'This Bike is a Pipe Bomb' Urges Caution

A sticker on a bike which read "This Bike is a Pipe Bomb" shut down traffic to part of Memphis International Airport Monday night and created a sticky situation for police and the bike's owner.

Ryan Modee, lead singer of the band This Bike is a Pipe Bomb , said this wasn't the first time their sticker has gotten someone into trouble, but he said he hopes this is the last time that happens.

They're a popular band from Pensacola, Florida and their sometimes controversial band name gained national attention Monday evening in Memphis.

"It really didn't mean anything at the time," said Modee. "It was just a name that sounded pretty memorable."

Modee said he heard about the confusion over the sticker affixed to a bike at Memphis International Airport just before speaking to FOX13 News Tuesday.

"I was at work and just kind of freaked out," he said. "I was like 'Oh God, not again. How could this be happening?'"

The incident happened when officials say an airport police officer found a bike chained outside Terminal C with the sticker on it. Police detained and searched the bike's owner before releasing him.

"It's just really sad," said Modee. "It seems like it's costing a lot of money and making them more scared."

But Modee said this wasn't the first time the name of his band has caused an alarm. In 2001 and 2006, similar incidents occurred in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas.

"They ripped this guy's bike to shreds with the jaws of life," he said. "The fire department, SWAT team came from 40 miles away, shut the school down for a while. It was a big mess."

The folk-punk band came together 13 years ago and the band name came about because of their passion for riding bikes together.

But Modee said while he thinks the commotion is a big waste of money for tax payers, he advises people to think about where the sticker is before they go show their support in some public places.

"This is a weird society we live in," he said. "It's not like it was 12 years ago. If you're going to…go to the court room or if you're going to go to the airport, just cover it up. Take it off and we'll send you a new one."

While no charges have been filed against the man involved in Monday night's incident at the airport, Modee said since the problems with the stickers have started they have not been contacted by either local state or federal authorities. But he did say the band played a show in Ohio after the incident at Ohio University.