Plastic Bottle Bombs

So there’s a new, DANGEROUS, fad that has been goin around recently. It’s called “Plastic Bottle Bombing”, also known as “acid bombs.” There is an email being forwarded that warns people to be careful of ‘bottle bombs.’ Bottle bombs are homemade explosives consisting of water, Drano, and aluminum foil in a plastic bottle. So basically they are turning “Pure Life” bottles into “Pure Death” bottles. I didn’t believe it when I got it, so I checked it out…apparently it’s TRUE, and it’s catching popularity.
Here is what the email looks like:

Subject: Fw: Good information for everyone!
Check SNOPES……………
Good safety info that I never heard of; be careful and watch the video if you don’t believe it.
Pay attention to this.
1. A plastic bottle with a cap.
2. A little Drano.
3. A little water.
4. A small piece of foil.
5. Disturb it by moving it; and BOOM!!
6. No fingers left and other serious effects to your face, eyes, etc.
People are finding these bombs in mailboxes and in their yards, just waiting for you to pick it up intending to put it in the trash. But, you’ll never make it!!! It takes about 30 seconds to blow after you move the thing. See “SNOPES” below….it’s true. This happened a few days ago…April 27, as a matter of fact.

So of course I checked it out, and it’s pretty crazy how much of a blast you can get with just a few household items. BUT, remember, homemade “bottle bombs” have been around for at least 20 years, though they’ve been known by different names; including “acid bombs,” “Drano bombs,” “works bombs,” “pressure bombs,” and “MacGyver bombs.” Good thing it wasn’t called a “MacGruber Bomb”…because then it would bomb by itself…just like the movie did.
A LOT of teenagers are using these to pull of some mad pranks because they can easily be made with common household items that mom has. It’s even easier because parents could ask what they’re doing with the items and they could just say that it’s for a science experiment. But police warn that they are unpredictable and dangerous. Police have determined that even being caught with one of these bombs would be considered a felony, especially if injuries or property damages happen. It’s a crazy concept, but very easy to create.
The way a bottle bomb works is simple. When the aluminum foil touches the Drano solution, a strong chemical reaction occurs, releasing a gas that causes pressure to build up inside the plastic bottle, which eventually explodes. The boiling liquid that spews out in various directions from the explosion can cause second or third degree burns, and/or blindness. There are TONS of YouTube videos that demonstrate how to construct and detonate the bombs…and I’m sure ones that show people’s fingers getting blown off.
There have been many incidents of this happening to people, and it’s pretty intense. If anything, it will make you give a second take to a plastic bottle on the side of the road. Here’s a video explaining what it’s all about:
http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/bottlebomb.asp

http://huntermcgee.wordpress.com/2010/07/06/plastic-bottle-bombs-2/