Balloon boy Really?

So there is all this hype about this family and the balloon that their son was in.
I didn't hear about this until it was on the net. And I was shocked for a moment. Because really what kind of parents would have something like this just in their back yard where their kids could mess with it.
Then I saw the video of it. Really all these cop's and news reporters thought that a boy could really be in that. If you look at the balloon, you could totally tell that NO ONE would be able to sit in there and be able to take off in it. It looked like it was made out of the birthday balloons that you buy out of the stores. And even if, by some chance he was really in it, and they saw something fall from the balloon and they thought that it was him , WHY was everyone STILL following the balloon?

And after 2 hours they finally discover the boy in a attic.. To me this TOTALLY screams FAKE!! Witch we find out a few days later that it was. And now the parents are facing half a million dollars in fines, and jail time.. GOOD!! Did they really think that something like this was not going to have a punishment? And why in the world would you do something like that, and think that everyone was going to feel sorry for you ? I guess the parents are also about to get their kids taken away from them? Unless I read wrong. Really, maybe they should be taken away. Who's to say that the next time (I'm sure there WONT be a next time) the next stunt wont be worse?

Really did they have to so something like this just for a up-in-coming show that they "may have" been in? Who was the master mind that came up with that idea?
Your a scientist and you couldn't think of something better?

If you ask me, they should have their kids taken away, who knows what they will come up with next, and they should pay the fines, if not more. And I think that they should also do some jail time..And hope that they think about what they just did.