When Jokes Go Too Far

DoubleFacePalm In all the years I’ve been using the internet, there is always some boob out there who utters something so unbelievably ridiculous that it just boggles the mind. At least one to two major flub-ups happen once per year.

Well, we’ve got our first for 2010. Such an event happened very recently.

It involved a Twitter post where somebody that had a scheduled flight got snowed in, so he posted that in a week’s time he was going to blow up the airport. I’m not kidding.

Let me make this absolutely clear: That’s not funny.

We all know posting a threat of any kind is wrong – but when it involves a mode of mass transportation that, oh, I don’t know.. THE WORLD is paying very keen attention to right now concerning its security, you get what’s coming to you.

The person who posted that "tweet" was arrested. He bailed his way out, but was suspended from work. That really doesn’t matter since this guy’s name is now plastered all over the internet. That "joke" will now follow him for the rest of his life because he thought he was being funny.

I honestly wonder how many times this has to happen before people get it through their thick skulls. Threatening is NOT funny. And the "Ha ha, I was just kidding" defense cannot be used as your get-out-of-jail free card.

Let this be a notice to all: This is 2010. The internet is a worldwide communications medium, and you will be noticed when you post things publicly. Don’t threaten anybody. Ever. It’s not funny and never was.

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  • David M

    Absolutely Rich.

    Yelling “Hi Jack” while standing in the airport security line is not funny either. :)

    You would think that by now everyone knows that the people at the TSA have no sense of humor while working. There is no freedom of speech when it comes to public safety…and rightfully so.

  • http://howto-ubuntu.com Eli

    So, they nab this guy when all the information they have on him is a twitter message. Didn’t take many clues for them to get him.

    They can do this, but they can’t catch the people who actually get onto planes with explosives. The notion of security is a joke.

    • David M

      Security will never be 100% perfect. There will always be bad guys who slip through the cracks. Its definitely better to have something than nothing. There is definitely room for improvement though. I would like to see the government contract with the private sector to do the airport security. I think it would be much more effective and cost efficient. We end up with too many idiots on the job when government does the hiring.

      • David M

        …In addition to political correctness preventing the TSA from doing the most effective screening.

  • http://www.getdiabeteshelp.info/ diabetic symptoms

    I think the right move to arrest

  • Peter

    well the more the government does to try and “increase securtiy”, the more stupid rules there will be. like for example i read that they may make a law saying that you can not have any electronics on during flight. How gay is that?

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