These people that cause a bomb scare to happen only to later say it was just a joke

[gerry]

After everything that has happened recently i am surprised to see that there are still some people that cause a bomb alert only to later say it was just a joke.

Case1:19 year old female student was running late for a flight she was meant to be on.So she phones her friend to tell the police that there was explosives on the plane.Her friend alerted the police who halted 3 flights.The student was later arrested, when arrested she said to the police " It has all been abit of a misunderstanding.I was running late for my flight & i knew i would not make it.I told her to get them to hold the plane up.Tell them there is a bomb on board.It's all been a joke".

Case2:A woman 26 years old  travelling on a coach spotted a bag that had been left behind.She told the driver there was a bomb in it.As the driver was to unzip the bag the woman yelled Bang in a loud voice & burst out laughing there was no bomb.Once again the police were called & the woman said it had only been a joke.

What is it with these people that seem to think because it's just a joke they are doing no harm?.

Maybe these people should have abit of consideration for the people that HAVE lost loves ones in the past month.

[Fitzer]

It could be pointed out in defence of the girl in case 1 that she did (or didn't) do this last November not in the current climate. Still an extremely stupid thing to do.

[OBonio]

Case 1 is inexcusable. Straight to prison, don't pass go.

Case 2 though... she probably laughs at funerals. Nothing is sacred and a potential target for a 'joke'. If she didn't laugh she'd probably cry.

[Gevs1966]

People make honest silly mistakes (case 1) and unfortunately there are also those who make jokes in poor taste (case 2).

Everyone in this world would have at some point done something or said something without thinking through every possible outcome first. If people are to be seriously punished for that then god help us all and god help you the next time you offend someone in some way by not thinking about everything before you say something.

Personally I've got more important things to spend my time on then moaning about these people who make genuine misjudgements!!

[gerry]

Gevs1966 this was much more than a silly mistake.After the tragic events of Lockerbie & 9/11 what exactly did this girl think would happen?.Once she told everyone she was joking things would be fine.There is no excuse for what this girl did.

[gerry]

Plus the Girl in case 1 is 19 years old.She's old enough to know that if you mention bomb in an airport or claim there is a bomb in a plane.Your going to get into some kind of s*it over it.

[twiglet4frog]

to be fair to case one it wasnt that which she said in her txt, she was txting her friend several times saying how she was running late for her flight and how she was still at least 25 mins away from the airport when it took off in 10 mins,

at this point the accussed girl (i shall call girl A) txted

Girl A - I am never going to catch this plane, What am i going to do

Girl B- I dont know

Girl A -Phone the police and tell them there is a Bomb on the 8.10 flight

At this point the GIRL B rang the police and reported the bomb threat! Now, I know it was a bit of a stupid thing for Girl A to say really, but if it is a joke between mates txting and she wasnt being serious for her mate to phone, knowing full well that she isnt even at the airport!! Why wasnt girl B charged?? she rang the police over an obvious joke txt, her defence was "I honestly believed my friend was telling me she had heard about a bomb threat and needed the police to know!"

My wonder is was she seriously so dumb as to not realise the joking txts going on? Was she so dumb as to think if Girl A was so serious she could have used the mobile she was txting on to phone the police herself?

Or was she phoning the police to delay the flights for her friend like she thought would be a good idea to help her mate out, in which Girl A was lacking common sense and judgement, while Girl B was causing a serious and illegal hoax!

[LeMarchand]

OR maybe she just thought, "I'm young, I'm pretty, I'll get away with it."

[gerry]

The point is in case 1 the girl knew she wasn't going to make the flight.So she thinks that if she says there is a bomb on the plane.Then that plane wont be going anywhere.Surely if Girl A had mentioned  bomb on the plane in her txt then she would have also put joking next to it so Girl B knew she wasn't being serious?.

[bernardo]

I do not know anything about case 2.

In case 1, I believe that the lady concerned has today been found not guilty.  The key fact in case 1 seems to be that the joke was only one in a long series of jokes between the same two people, and was never intended by Girl A to go beyond the two of them.  I have not read or seen detailed reports of the case, but Girl B seems to have a lot of explaining to do - why did she not take it as a joke, did she think it was a real threat, why did she think so, how did she think that Girl A got the information, etc.  Girl A seems to be a frightened young person who made what was intended to be a private joke, and was then completely bewildered when Girl B unexpectedly took it seriously.

[bazwillrun]

Remember the case in the USA not that long ago of the girl who when asked by security at the airport "What have you got in your bag ? and she replied a bomb, given two more chances to change her reply she insisted  its a bomb" and was then surprised when she was arrested. I was only joking she said as they hauled her off to chokey 

This Aussie girl knew exactly what she was doing, but like most people who commit crime , they dont think that they will get caught. what is  amazing is the jury that found her not guilty, shes about as lucky as the lady who just won 77 million in the Euro Lottery dont you think. Even the judge couldnt believe the not guilty verdict, so he decided that she still should pay her legal cost which amount to  �15000.

[twiglet4frog]

The thing is tho, She wasnt in an airport, she was in a taxi on the way there, she wasnt talking on a phone so anyone would hear, she was txting a so called best mate and she also made the joke of phoning the police about a bomb to delay the plane as one of several jokes she shared with her friend that morning about missing the plane. I think a warning that she should consider how she words things in future when txting a friend, no matter what the joke, is needed, but that her friend who rang the police should be the one facing police charges, as we arent talking virtual strangers here, we are talking two best friends that txt all day everyday to each other, joking about how she would miss her flight. I agree with bernado, i think Girl A lacks judgement where her humour is concerned in the light of current events, but i think Girl B's story of seriously believing her friend wanted the police contacted over a bomb a little difficult to swallow when u consider the full conversation and situation they were in. I think this was Girl B thinking it would help her friend out to do it until armed police came banging on her door, to which she panicked and dropped all the blame at her friends feet and claimed all innocence!

[Phantaxus]

Case 2: I think you will find that from a legal standpoint opening or moving an unattended bag is considered an act of terrorism, as doing so could set a device off.

[Dark Angel]

Both women are stupid and each should be given a smack across the face.

[flashpig]

I don't know, since the whole terrorism thing started affecting us western civilians I have been finding it scary, but the only way I feel I can cope with it is to joke about it (although I keep them to myself and friends). Especially when getting on planes or tubes there is the fear that it might all go up in flames, but I always try to look at it lightly, or else I would be stuck in my house.

This might be found to be in bad taste, but it is the way I get rid of my nerves, at least slightly. This woman was going to be late for her plane, as well as going through the airport security and flying (both of which were nerve shaking before 9/11) and then th threat of terrorism. If she's anything like me I think it's okay to privately joke to get rid of her nerves.

Her friend is a complete dunce.

Between all of you and anonymous me, I always think, when asked "are you carrying any sharp objcts" to answer "yes, a lemon" or something. I don't, and its not that funny, but I always think it and chuckle about it. I hate being nervous.