€2500 fine for private joke with daughter..

SEPT 23 1989 · 31-10-2014 2:11pm

Del2005 wrote: »

A couple of hundred people where affected and a plane was taken out of service, which costs a lot more than his little donation. There are private jokes and plain stupidity, making a joke about Ebola in the current panic knee jerk reactions is stupidity just short of writing bomb.

it should never have got to the stage where a bloody plane was taken out of service

what planet are the aircrews on?

GreeBo · 31-10-2014 2:11pm

Jenda wrote: »

When are people ever going to learn?

"Harmless jokes" about ebola on an airplane, or in an airport, are not harmless.

They can, have, and will be taken seriously for the safety of everyone working on board and everyone travelling, and you'll be up the creek for having made them - and they're right to do so.

To the poster above mine - if he "only shared a private harmless joke to his daughter about his intention to blow the plane up" or whatever, it would still be taken seriously, as it should be.

Taken seriously by whom though?
It wasnt directed to anyone other than his daughter, frankly it was none of the stewardesses business what he writes on his cups.

This isnt in the same ball park as someone "joking" with a stewardess or check-in staff about having a bomb. This shouldn't have made it anywhere once the guy explained to the stewardess.

Timmyctc · 31-10-2014 2:12pm

Del2005 wrote: »

A couple of hundred people where affected and a plane was taken out of service, which costs a lot more than his little donation. There are private jokes and plain stupidity, making a joke about Ebola in the current panic knee jerk reactions is stupidity just short of writing bomb.

Its hardly his fault that people have these retarded knee jerk reactions. It pains me that everywhere in the world is getting overly sensitive about everything.

Magico Gonzalez · 31-10-2014 2:13pm

( "bomb", "ebola", "watch out mr I have some drugs on me") = Fine.

Consider it a stupidity tax. Better that a charity has the cash and a lesson has been learned.

WoollyRedHat · 31-10-2014 2:14pm

As if someone who actually has an ebola is going to announce it to everyone else.

The air stewardness should stop reading people's cups, it's an invasion of privacy damnit.

SteM · 31-10-2014 2:15pm

The way this was reported yesterday made me think that the guy was an idiot. The actual facts make me think the air steward has him beat in that department. As for the Judge, talk about an overreaction......

The Backwards Man · 31-10-2014 2:15pm

The steward did their job. It's not their call to decide whether someone is having an innocent joke or is a bioterrorist. Same as with a bomb threat.

kylith · 31-10-2014 2:15pm

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

The judge said it was as serious as saying there was a bomb on the plane - except a bomb would kill everyone on the plane, but the only way everyone could have caught ebola if he was infected would be if they came in contact with his blood, excrement, semen etc. - and even then, with immediate care they'd probably recover.

So was it serious? yes! Was it as serious as a bomb threat? Not even close!

Isn't sweat a vector too? If you were on that plane would you brush it off so easily?

josip · 31-10-2014 2:16pm

Something doesn't add up here.
Since when do Italians buy crap, overpriced coffee on a plane?

Timmyctc · 31-10-2014 2:16pm

The Backwards Man wrote: »

The steward did their job. It's not their call to decide whether someone is having an innocent joke or is a bioterrorist. Same as with a bomb threat.

What type of bio ****ing terrorist transports ebola in a ****ing coffee cup.

PeterBrown1415 · 31-10-2014 2:18pm

'The Department of Justice' should be renamed 'The Department of Legal Affairs'

The Backwards Man · 31-10-2014 2:21pm

Timmyctc wrote: »

What type of bio ****ing terrorist transports ebola in a ****ing coffee cup.

You have a plane load of people dispersing all around the planet in an hour, do you want to be the one to make that call? 99.9999% sure it's a jokevain't gonna cut it, you have to be 100% sure.

Never assume anything.

techdiver · 31-10-2014 2:21pm

Absolutely crazy judgement! It only validates the nut-jobs who think Ebola is going to wipe us all out (check the AH forum on it!) and adds fuel to the fire of overreaction!

I have no doubt the same judge would allow the usual serial offender scumbag to walk for persistent violent offences. His comments are laughable too as to the seriousness of the "crime"!

Ah wel, it seems the whole world has "Gone Full Retard!"

Caliden · 31-10-2014 2:22pm

From the report yesterday it was as if he brought the cup to the crew's attention and said he had ebola but it was writing on the lid of a cup that was thrown in the bin.

The crew member then decided to pull a freaker and call a halt to everything.

If that was me I know I would be appealing it.

Punishing someone for a private joke? P.C. gone mad.

Next you won't be able draw a penis on a frosted window for fear of harming the poor children.

One eyed Jack · 31-10-2014 2:23pm

Timmyctc wrote: »

What type of bio ****ing terrorist transports ebola in a ****ing coffee cup.

The same type of terrorist that carries a bomb in their shoe?

EDIT: I think the fine was quite reasonable given the circumstances. Some posters here are losing the run of themselves over-reacting to what they claim was an over-reaction!

CountyHurler · 31-10-2014 2:24pm

seamus wrote: »

Fncking judges, no sense of proportion. The steward should lose their job to be quite frank.

I agree with this... I presumed when I first heard it reported that the man must have shouted "I have ebola, I have ebola" while laughing hysterically before being sedated by security... Most of the reporting also said that it was as serious as somebody handing a note to the pilot saying "I have a bomb".... No mention of the fact that the man only brought the message to the attention of his daughter, before putting it in the bin.... ridiculous

I'm sure the airline is embarrassed, and the poor man is embarrassed for an incident which I would describe as a HUGE overreaction by a member of the staff... Do all the air staff rustle through the rubbish looking for nefarious looking message?

homerjay2005 · 31-10-2014 2:24pm

Complete farce to be honest, it was a harmless joke and no doubt some old biddie in Aer Lingus caused this needless hassle.

