Boston Marathon - live track any runner via the web - very cool - until the explosives went off

Submitted by Jeff Buster on Mon, 04/15/2013 - 10:44.

Roof top view to center of one of the two blasts on Boylston Street, Boston.  Shock and awe right here at home.

Could the explosive have been in the cast iron tree grate or under neith the US mail distribution box?  Clearly the mail distribution box up on legs is a hazard because explosives can be concealed underneith.    Image  April 15, 2013. (Elise Amendola/AP

 

 

Image Boston Globe / Getty Images

 

The Boston Marathon is underway right this minute.   Over 25,000 participants leave in waves from Hopkinton, Massachsetts to finish in downtown Boston.

Every runner has a transceiver in the runner's bib (with the runner's number visible on the bib too).   The Boston Athletic Association's web site allows searching for any runner, or group of runners, and then live tracking each runner throughout the race.  

Very cool because viewers and friends can cheer on a runner in the western portion of the marathon, and then jump on the transit - get ahead of the runner - and then cheer the runner on again!

Everyone is out today!   People from around the world are here!  It's NUTS!

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Boston feels like Syria or Irag or Afghan or Nam - right now

 The cell phone channels are overwhelmed.   Getting a taste of chaos here - but really, the rest of the world puts up with it everyday.  Really blew out the positive mood of the day.   And many runners who were still headed to the finish line - were detoured - and couldn't officially finish their race. 

Unlike Cleveland - which send all trauma folks to Metro - even if the trauma happens way over on the East Side of Cle - Boston has 3 trauma level one capable hospitals - Mass General, Tufts, and Boston City.

Only two dead so far....

 

Were explosions viewed by bomber?

A couple if suggestions:

Both explosions were on the same side of the street.   The personality of the perp is clearly morbid.  So, 

It might not be  a bad idea to check who had hotel or other rooms which had a view of that section of the street.   

If the devices were triggered by cell phone calls (and not by timers) then it would appear that one cell phone made two calls about 15 seconds apart.   But it could have been two cell phones outcalling...   Cell phone records from the cell repeaters feeding Boylston Street can be scanned for two outgoing calls at 15 seconds apart. 

We Americans have a bigger problem....sociopathic folks

 I will go out on a limb here, and make a relatively radical observation...

If it turns out that the Boston Marathon crippling misery imposer is, in fact,an American, then we have a problem, Houston.

Alienation of our own folks.   

We will see.

 

can't sniff ammonia in a pressure cooker

 Explosives have a strong smell ..ammonia, nitrogen... that's what the dogs recognize.   If the explosives are contained inside a pressure (only a few pounds pressure) cooker,  one can  get past dogs or a mechanical sniffer. 

What is the appropriate technical resolution?

Or are bombs protected by the second amendment?

Folks from the NRA - please weigh in here.   Why are bombs any different constitutionally from guns? Bombs are effective...