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At the core of it, that's what I'm annoyed at too. I agree that it was a foolish stunt in the first place* but honestly hope that those who have the job of looking out for bombers and terrorists in travel hubs are better informed than I, a mere fantasy author. I mean, the general tides in society seem to be toward a respect for international security vs. Terrorists, right? Then they should deserve it, taking into consideration all of the customs of the location within which they operate.

I also wonder where the line is, at what point is it 'gonna get shot!' vs. fashion? I don't think that I trust the discretion of these people if they are not trained to be more knowledgable than I.

Also,
Once apprehended, this person co-operated fully with the authorities 'investigating' her. She went with them without struggle and surrendered all necessary information. They did their job, she asserted her rights. Up to here, all laws are followed and systems are in accordance with design. But then, as a punitive measure, this person is charged with this vague sort of interpretable crime "Possession of a hoax device".

WTF does that mean? I mean realistically? Can I not have a costume ray-gun? Should halloween be outlawed? What's the limit? Further, this girl did not imply that she was a bomber, nor that she held a bomb -- this was all supposed. So, when the supposition (one I have already said was likely -- check the footnote) turned into an apprehension, what should have happened was an investigation (oh, shit, it's play-doh!) and a release, as the girl was within her rights as an American** to be wearing whatever the fuck she wanted and playing with whatever commonly available toy she pleased. This is true regardless of anything else, this is why these 'guardians of our society' should be trained to recognize the difference between MIT student and terrorist (again, check the first footnote, I know that they know better) and further to not be punitive when they've been taken. This citizen was within her legal rights, it is unfair dirty pool to have a fall-back punitive law to punish her with. That's the source of my indignation. It isn't really support for the subject so much as an irritation that, even if you make a statement within your rights, you will still be prosecuted and punished in a roundabout way -- for making your statement at all.

Aren't we supposed to be allowed, as wewty-wewt American citizens, to make statements in non-violent ways? As long as they are within our rights? Had this T-shirt been declared as a bomb, then you could call it a hoax device. Had a bomb threat been called in? Again, a hoax device. But because some undertrained (as we've established) wage slave has paranoiacally declaimed? I call 'broken system' on 'hoax devices'. May as well be a RAND function, roll 1d6.

*So, another tale from my childhood:
One day, when I was 7 or 8, my father and I went to LAX to pick up a package at the International gate. A big deal thing that needed to get couriered in. I was joking with my Pops, precocious lad that I was, about a "suitcase full of c4." True story! So, my dad hastily tells me that even making jokes like that was bad news in an airport (this is 1982, recall. Not post 9/11 USA). He explains to me that there is a complex listening and viewing network built into LAX, one with microphones and cameras everywhere. I was pretty amazed, eyes opened you might say, but I didn't realize how cool security there was until we got to the gate. See, when we arrived, and we approached the counter and clerk were, and the clerk looks at me, smiling, and says "No, you cannot make jokes about a suitcase full of C4, little boy, or we might have to arrest you."
Woo! I was impressed.

**1st Amendment -- gaw-damn it!