# Fuck the Prankers **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 7, 2012, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-prankers/643316 "2012-12-07T17:39:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Lobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-prankers/643316/81 "2012-12-09T08:00:21Z")
They didn’t try to get anyone fired–they were genuinely surprised they got through. ISTM the “prank” was to have someone laugh and hang-up on them. ETA: Seriously, who would ever expect security to be so lax at a private hospital housing Kate Middleton? ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-prankers/643316/82 "2012-12-09T08:11:18Z")
I think that they would have been delighted to get someone into trouble with this prank. After all, if they were just after the laugh and hang up, they had the option of ending the call as soon as they could tell that it was being taken seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Lobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-prankers/643316/83 "2012-12-09T08:59:11Z")
I expect that they were going more for [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMKQGt3pgUU), and indeed, they’ve said they weren’t expecting to get further–they were just stunned and ran with it. I _do_ blame station management for airing the call (and I blame hospital staff for not following obvious protocol) but I don’t blame the DJs for making the call in the first place. I see no reason not to take the DJs (who, again, were just summer fill-ins and not regulars) at their word. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-prankers/643316/84 "2012-12-09T09:13:00Z")
Gotcha. Being publically humiliated to death is ok if you’re a dodgy tv repairman and you should suffer mental torment every day for the rest of your life if you’re involved in a telephone prank gone wrong. Glad we’ve cleared that up. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-prankers/643316/85 "2012-12-09T09:46:17Z")
It seems to me that the suicide was caused by the British Press blowing the whole incident out of proportion and drawing attention to something that should’ve barely rated a mention on page 17. [Here’s a comment](https://twitter.com/danbarker/status/277548645686067200/photo/1) that has been apparently deleted from the Daily Mail website. I think it sums it up pretty well. ---
**Author:** ![Lobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-prankers/643316/86 "2012-12-09T11:10:03Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > It seems to me that the suicide was caused by the British Press blowing the whole incident out of proportion and drawing attention to something that should’ve barely rated a mention on page 17. > > [Here’s a comment](https://twitter.com/danbarker/status/277548645686067200/photo/1) that has been apparently deleted from the Daily Mail website. I think it sums it up pretty well. Couldn’t agree more. Anyone who hasn’t heard the actual audio and yet holds a strong opinion really needs to [hear the non-event that caused all the initial fuss](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHb1EexmGeA). ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-prankers/643316/87 "2012-12-09T11:54:25Z")
> [@Lobot](#): > > Couldn’t agree more. > > Anyone who hasn’t heard the actual audio and yet holds a strong opinion really needs to [hear the non-event that caused all the initial fuss](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHb1EexmGeA). Couldn’t agree less. The “non-event” as you put it, involved two adult (or at least adult-aged) sentient humans calling a hospital in order to get information on the medical condition of a stranger. The celebrity status of that person is immaterial. They chose to take it as far as it went. They could have put the phone down at any point, The broadcasters had ample time to consider the consequences of airing it and they went ahead anyway. How is it even a debate as to who is in the wrong here? Had someone done this to gain info on my recently ill father I’d expect the police to be involved and fully expect the “prankster” to be punished, wouldn’t you? ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-prankers/643316/88 "2012-12-09T12:42:43Z")
They may deserve punishment for a prank gone too far, though that is arguable. But they don’t deserve to be held responsible for anybody’s self-inflicted death. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-prankers/643316/89 "2012-12-09T14:22:16Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > I hope that those two DJs never know another moment’s peace. Agree, and I’m assuming we’ll get our wish. ::sigh:: ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-prankers/643316/90 "2012-12-09T15:50:35Z")
> [@shijinn](#): > > if only this were a tit for tat hoax approved by the Royals to get back at the pranksters. That would be so delicious. The nurse resurfaces, laughing and perfectly well, and the queen says “gotcha, you little prats.” The reason I have little sympathy for the DJs is because they are pranksters. They do this shit for a living. The radio station they work for is still on probation for other crap they’ve pulled. No, not much sympathy from me. Grow a pair if you’re going to do this stuff for a living. I don’t buy that they are feeling all “fragile” now anyway. Last I heard they were tweeting about it after the death. They’ll milk this for all the fame and attention they can get. The only reason they are feeling anything in particular at the moment is because the company lawyers are telling them to. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-prankers/643316/91 "2012-12-09T16:28:05Z")
