# Ebola: Maine Teacher Is Put On Leave Because She Visited Dallas **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 19, 2014, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebola-maine-teacher-is-put-on-leave-because-she-visited-dallas/701746 "2014-10-19T00:03:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebola-maine-teacher-is-put-on-leave-because-she-visited-dallas/701746/41 "2014-10-19T14:08:13Z")
The education of our children is placed in these people’s hands. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebola-maine-teacher-is-put-on-leave-because-she-visited-dallas/701746/42 "2014-10-19T14:17:38Z")
Good thing they cancelled the Dallas TV series… ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebola-maine-teacher-is-put-on-leave-because-she-visited-dallas/701746/43 "2014-10-19T14:23:59Z")
For the life of me, I can’t figure out the thought processes here. Let’s say this woman - beyond all reason and everything we know - did have ebola. They give her leave. During her leave, she is not quarantined. She goes to the grocery store. Visits Target. Gets books from the library and returns them. Walks her dog. Comes into contact with people every single day. Again - beyond all reason and everything we know - lets say ebola was highly contagious (which it would have to be had she caught it by being in Dallas). Wouldn’t she give it to her mailman when he dropped her Amazon package off at her door. Who would give it to his grandson when he visits on Saturday. Who would bring it to school where all the kids would get infected anyway? If WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE!!! we are all going to die and administrative leave is just going to prolong the suffering. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebola-maine-teacher-is-put-on-leave-because-she-visited-dallas/701746/44 "2014-10-19T15:38:50Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > The education of our children is placed in these people’s hands. Yes, but while the school district shouldn’t have put her on leave, the fact is that the pressure to do so came from parents in the area. I don’t know how many parents were pushing for this, but i could easily imagine the school district leaders getting a whole bunch of phone calls and emails, and throwing up their hands and saying, “You know what? The only way to shut these morons up is to put this teacher on leave for a few weeks.” ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebola-maine-teacher-is-put-on-leave-because-she-visited-dallas/701746/45 "2014-10-19T15:48:22Z")
That giant THUMP you hear is copies of _Debbie Does Dallas_ hitting trash cans all over the country. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebola-maine-teacher-is-put-on-leave-because-she-visited-dallas/701746/46 "2014-10-19T15:57:42Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Did you know that Maine is, in fact, the closest American state to Africa? It’s one of those things that sounds really weird the first time you hear it. A lot of Somalis have relocated to the Lewiston/Auburn area, which is also weird. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebola-maine-teacher-is-put-on-leave-because-she-visited-dallas/701746/47 "2014-10-19T18:19:55Z")
> [@Bumbershoot](#): > > A Doper from Dallas replied to a recent thread I started. I hope my laptop doesn’t catch the Ebola virus. _cough_ ---
**Author:** ![The\_Holdsworth\_Effect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/848f3c/32.png) [@The\_Holdsworth\_Effect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Holdsworth_Effect)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebola-maine-teacher-is-put-on-leave-because-she-visited-dallas/701746/48 "2014-10-19T18:29:02Z")
My sister lives in Luling (Texas). She works in Austin for TXDOT- writes the grants for airport maintenance or some such. She and I correspond regularly, and in fact her MIL IS dying (slowly, even Fearbola would be faster). I have been off work for 10 days, and would like to be off for 11 more. Given that Sis makes regular inspection trips of the tarmac, she and all her dogs should get the 21 days too. JM&J. Thanks for the morning giggles . ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebola-maine-teacher-is-put-on-leave-because-she-visited-dallas/701746/49 "2014-10-19T19:13:10Z")
> [@simster](#): > > Good thing they cancelled the Dallas TV series… Come to think of it, how did J.R. _really_ die? ---
**Author:** ![Fluffy\_PickleSniffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/77aa72/32.png) [@Fluffy\_PickleSniffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fluffy_PickleSniffer)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebola-maine-teacher-is-put-on-leave-because-she-visited-dallas/701746/50 "2014-10-19T20:16:17Z")
I ate Texas Toast for lunch… I’d better stay home from work tomorrow… just um… to be safe… yeah. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebola-maine-teacher-is-put-on-leave-because-she-visited-dallas/701746/51 "2014-10-19T20:36:08Z")
I visited Dallas a couple of years ago. I’ve avoided grassy knolls as a precaution ever since. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebola-maine-teacher-is-put-on-leave-because-she-visited-dallas/701746/52 "2014-10-19T20:42:08Z")
This is why we can’t have nice epidemics. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebola-maine-teacher-is-put-on-leave-because-she-visited-dallas/701746/53 "2014-10-19T21:08:09Z")
With all that money the NFL makes they should be able to combine football uniforms with hazmat suits so that the games could be played safely in Texas. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebola-maine-teacher-is-put-on-leave-because-she-visited-dallas/701746/54 "2014-10-19T21:19:26Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > With all that money the NFL makes they should be able to combine football uniforms with hazmat suits so that the games could be played safely in Texas. Yeah, but seeing the cheerleaders in antiviral burkhas will be a bit of a turn-off. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebola-maine-teacher-is-put-on-leave-because-she-visited-dallas/701746/55 "2014-10-19T21:46:37Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > This is why we can’t have nice epidemics. If you can’t keep your epidemics nice, you shan’t be allowed to have any. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebola-maine-teacher-is-put-on-leave-because-she-visited-dallas/701746/56 "2014-10-19T23:16:28Z")
> [@Bumbershoot](#): > > A Doper from Dallas replied to a recent thread I started. I hope my laptop doesn’t catch the Ebola virus. > [@Balance](#): > > _cough_ That’s it. I’m burning my laptop. This anti-virus software is _useless._ ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebola-maine-teacher-is-put-on-leave-because-she-visited-dallas/701746/57 "2014-10-20T00:03:03Z")
Blown out of proportion eh??? I have it from good authority there is abilene in Texas and over _a hundred thousand_ people may be involved. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebola-maine-teacher-is-put-on-leave-because-she-visited-dallas/701746/58 "2014-10-20T00:17:57Z")
> [@Bumbershoot](#): > > That’s it. I’m burning my laptop. This anti-virus software is _useless._ Hmph. Try to help people get a vacation, and this is the thanks you get… :mad: (Note: The smiley isn’t really mad, he’s just sweating blood.) ---
**Author:** ![Buttercup\_Smith](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buttercup_smith/32/473_2.png) [@Buttercup\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buttercup_Smith)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebola-maine-teacher-is-put-on-leave-because-she-visited-dallas/701746/59 "2014-10-20T00:22:19Z")
I flew on 9/20. By birthday. From San Diego through ATL. I should self quarantine. With pay, administrative pay. May be my last ever birthday. Please. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebola-maine-teacher-is-put-on-leave-because-she-visited-dallas/701746/60 "2014-10-20T00:28:15Z")
> [@Balance](#): > > Hmph. Try to help people get a vacation, and this is the thanks you get… > > :mad: (Note: The smiley isn’t really mad, he’s just sweating blood.) Sorry, I’ve been feeling a bit hysterical lately. Not sure why. Um… that smiley hasn’t been barfing everywhere, has it? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebola-maine-teacher-is-put-on-leave-because-she-visited-dallas/701746.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebola-maine-teacher-is-put-on-leave-because-she-visited-dallas/701746.md?page=4)