2.5k for what i assume is his first "offence", meanwhile 1000's of criminals will get off with a suspended sentance or more likely, f*ck all in the coming months due to the joke of a judicial system we have.

coffee_cake · 31-10-2014 2:25pm

CountyHurler wrote: »

I agree with this... I presumed when I first heard it reported that the man must have shouted "I have ebola, I have ebola" while laughing hysterically before being sedated by security...

Exactly!

SteM · 31-10-2014 2:25pm

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Your have a plane load of people dispersing all around the planet in an hour, do you want to be the one to make that call? 99.9999% sure it's a jokevain't gonna cut it, you have to be 100% sure.

Never assume anything.

So no one on the plane can talk to the man to ask him what he meant and that it was just a joke? The Gardai don't question him, find out what he meant and release him with a warning?

Given what goes on in this country the fact that this makes it to court and he got fined is a farce to be honest.

SteM · 31-10-2014 2:26pm

One eyed Jack wrote: »

The same type of terrorist that carries a bomb in their shoe?

EDIT: I think the fine was quite reasonable given the circumstances. Some posters here are losing the run of themselves over-reacting to what they claim was an over-reaction!

And then writes 'There is a bomb in my shoe' on their shoe.

The Backwards Man · 31-10-2014 2:29pm

SteM wrote: »

So no one on the plane can talk to the man to ask him what he meant and that it was just a joke? The Gardai don't question him, find out what he meant and release him with a warning?

Given what goes on in this country the fact that this makes it to court and he got fined is a farce to be honest.

No, they can't, because to do so would be to nurture a disease infinitely more contagious and deadly than Ebola. . .. complacency.

FouxDaFaFa · 31-10-2014 2:32pm

I think this is absolutely ridiculous and the blame should lie with the crew rather than the passenger.

I like jokes. I make jokes. I wouldn't joke going through airport security that I had a bag of drugs or a suitcase full of c4 and I wouldn't joke with a crew member that I had ebola or malaria or tuberculosis or any other illness we're not taking as seriously right now. Because even though that's hilariously unlikely to me, it could be true and the security staff are obliged to do their jobs in that case.

But this silly private joke thing is exactly the kind of thing I could see myself doing and I find the fact that I could be arrested and found guilty of "threatening" behaviour a bit frightening, to be honest.

seamus · 31-10-2014 2:32pm

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Current protocols aside, he should have been reprimanded for such an unfunny 'joke' regardless.

You probably think then that someone who makes an ebola joke in a pub with their mates should be immediately arrested by Gardai and fined for threatening and abusive language?

Or do you now see how utterly farcical this whole episode is?

Barely There · 31-10-2014 2:35pm

He said he took into account that the flight was not in the "geo plane" of where Ebola is at the minute.

What an incredibly intelligent Judge.

SparkySpitfire · 31-10-2014 2:36pm

The Backwards Man wrote: »

No, they can't, because to do so would be to nurture a disease infinitely more contagious and deadly than Ebola. . .. complacency.

That's ridiculous.

The judge basically said that he was dealing with the matter seriously so other people would know not to do it.

If the people on the plane who witnessed the whole thing, and then saw him being escorted off the plane by the Gardaí then that would be enough to show that "you shouldn't do this". No one else would know about it except the people on the plane who would have gotten the message loud and clear.

If they'd just dealt with it like that instead of taking it to courts and wasting my hard earned tax money, there'd be nothing to talk about.

Complete overreaction.

Mena · 31-10-2014 2:36pm

I'll just echo a lot of the sentiment here: what a ridiculous turn of events. The crew member and the Judge should be deported to Liberia to gain a sense of perspective.

SteM · 31-10-2014 2:37pm

The Backwards Man wrote: »

No, they can't, because to do so would be to nurture a disease infinitely more contagious and deadly than Ebola. . .. complacency.

But people were already in contact with him. People didn't come on board in hazmat suits and frog-march him off. The same people that that had already dealt with him could have spoken to him.

BettePorter · 31-10-2014 2:38pm

While I agree what he did was ill advised I think common sense on behalf of the air steward should have prevailed!
Once the guy explained the situation surely a ' now sir that really was a silly thing to do given recent circumstances' would have been more sensical than calling the cops and unleashing holy hell!

I think the airsteward was throwing his or her authority about.

Surely they've been taught to gauge a situation on a case by case basis! I'm sure they're are plenty of eejits on flights that say idiotic things to personnel for what they think is hilarious effect, but the difference is, in most cases common sense prevails and they ignore it!

One eyed Jack · 31-10-2014 2:38pm

SteM wrote: »

And then writes 'There is a bomb in my shoe' on their shoe.

Well nobody was claiming these people were incredibly smart either.

I just don't see what all the outrage over the punishment is about, in the same way as other posters here don't see why the fine was imposed for what they think was an outrageous over-reaction. They might have a point if the guy was locked up in the Joy for a spell, but he wasn't.

The way I see it, the judge wanted the man to see just how serious his private joke (that wasn't so private after all) was. A fine was iddued, a donation to charity, and everyone moves on with their lives. This shouldn't even be headline news, but obviously given the circumstances I believe that the media are milking the ebola scaremongering for all it's worth.

BPKS · 31-10-2014 2:39pm

This was a case of the judge playing up the gallery.

There was a crash on the M7 last week which resulted in the death of a woman. Pity the judges who had handled the 99 previous convictions the alleged driver had wasnt so keen to play up to the gallery. Although those previous convictions wouldnt have made the RTE news.

€2500 fine for private joke with daughter..

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