The station was still using the audio tape for on air promotion, even after the nurse suicide was reported. Their press conference was all about, “I don’t think we’ve actually broken any laws here.” Fragile? Please, they’ve demonstrated hides like elephants to others people’s potential delicacies, like a sick woman in hospital for one. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-prankers/643316/92 "2012-12-09T19:27:32Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > It reminds me of those trick toys you buy that give a mild, unexpected electric shock when used. If you read the fine print, it explains that you should be aware that while the shock is mild and won’t hurt most people, some people have heart conditions such that this shock could, in fact, cause their heart to stop. So you’re going to discover your friend had an, as yet undiagnosed, heart condition when he falls dead to the floor in your livingroom. Har, har. Hope you thought the joke was worth it. There was a reality show called _Scare Tactics_ in which people would pay some really scary “pranks” on others, pranks which could certainly (based on the ads I saw because I didn’t watch the show) cause someone with a heart condition to have a heart attack. Or, since people often tried to flee the scary situation, they might easily trip and hurt themselves. :eek: Another possibility would be that if the victim were armed, the prankster could get shot. I always assumed that this show would be the basis for an episode of _Boston Legal_ or one of the _Law and Order_ franchises, but it never happened, AFAIK. If someone had gotten killed, exactly how would a producer justify himself or herself? ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-prankers/643316/93 "2012-12-09T19:32:57Z")
> [@Lobot](#): > > Anyone who hasn’t heard the actual audio and yet holds a strong opinion really needs to [hear the non-event that caused all the initial fuss](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHb1EexmGeA). Yeah, that is funny. They’re not at fault for the nurse being over sensitive. I can’t believe they got through like that. The number they were given to call, was that the main information number anyone could get off the internet, or was it a more direct internal number? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-prankers/643316/94 "2012-12-09T19:37:52Z")
> [@Dendarii\_Dame](#): > > There was a reality show called _Scare Tactics_ [There still is.](http://www.thefutoncritic.com/showatch/scare-tactics/) ---
**Author:** ![blueslipper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@blueslipper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blueslipper)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-prankers/643316/95 "2012-12-09T19:59:11Z")
I heard it described on the news this morning as ‘The prank call that resulted in the death of a nurse’. The thing that I find odd is that noone has pointed out that giving out personal medical details over the radio is surely illegal. I am not sure how that works with it being different countries. The call was recorded and then the station’s management decided to let it go to air. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-prankers/643316/96 "2012-12-09T19:59:16Z")
I agree with the linked article; unless the two DJs are psychopaths, I’m sure they feel terrible for playing a part in a woman killing herself. There was no reasonable expectation that a stupid prank would end up in a death. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-prankers/643316/97 "2012-12-09T19:59:52Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Phone pranks are always stupid and never funny… This grand generalization, this absolute statement can never be true. Ever. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-prankers/643316/98 "2012-12-09T20:00:44Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > When my husband was in the ICU, I was required to create for the staff a password of sorts; anyone who had the password could call for updates or info and anyone who didn’t was politely but firmly told to fuck off (or, however the uber-professional ICU nurses would say it). Is that not how it’s done in the UK? In cases like this, you’re supposed to say “Queen to queen’s level three.” ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-prankers/643316/99 "2012-12-09T20:04:48Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > This grand generalization, this absolute statement can never be true. Ever. Only a Sith deals in absolutes. ---
**Author:** ![Lolish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Lolish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lolish)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-prankers/643316/100 "2012-12-09T20:05:07Z")
I can’t believe people are calling this poor lady oversensitive. She was obviously a really shy and sensitive lady, and was unable to deal with the intense focus of the British press. I saw the comment on the Daily Mail referred to earlier, and totally agree. The DJ’s are a pair of idiots, but they can’t be blamed for her death. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-prankers/643316.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-prankers/643316.md?page=6)