Panic no joke

There's nothing funny about the reaction of Bostonians to the discovery Wednesday of numerous blinking electronic signs displaying a boxy-looking cartoon character. Some of the signs had protruding wires. Others resembled pipe bombs. So it's little wonder residents and officials feared their city was under attack. Highways, bridges and river traffic were shut down. Bomb squads were dispatched. All for nothing, as the devices were an advertising gimmick for a Cartoon Network show.

The following day, some people were having a good laugh over the Boston response. After all, similar devices were placed in nine other cities and folks there didn't panic. But why not? In the post-9/11 world, law enforcement officials have encouraged anyone who sees anything suspicious to report it to authorities. In the eyes of people who didn't know better, this cartoon-looking thing was suspicious. Better to be safe than sorry.

Turner Broadcasting, the Cartoon Network's parent company, is probably chuckling over all the publicity for its show. Maybe a claim by Boston for the cost of the response - materials used, overtime paid, whatever - will temper its glee.