# Is That TB Guy The Biggest Asshole Ever, Or What? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 31, 2007, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-tb-guy-the-biggest-asshole-ever-or-what/406240 "2007-05-31T20:49:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 19
**Author:** ![Capatalist\_Lion\_Tamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71c47a/32.png) [@Capatalist\_Lion\_Tamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capatalist_Lion_Tamer)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-tb-guy-the-biggest-asshole-ever-or-what/406240/361 "2007-06-03T17:59:21Z")
[QUOTE=Rusalka] The question remains, if he was so non-contagious, and such a low risk, why did the CDC take the drastic step of putting him on a no-fly list? No one has managed to answer that. All the assurances from doctors that we see in the media are designed to make people feel better, now that the deed is done, imho. [/QUOTE] I don’t know why they did. There are many reasons why they would have decided to do so. However, when attempting to determine the degree to which someone is contagious, I’ll take the word of two doctors, one being the foremost specialist in the field, over a no-fly list any day of the week. Are you saying you doubt the doctors? ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-tb-guy-the-biggest-asshole-ever-or-what/406240/362 "2007-06-03T18:00:29Z")
[QUOTE=Rusalka] The question remains, if he was so non-contagious, and such a low risk, why did the CDC take the drastic step of putting him on a no-fly list? [/QUOTE] Perhaps so they wouldn’t have to [do this?](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/03/AR2007060300374.html) > [@](#): > > In its Saturday statement, the CDC said it had contacted 160 of the 292 U.S. citizens who were on the May 12 Atlanta-to-Paris flight with Speaker. That includes 26 people who sat in five rows around him, the CDC said. That sort of work doesn’t come free. ---
**Author:** ![Capatalist\_Lion\_Tamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71c47a/32.png) [@Capatalist\_Lion\_Tamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capatalist_Lion_Tamer)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-tb-guy-the-biggest-asshole-ever-or-what/406240/363 "2007-06-03T18:00:46Z")
[QUOTE=Rusalka] All the assurances from doctors that we see in the media are designed to make people feel better, now that the deed is done, imho. [/QUOTE] I just noticed that you seem to believe the doctors are more concerned with public relations than the CDC. That is laughable, quite frankly. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-tb-guy-the-biggest-asshole-ever-or-what/406240/364 "2007-06-03T18:51:36Z")
[QUOTE=Rusalka] The question remains, if he was so non-contagious, and such a low risk, why did the CDC take the drastic step of putting him on a no-fly list? No one has managed to answer that. [/QUOTE] If nuclear reactors are so safe and an accident so unlikely why we pay people to watch them 24/7? Although the chance of transmission in this case appears to be very low, if that very-low-probability event nonetheless occurs then the recipient has big, big trouble. Given the outcome of even one transmission, it just doesn’t make sense to allow him to travel freely until he _really isn’t_ capable of passing on the disease. Also, having disregarded a request to stay put until alternate transporation could be arranged, after disregarding a prior request not to travel, prehaps the authorities felt he could not be trusted to act in a manner considerate of other people? ---
**Author:** ![Rusalka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecd19e/32.png) [@Rusalka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rusalka)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-tb-guy-the-biggest-asshole-ever-or-what/406240/365 "2007-06-03T18:58:46Z")
[QUOTE=Capatalist Lion Tamer] I don’t know why they did. There are many reasons why they would have decided to do so. However, when attempting to determine the degree to which someone is contagious, I’ll take the word of two doctors, one being the foremost specialist in the field, over a no-fly list any day of the week. Are you saying you doubt the doctors? [/QUOTE] You speak as if the “no fly” list is some act that arises spontaneously with no human input. In case you didn’t know, the CDC is composed of doctors, and the doctors there made the decision to put him on the no-fly list. ---
