Am I the only one who thinks this guy is a moron?

[Apostrophe Spacemonkey]

Reading through this thread on geekzone

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=50&topicid=175873

As far as I'm concerned, if someone takes a computer with a part that looks like a gun through customs, then he's an idiot and deserves to get his PC ruined.

But a lot of other posters are taking his side and blaming the custom officials.

[Lias]

I can understand customs desire to examine it, and indeed would want them to do so. I do take serious issue with the WAY they examined it, and believe whomever did that should be liable.

[Retardobot]

As far as I'm concerned, if someone takes a computer with a part that looks like a gun through customs, then he's an idiot and deserves to get his PC ruined.

No he doesn't. He deserves to have his belongings intact upon arrival. He deserves to expect customs to inspect his belongings without destroying them.

Because now customs in a position of "oh, it wasn't a gun, and now we have ruined his property."

However, you're asking the wrong question. What you should be asking is "who buys a motherboard with a shitty-ass, tacky gun as a heatsink" or "who the fuck designs a heatsink to look like a tacky gun".

[Craigor]

I would buy a board based on specs, quality and price

If the motherboard that was best bang for my buck just so happened to have a stupid looking heatsink, I wouldn't care that much, probably because it would be inside a case and I wouldn't really see it anyway

I can understand customs wanting to inspect it after seeing something like that show up, but they need to take a lot more care

You break it - you brought it.

[DarkVirus]

*Oops, dont know how to unzip this bag, better just hit it with a baseball bat till all the drugs and guns fall out....*

[Pigdog]

I have no empathy for somebody who has a shitty looking gun-shaped Heat-sink.

[Apostrophe Spacemonkey]

I dunno, maybe I watch too much border patrol, and get annoyed at all those stupid people who try to smuggle things through the border. I guess I have more respect for custom officers.

Walking around in public holding a fake gun is likely to get you shot. And you can get fined for doing so. I don't see how this is any different. It looked like a gun, so it should be treated as a gun. I wouldn't expect anything less, I don't think protecting some guys PC should take priority when dealing with a dangerous firearm.

If I hid a bag of harmless white powder in my laptop, then I shouldn't be surprised if customs end up having to tear it apart to check if it's a bag of drugs.

[Apostrophe Spacemonkey]

I have no empathy for somebody who has a shitty looking gun-shaped Heat-sink.

^ Pretty much this

[Xenolightning]

You're all wrong

[Retardobot]

Walking around in public holding a fake gun is likely to get you shot. And you can get fined for doing so. I don't see how this is any different. It looked like a gun, so it should be treated as a gun. I wouldn't expect anything less, I don't think protecting some guys PC should take priority when dealing with a dangerous firearm.

You're going looney tunes, Monkey.

People aren't shot when someone makes a report of someone holding a gun. Police are called in to assess and arrest before shots are fired. Not to mention someone in public with a weapon presents a much higher risk to the public, which probably does warrant a severe response.

It was found, and opened - assessing it cleanly doesn't magically put the nation in danger. "Well, bad news is we discovered it wasn't actually a weapon. But don't worry, we royally ass-fucked what the gun-like item was in, ruined it completely, we have made the nation safer!".

[Apostrophe Spacemonkey]

However, you're asking the wrong question. What you should be asking is "who buys a motherboard with a shitty-ass, tacky gun as a heatsink" or "who the fuck designs a heatsink to look like a tacky gun".

The real question is, "why hasn't someone designed a heatsink that looks like a dildo yet?"

Then we would get some much more interesting stories.

[Lias]

The real question is, "why hasn't someone designed a heatsink that looks like a dildo yet?"

Then we would get some much more interesting stories.

Because a gun is socially acceptable to the US market (worlds biggest for things like this) whereas a Dildo is not.

[Pigdog]

However, you're asking the wrong question. What you should be asking is "who buys a motherboard with a shitty-ass, tacky gun as a heatsink" or "who the fuck designs a heatsink to look like a tacky gun".

The real question is, "why hasn't someone designed a heatsink that looks like a dildo yet?"

Then we would get some much more interesting stories.

I'd like to order the but plug 9000 gpu please.

[rjhall01]

Reading through this thread on geekzone

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=50&topicid=175873

As far as I'm concerned, if someone takes a computer with a part that looks like a gun through customs, then he's an idiot and deserves to get his PC ruined.

But a lot of other posters are taking his side and blaming the custom officials.

If I was that guy I would've just mailed it. Also, I think the Custom Officers had every right to check his PC. It does have components that could contribute to a bomb (e.g battery), though they could've taken more care in the search.

[Retardobot]

Reading through this thread on geekzone

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=50&topicid=175873

As far as I'm concerned, if someone takes a computer with a part that looks like a gun through customs, then he's an idiot and deserves to get his PC ruined.

But a lot of other posters are taking his side and blaming the custom officials.

If I was that guy I would've just mailed it. Also, I think the Custom Officers had every right to check his PC. It does have components that could contribute to a bomb (e.g battery), though they could've taken more care in the search.

When things are mailed from overseas, they come through customs. Customs only job isn't to just search baggage coming in from passenger flights.

The debate here is not whether or not the item should have been searched; it's whether or not the customs officer in question should have taken far more care.

[private_hell]

It does have components that could contribute to a bomb (e.g battery)

um no - if you are stupid enough to try and make a bomb with a 3032 (cmos type) battery then you need to go back to kindy.

im not suggesting you try and make a bomb, but lithium batteries would be much better. i'll let you discover why

[Apostrophe Spacemonkey]

They teach bomb making at kindy?

[rjhall01]

It does have components that could contribute to a bomb (e.g battery)

um no - if you are stupid enough to try and make a bomb with a 3032 (cmos type) battery then you need to go back to kindy.

im not suggesting you try and make a bomb, but lithium batteries would be much better. i'll let you discover why

Doesn't mean that someone couldn't try to hide a lithium battery in a computer.. And since when do they teach bomb making in kindy :p.

[private_hell]

only the best kindy's teach it

[Bounty Hunter]

Any ideas how many packages customs have to scan and then inspect daily?

Id' rather they inspect more packages and occasionally cause significant loss than let guns through.

[Lias]

I'd rather we didn't have such anal gun control and self defence laws.

From my younger days I know any crim or dodgy bugger who wants a gun can get one, but legal owners have to jump through hoops, and the police can object to your license, and/or take it off you at any time for any reason they feel like. Not to mention every time someone shoots a bloody crim in NZ the police arrest them.

[Bounty Hunter]

I'd rather we didn't have such anal gun control and self defence laws.

From my younger days I know any crim or dodgy bugger who wants a gun can get one, but legal owners have to jump through hoops, and the police can object to your license, and/or take it off you at any time for any reason they feel like. Not to mention every time someone shoots a bloody crim in NZ the police arrest them.

By, 'such anal gun control', surely you don't mean to allow the importing of uncontrolled guns?

Like I can respect, and discuss the laws surrounding controlled weapons, but not uncontrolled.

Personally I think our gun control laws should be stronger, I've known too many unhinged people who legally own a gun.

[Lias]

They've already lost that battle thanks to Defense Distributed, and the ability to buy a gun piece by piece over the internet.

Gun laws only stop law abiding citizens from acquiring guns, so they should be ditched.