Romulan Republic]

I would not be so hasty to assume this was some media stunt or act of negilgence by the family yet. I am aware that some in the media appear to be trying to portray it that way, but frankly it seems just as likely to be a sensationalist ploy to milk more money out of this story as it is to be an actual crime by the family. Quite possibly the family went through a traumatizing misunderstanding, and if that is the case the worst thing to do would be to drag their names through the mud in front of the whole damn world.

Edit: is 73% of the forum really that quick to leap on the bandwagon for the next possibly-media-concocted scandal?

Edit 2: Of course, its possible that their was some misconduct here. Its probably worth looking into, and if law enforcement are taking it seriously I'm not sure how much I can blame the media. I just haven't seen anything to convince me that we should assume guilt.

[Zombie PotatoHeads]

The kid was never in the balloon, infact he was hiding in the attic and they let it go off. I think it's pretty self-explanatory.

I thought so, also, but the Sheriff's Dept. says publicly they suspect it wasn't.

Which just proves how gullible their local Sheriff's Dept is. tg I don't live there; I like having a police dept I can trust to find their asses with both hands and a mirror.

[Birminghamia]

The kid was never in the balloon, infact he was hiding in the attic and they let it go off. I think it's pretty self-explanatory.

I thought so, also, but the Sheriff's Dept. says publicly they suspect it wasn't.

Which just proves how gullible their local Sheriff's Dept is. tg I don't live there; I like having a police dept I can trust to find their asses with both hands and a mirror.

The Sheriff's Dept. was probably more worried about finding doughnuts and coffee.

[Anti-Social Darwinism]

The kid was never in the balloon, infact he was hiding in the attic and they let it go off. I think it's pretty self-explanatory.

I thought so, also, but the Sheriff's Dept. says publicly they suspect it wasn't.

Which just proves how gullible their local Sheriff's Dept is. tg I don't live there; I like having a police dept I can trust to find their asses with both hands and a mirror.

Like this police dept?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstop ... ttery.html

Actually, on topic, I'm pretty much convinced it was a hoax. The family has a history of attention-whoring behavior. I think, at this point, that the kids need to be removed from that environment and put with better examples of how adults behave. I doubt the Sheriff's Dept. really believes it wasn't a hoax, I think they're in CYA mode now.

[KaIashnikov]

Just a whole bunch of dumb hicks.

[Birminghamia]

The kid was never in the balloon, infact he was hiding in the attic and they let it go off. I think it's pretty self-explanatory.

I thought so, also, but the Sheriff's Dept. says publicly they suspect it wasn't.

Which just proves how gullible their local Sheriff's Dept is. tg I don't live there; I like having a police dept I can trust to find their asses with both hands and a mirror.

Like this police dept?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstop ... ttery.html

Actually, on topic, I'm pretty much convinced it was a hoax. The family has a history of attention-whoring behavior. I think, at this point, that the kids need to be removed from that environment and put with better examples of how adults behave. I doubt the Sheriff's Dept. really believes it wasn't a hoax, I think they're in CYA mode now.

That's about a $1,000,000 each... I don't think that's enough to quit your job here (at a young age).
I speculated the same thing about the Sheriff's Dept., hence the italicized and bold text.

[Birminghamia]

Just a whole bunch of dumb hicks.

That's what my father said when he saw the news.

[Birminghamia]

It's been four hours and no one has voted "no" (note:this doesn't mean to vote "no").

[Pope Joan]

They should be fined for all the public costs associated with the event.

Foreclose their property to pay the lien for that.

[Ryadn]

This is a family that has been on Wife Swap....twice. So yea, I see the possibility of it being a hoax.

Really?

God damn it, no one reads my posts!!

'Cept you, Wil. *pets*

[Wilgrove]

This is a family that has been on Wife Swap....twice. So yea, I see the possibility of it being a hoax.

Really?

God damn it, no one reads my posts!!

'Cept you, Wil. *pets*

*purrs*

[Anti-Social Darwinism]

This is a family that has been on Wife Swap....twice. So yea, I see the possibility of it being a hoax.

Really?

God damn it, no one reads my posts!!

'Cept you, Wil. *pets*

Ahem. I believe I've called you a genius for your posts on occasion. Not that I wish to be petted or anything.

[Zombie PotatoHeads]

media reaction to this non-story is neatly summed up by columnist Lionel Shriver's definition of hypernarrative:
"A story of nominal social importance that is played up disproportionately in the media because it satisfies what are essentially fictonal appetites"

[Anti-Social Darwinism]

media reaction to this non-story is neatly summed up by columnist Lionel Shriver's definition of hypernarrative:
"A story of nominal social importance that is played up disproportionately in the media because it satisfies what are essentially fictonal appetites"

In other words - "tabloid trash" or "news a la AOL."