Put your hands behind your head and step away from the burrito.

[Shockeye]

Bum wrap
School mistakes huge burrito for weapon, goes into lockdown

The Associated Press

Updated: 7:43 p.m. ET April 29, 2005

CLOVIS, N.M. - A call about a possible weapon at a middle school prompted police to put armed officers on rooftops, close nearby streets and lock down the school. All over a giant burrito.

Someone called authorities Thursday after seeing a boy carrying something long and wrapped into Marshall Junior High.

The drama ended two hours later when the suspicious item was identified as a 30-inch burrito filled with steak, guacamole, lettuce, salsa and jalapeños and wrapped inside tin foil and a white T-shirt.

"I didn't know whether to laugh or cry," school Principal Diana Russell said.

State police, Clovis police and the Curry County Sheriff's Department arrived at the school shortly after 8:30 a.m. They searched the premises and determined there was no immediate danger.

In the meantime, more than 30 parents, alerted by a radio report, descended on the school. Visibly shaken, they gathered around in a semicircle, straining their necks, awaiting news.

"There needs to be security before the kids walk through the door," said Heather Black, whose son attends the school.

After the lockdown was lifted but before the burrito was identified as the culprit, parents pulled 75 students out of school, Russell said.

Russell said the mystery was solved after she brought everyone in the school together in the auditorium to explain what was going on.

"The kid was sitting there as I'm describing this (report of a student with a suspicious package) and he's thinking, 'Oh, my gosh, they're talking about my burrito.'"

Afterward, eighth-grader Michael Morrissey approached her.

‘"He said, 'I think I'm the person they saw,'" Russell said.

The burrito was part of Morrissey's extra-credit assignment to create commercial advertising for a product.

"We had to make up a product and it could have been anything. I made up a restaurant that specialized in oddly large burritos," Morrissey said.

After students heard the description of what police were looking for, he and his friends began to make the connection. He then took the burrito to the office.

"The police saw it and everyone just started laughing. It was a laughter of relief," Morrissey said.

"Oh, and I have a new nickname now. It's Burrito Boy."

[schild]

I love Chipotle, Moe's, California Tortilla, Qudoba's, Barbacoa and all the other giant burrito places that have become popular.

[stray]

Down here in Texas, just about every Mom and Pop Mexican restaurant makes giant burritos. You're getting ripped off if they don't.

[Paelos]

WELCOME TO MOE'S!

PUT YOUR HANDS WHERE WE CAN SEE THEM!

[Furiously]

"Our burrito's are considered a WMD."

[WayAbvPar]

"Our burrito's are considered a WMD."

Considering the wailing and gnashing of teeth that can go on the next day (depending on the Scoville rating), perhaps that is an accurate label...

[Zephyr]

When I used to visit friends at SIU or U of I, Illinois that is, we usually hit Labamba to get the so called "burrito as big as your head".  The picture alone instigated many late night stoner debates.

[voodoolily]

"Our burrito's are considered a WMD."

Considering the wailing and gnashing of teeth that can go on the next day (depending on the Scoville rating), perhaps that is an accurate label...

I heard about a jailbreak a few years ago wherein the inmates had been using the hot sauce on the bars of their cell instead of eating it. Over the course of some years, the bars had been eroded enough that they were able to escape. I can't find a link.

[blackotter]

Welcome to Burrito Boy!  Home of the Oddly Large Burrito!

Kid's going to be a millionaire :)

[Nazrat]

I heard about a jailbreak a few years ago wherein the inmates had been using the hot sauce on the bars of their cell instead of eating it. Over the course of some years, the bars had been eroded enough that they were able to escape. I can't find a link.

I think Mythbusters did a show on this and showed that the salsa did actually eat through the bars over time.  Mythbusters Episode 26

[Abagadro]

It was salsa plus electricity I believe. Good ep.

[Nazrat]

Yeah, they used the electricity to accelerate the acidic affect on the bars.  I can't remember if that was the method that worked though.  IIRC, the one who used the radio actually lost.  I think it was Jamie that didn't use the radio who won. 

Not enough sleep ftw.  Damn Guild Wars.

[Zephyr]

Yeah, they used the electricity to accelerate the acidic affect on the bars.  I can't remember if that was the method that worked though.  IIRC, the one who used the radio actually lost.  I think it was Jamie that didn't use the radio who won. 

Not enough sleep ftw.  Damn Guild Wars.

Other way around, the radio had a DC converter which worked due to electrolysis, whereas the wire from the light socket was AC and just resulted in burnt salsa.

[Murgos]

Yeah, they used the electricity to accelerate the acidic affect on the bars.  I can't remember if that was the method that worked though.  IIRC, the one who used the radio actually lost.  I think it was Jamie that didn't use the radio who won. 

Not enough sleep ftw.  Damn Guild Wars.

Other way around, the radio had a DC converter which worked due to electrolysis, whereas the wire from the light socket was AC and just resulted in burnt salsa.

Hmm, if you had enough wire and an AC power source couldn't you do a few 10's of thousands of wraps around one iron bar and then do a few thousands of wraps on another iron bar and repeat until you've generated enough current to melt one of the bars somewhere down the chain?  Mmmm, Electromagnetics.

I'm not saying it's practical, just that it's possible.