Balloon child

[freebird5825]

I didn't watch it live today, but have been following online reports.

I am not amused by this obvious publicity stunt. National radar resources were involved, which means they were distracted from their usual lookout tasks.

Charge them double.

 

[haha]

Cut me a switch...

Don't forget-the parents are known media sophisticates, this might be a stunt cooked up by them. The 6 year old is too young to be expected to resist his parents' plan. Cut a switch stout enough to handle Mom and Dad too.

Ha

 

[youbet]

Cut a switch stout enough to handle Mom and Dad too.

Wouldn't that be referred to as an axe handle?

 

[growing_older]

Why were the kids all at home during the day on a weekday? What about school?

 

[Shawn]

I wish I grew up in a family like this. The kids must be having a blast. Rockets, balloons, searches for extraterrestrials.

I could be wrong, but I don't believe that this was a publicity stunt. The statements from their neighbors suggest that it wasn't. If that's the case, I don't believe that they should have to pay for the search and rescue efforts. That would be a horrible precedent. Children get lost or in some sort of predicament all the time. You don't want a decision on whether to call 911 (or the FAA) to be influenced on a possible financial cost. If you honestly believe a child may be in danger, get help first, ask questions later.

I don't believe the boy should be punished. He's 6 years old. A young child often hides when he thinks people are looking for him. He's afraid of getting into trouble.

Back to the family. This family is what America is all about, or should be about. OK. I didn't see any of the Wife Swap episodes. I'm basing my statement entirely on today's news articles. One reason for this country's strength has been the unencumbered pursuit of ideas over the last 250 years. This family can no longer cross the country in a covered wagon, so they're exploring the world in other ways. They're demonstrating creativity, ingenuity, and inventiveness. They're not afraid of adventure. They appear to be liked by their neighbors, who say they're eccentric, but kind. They are an interesting family.

 

[Telly]

A big media show. Another example of how idiotic many in the media are. What is it about the media that seems to attract so many non-thinking bubbleheads? TV "news" is filled with examples.

No way would a helium ballon of that small size be able to lift a six year old. Maybe if he was a six year old Cabbage Patch "boy".

Even if the balloon was a lot lot bigger, the shape alone says it wasn't carrying a load other than itself. If there was a significant payload at the bottom, the envelope wouldn't hold the hamburger-bun shape. The center would rise, and the outer periphery would contract inwards due to the tension between the buoyancy above and the mass below. The pictures show that it obviously was lifting only its own mass.

When I see things like this get so many people wound-up, I start to wonder if I'm from a different planet. Or maybe the earthlings are being plucked out one by one and are being replaced by bubbleheads from some distant galaxy...

 

[kumquat]

my brother got a ticket for speeding when driving by himself at age 7 about 12 miles from our home,

Well, I waited for the drama to end, before hijacking the thread.

Please tell us the cop believed him when he produced a driver's license.

 

[RonBoyd]

Interview Sets Off Skeptics of Balloon Drama

 

[check6]

It was difficult to get the perspective of the size of the balloon inflight from the helicopter videos, but when I saw the the balloon nearing touchdown, I questioned whether it could carry a 6 yr old with an average weight of 45-50lbs.

 

[steve88]

after hearing it on the radio yesterday I turned the tv on to see what was going on. Watching 15 minutes when the balloon landed and they profiled the family I knew it was a hoax. I then called my wife and told her that this is kooky. Sure enough last night on the news the kid slipped and said "it was for a show". LOL

I am sure someone will prove me wrong.

 

[travelover]

Interview Sets Off Skeptics of Balloon Drama

This guy's body language does not seem to support his words.

 

[ziggy29]

 

[travelover]

.............No way would a helium balloon of that small size be able to lift a six year old. Maybe if he was a six year old Cabbage Patch "boy"..........

My thoughts exactly

 

[Cattusbabe]

So cable news spent two hours tracking a home made silver balloon. Egg on the face and a complete waste of everybody's time. Shades of Orsen Welles.

 

[W2R]

I love that!! It has been decades and I will never, ever forget poor little baby Jessica, stuck many feet down in that Texas well that I think was only about 12" in diameter or so. I hope her life since her rescue has been happy and fulfilling. Like everyone, I cheered when she was finally rescued.

 

[RonBoyd]

I hope her life since her rescue has been happy and fulfilling.