**Author:** ![Capatalist\_Lion\_Tamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71c47a/32.png) [@Capatalist\_Lion\_Tamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capatalist_Lion_Tamer)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-tb-guy-the-biggest-asshole-ever-or-what/406240/366 "2007-06-03T19:23:09Z")
[QUOTE=Rusalka] You speak as if the “no fly” list is some act that arises spontaneously with no human input. [/QUOTE] No I didn’t. I simply stated that there are several things that could be interpreted from a person being placed on the no-fly list. There is only one interpretation when doctors proclaim the patient to be “about as noninfectious as you can be”. > [@](#): > > In case you didn’t know, the CDC is composed of doctors,… …and politicians, and investigators, and administrators, and researchers, and a whole bunch of other people. > [@](#): > > …and the doctors there made the decision to put him on the no-fly list. Cite? ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-tb-guy-the-biggest-asshole-ever-or-what/406240/367 "2007-06-03T19:34:34Z")
Just speculating, but I would imagine that the CDC has a bright line rule: Anyone with super drug resistant TB doesn’t fly on a commercial plane if they can help it. Which is a reasonable safety rule. My main point is that breaking a reasonable safety rule doesn’t necessarily make you “the biggest asshole ever” Particularly if the risk to others is minimal and the benefit to you is great. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-tb-guy-the-biggest-asshole-ever-or-what/406240/368 "2007-06-03T22:06:19Z")
> [@brazil84](#): > > My main point is that breaking a reasonable safety rule doesn’t necessarily make you “the biggest asshole ever” Particularly if the risk to others is minimal and the benefit to you is great. Well, it’s the doctors that are more qualified to determine what those reasonable safety rules are, and when they get enforced. The patient is not necessarily going to be the most objective person to deciding what is an acceptable amount of minimum risk to others. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-tb-guy-the-biggest-asshole-ever-or-what/406240/369 "2007-06-03T22:13:10Z")
[QUOTE=mlees] Well, it’s the doctors that are more qualified to determine what those reasonable safety rules are, and when they get enforced. The patient is not necessarily going to be the most objective person to deciding what is an acceptable amount of minimum risk to others. [/QUOTE] Sure And traffic engineers are more qualified to determine speed limits – individual drivers are not necessarily going to be the most objective people in deciding what is an acceptable amount of risk to others. But, looking at some guy who drives 85 in a 55 zone because he thinks he needs to get to the hospital in a hurry, I’m not prepared to say that he’s the biggest asshole ever. ---
**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-tb-guy-the-biggest-asshole-ever-or-what/406240/370 "2007-06-03T22:19:12Z")
I say that we all come to our senses and Welcome our New Medical, Moral, Cultural Overlord. Quiddity Glomfuster. When SHE says it is ok, you can be amazed, upset, happy, sad, confused, etc. Please look to her for guidance before you hazard to have any contrary opinions, thoughs, feelings or ideas. Even when dealing with themselves, patients are not always the best judge of what treatment they get, neither are the doctors for that matter. However, your right to swing your arms stops where my nose begins. This guy swung his arms way, way too far. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-tb-guy-the-biggest-asshole-ever-or-what/406240/371 "2007-06-03T22:40:06Z")
[QUOTE=brazil84] I just looked at the articles, and apparently it wasn’t until he was in Europe that he was told in no uncertain terms not to fly. Given that the risk to fellow passengers was pretty minimal, and given that he thought he needed to get home right away to survive, and given that neither he nor the CDC could come up with the money to charter a plane, his decision doesn’t seem that outrageous to me. If he had booked 3 adjoining seats, I would probably give him a pass. I suppose that the CDC should have a program to compensate people who have to cancel their travel plans due to being told not to fly. [/QUOTE] Christ fuck a duck the CDC couldn’t come up with a plane. How about asking the air force to medevac him back. They run flights from all over europe to various areas in the US all the fucking time, it is called Military Airlift Command. Wrap his possibly contagious arse in a biohazard suit with its own air and filters, and chain him to a seat. Any military personnel can be minimized on the flight to expose as few people as possible. ---
