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  1. #1
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    #twitterjoketrial

    What do you think?

    A bloke desperate to catch a flight to see his girlfriend tweets the following, clearly tongue in cheek:

    "Crap! Robin Hood airport is closed. You've got a week to get your **** together, otherwise I'm blowing the airport sky high!!
    Unfortunately for him the authorities took it literally and decided it was a terrorist threat. He's just lost his appeal at the £1000 fine, now estimated to be over £3K with costs.

    It's a dangerous precident: if I now joke that I could murder some noisy kids, or that I wish I could punch a corrupt politician, I could theoretically face arrest.

    St. Devote could be arrested for his continued desire to give journalists "knuckle sandwiches", and goodness only knows what will happen if Alonso wins the championship and my screams at the telly are taken at face value!

    It's good to see that there's currently a "Sparticus" moment, with tens of thousands of people retweeting the "threat", and exposing the stupidity of the verdict.

    It's difficult online to know when someone's being serious. Smilies help, obviously, there's a world of difference between:

    I'm going to blow up this airport
    and
    I'm going to blow up this airport
    Useful F1 Twitter thingy: http://goo.gl/6PO1u

  2. #2
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    Complete sense of humour bypass when airport security is concerned it seems. However even then, an official caution was the maximum that would have been required in this instance!

    Story here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...shire-11736785
    Good on Stephen Fry offering to pay the fine. Although I'm confused what a 'victim surcharge' is exactly.
    Please 'like' our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/motorsportforums

  3. #3
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    I suppose the problem with a defence like that case's is that you couldn't get a terrorist to take the stand and swear that they would never tweet such a message and give the game away.

    It's ridiculous what freedoms are lost in the name of protecting freedom.

  4. #4
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    Totally outrageous, but it's the way the world is heading these days sadly You are not allowed to joke when it comes to security or terrorism

    I went through a period of being quite angry when going through security at airports as I would get stopped every single time and my bag emptied out and searched and tested for explosives etc, every single time I went through - and if I questioned it they gave the standard reply, "it's just a random check". How then if I was taking four flights after each other and getting stopped every time, yet a friend travelling with me doesn't even get a second look? I still don't believe it is always random They know there is nothing you can do to stop them (other than get arrested) so I just put up with it these days.
    If the world didn't suck, we'd all fall off!

  5. #5
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    PS I don't think I look very suspicious :
    If the world didn't suck, we'd all fall off!

  6. #6
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    I beg to differ. Perhaps those phonecalls to the police about you got taken seriously?
    Rule 1 of the forum, always accuse anyone who disagrees with you of bias.I would say that though.

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  8. #8
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    Well, anyone using twitter deserves such a punishment.
    "signature room for rent"

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