Yes, they are responsible for having some connection to the real world and popular culture, so they can have an idea of what is going on. I've only watched Adult Swim once in my life and am not into that sort of thing, and I have still found ATHF hard to avoid.
Aqua Teen Hunger Force is the Real World now? Our civic officials now have a constitutional requirement to be "down"? That is truly funny.
I've watched Adult Swim more than once, but I still wouldn't have recognized these moon-thingies. Don't know if I would have found them suspicious, though.
I wouldn't necessarily expect the popo to be "down". But I would expect them to display some common sense. These blinkie contraptions are nothing more than high tech graffiti. It shouldn't take a bomb squad to figure out that there's nothing explosive or dangerous about them.
And even if you do send in the bomb squad to check out the first sign you find and learn that it's obviously not a bomb, then why on earth do you send the bomb suqad to check out the dozen other identical signs? How senseless can you be?
"Hey look! It's a circuit board with lights and a picture of a cartoon character. I wonder if it's a bomb? Send in the bomb squad!"
"Hey look! It's another one of those circuit boards with lights and a picture of a cartoon character, just like the last one. That last one wasn't a bomb, but this one is identical so it's gotta be a bomb. Send in the bomb squad!"
"Hey look! It's two more of those glowing cartoon character signs. Those first two weren't bombs, and these new ones are identical to those. That can only mean these new ones are bombs. Quick, send in the bomb squad before they explode!"
"Hey look, it's yet another one of those glowing cartoon character signs. We've found half a dozen of 'em so far today, and none of those were bombs. That can only mean that this new one is a bomb. Send in the bomb squad!"
I wouldn't expect civic officials to watch ATHF, but I
do expect them to display some common sense. Shutting down all the major roads and bridges in Boston over these stupid things is not even remotely sensible.