Seems like.

Jessica McClure - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[ziggy29]

Seems like.

Jessica McClure - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

And in the "no good deed goes unpunished" category, note what ultimately became of the prominent rescuers.

Remind me not to rescue a toddler that falls into a hole...

 

[Texas Proud]

Send the parents the check for the rescue effort.

Glad he is ok

You mean a bill, don't you

 

[Bestwifeever]

Balloon Boy dad made a charming video on YouTube of the little darlings making booger soup and serving it to mom. Still glad the little tyke is safe, but this family has to be angling for a reality show, perhaps following Octomom....

 

[Texas Proud]

As someone else said..... the balloon just did not look like it was carrying any kind of weight.....


ALSO, the brother 'said' he saw him getting into the balloon... but then they say it was tethered and the parents let it go up... how in the heck can the parents even allow the balloon to get in the air with a child inside!!! even tethered

So, from the beginning... this smacks of a 'show'.... and I think they should be prosecuted for lying to the police... pay a fine and pay for the FULL cost of rescue (OH, the full cost also should include the extra gas the airlines had to pay for diverting from Denver airport... that should be a pretty penny)... heck, I would like to see the dad in jail for 30 or so days...


The unfortunate thing is that this might have cost someone their life... not talking about the boy... but there were a lot of resources used on this... and who knows if those resources if used some other way could have prevented someone from dying somewhere else... there is no way that someone can show a link... but who knows for sure...

 

[Notmuchlonger]

You mean a bill, don't you

Yes

 

[ziggy29]

You mean a bill, don't you

In a restaurant, the terms "bill" and "check" are interchangeable...

 

[Shawn]

Interview Sets Off Skeptics of Balloon Drama

Of course, this story is on [-]Fox[/-] CNN so you have to be a little leery.

But I'm intrigued by all the Monday morning quarterbacks who, after the fact, are so convinced that this balloon could not carry a young child. Apparently, the police, military, and other rescue personnel were not so convinced during the big event (perhaps it's their fault for not checking out internet discussion forums to get the real scoop before launching such an expensive rescue effort). More so, there were multiple interviews with actual balloon experts during the chase. I didn't hear a single one of these experts suggest that "this is a hoax - it's obvious that this balloon cannot carry a young child."

Police investigators are trained to identify truth from deception. They deal with this all the time. "No officer, I don't know how the 20 kilo's of cocaine got in the trunk of my car." OK, that's an easy one, but in more ambiguous situations the police assess communication, emotions, body language, and other factors. They don't always get it right, but as it stands now, the people who have extensively interviewed the family and watched their reactions during the event do not believe it was a hoax.

... heck, I would like to see the dad in jail for 30 or so days...

Well, if it turns out to be a hoax, I would like to see the dad *and* the mom in jail for 30 days or so. Mom shouldn't get a free pass just because she's a woman. She was involved too.

However, if it was a hoax, it was a poor one. Personally, if I was trying to fool the news media and others, I wouldn't allow my 6 year old co-conspirator son to be interviewed on TV. I'd leave the lying to the adults.

 

[Cruisinthru]

I have to agree with an earlier poster, the Dad's body language says he is untruthful. In all the things the police are trained to look for in a liar, he did them all. I bet it all ends up that this whole thing was a stunt. The father took to much time to explain away why his darling son would say that they did it "for a show". There was way to much fluff and detail in his answer. There was to much sobbing and no tears or even damp eyes showing, Plus the kicker for me is the kid now has the flu. That is very convenient. The police can not talk to him much if the poor little thing is sick. That gives them more time to prep the kid in his responses. The truth will come out eventually.

Children up to the age of 6 or so are not generally good fibbers and usually will spill the beans pretty fast when interviewed.

 

[RonBoyd]

I didn't hear a single one of these experts suggest that "this is a hoax - it's obvious that this balloon cannot carry a young child."

The station I watched had an on-air "expert" (an Investigator of some kind) who mentioned that very thing a couple of times. He also had questions about the photograph of the object "dropped" from the balloon. On the other hand, I suspect that someone in that position has to exercise (tremendous) caution in talking to the press.

I don't have time but you could check the station's website (see link above) to see if they have posted the video.

And I might mention, again, the reporter at the Sheriff's news conference who asked if it was a "Reality TV" episode.