**Author:** ![Capatalist\_Lion\_Tamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71c47a/32.png) [@Capatalist\_Lion\_Tamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capatalist_Lion_Tamer)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-tb-guy-the-biggest-asshole-ever-or-what/406240/372 "2007-06-03T22:42:55Z")
[QUOTE=aruvqan] Christ fuck a duck the CDC couldn’t come up with a plane. How about asking the air force to medevac him back. They run flights from all over europe to various areas in the US all the fucking time, it is called Military Airlift Command. Wrap his possibly contagious arse in a biohazard suit with its own air and filters, and chain him to a seat. Any military personnel can be minimized on the flight to expose as few people as possible. [/QUOTE] He asked for a military flight that he could get on, but they wouldn’t allow him to do that. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-tb-guy-the-biggest-asshole-ever-or-what/406240/373 "2007-06-03T23:23:02Z")
[QUOTE=brazil84] Sure And traffic engineers are more qualified to determine speed limits – individual drivers are not necessarily going to be the most objective people in deciding what is an acceptable amount of risk to others. But, looking at some guy who drives 85 in a 55 zone because he thinks he needs to get to the hospital in a hurry, I’m not prepared to say that he’s the biggest asshole ever. [/QUOTE] Never the less, if he killed somebody because of his excessive speeding, it’s all on him. Granted, the “Biggest-asshole-in-the-world” reward is kinda subjective, like a beauty contest. If the speeder hit your child in a crosswalk, you might be less forgiving. I am not sure if the CDC porperly communicated the risks of traveling to him or not. I am still hazy on that. But traveling back on his own when he was asked to stay put (which makes him harder to find by the CDC… what if he passed out in some airport on one of his connecting flights? No one there would know his condition…), and not wearing a mask (presumadly to avoid embarassing questions) is what I deem the risky behavior that (at least IMO) puts him in the running for the title. ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-tb-guy-the-biggest-asshole-ever-or-what/406240/374 "2007-06-03T23:30:09Z")
[QUOTE=Vinyl Turnip] > [@Quiddity Glomfuster](#): > > To the anger addicts: > 😛 > > and also 😃 > > Hope you enjoyed your adrenaline rush and that erotic surge of righteous indignation. :rolleyes: I’d say you have convincingly proven to everyone that TB Guy is not, in fact, the biggest asshole ever. [/QUOTE] 😃 Thank you **Vinyl Turnip**. And indirectly, thank you **Quiddity Glomfuster** also. It’s been a tough week and you made me laugh. **Quiddity Glomfuster** , for the past several months, something you’ve said or something someone said to you has made me laugh quite a few times. Thank you for that. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-tb-guy-the-biggest-asshole-ever-or-what/406240/375 "2007-06-03T23:37:38Z")
> [@](#): > > While the federal government rarely imposes quarantines - issuing its first in more than four decades last week - cities and states routinely isolate TB patients to prevent them from infecting others. […] > > Most of the time, patients comply. Sometimes, a court-order is required. > > An unidentified man with TB has been under court-ordered quarantine for the last two months in New Mexico. Texas has placed at least 17 tuberculosis patients into an involuntary quarantine facility this year, and California detained four TB patients last year. > > In Phoenix, Robert Daniels was diagnosed with XDR-TB and has been confined to a hospital jail unit for the last 10 months after defying doctors’ instructions to wear a mask in public. Health authorities obtained a court order to lock him up. […] [http://webcenters.netscape.compuserve.com/news/story.jsp?floc=DC-headline&sc=1110&idq=/ff/story/0001/20070603/1902897729.htm](http://webcenters.netscape.compuserve.com/news/story.jsp?floc=DC-headline&sc=1110&idq=/ff/story/0001/20070603/1902897729.htm) ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2007, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-tb-guy-the-biggest-asshole-ever-or-what/406240/376 "2007-06-04T00:15:52Z")
[QUOTE=mlees] Never the less, if he killed somebody because of his excessive speeding, it’s all on him. Granted, the “Biggest-asshole-in-the-world” reward is kinda subjective, like a beauty contest. If the speeder hit your child in a crosswalk, you might be less forgiving. [/quote] Probably so. But speeders kill people all the time. And most of them are not on the way to the hospital. Somebody who imposes a risk on other people for no good reason is much more of an asshole. > [@](#): > > and not wearing a mask (presumadly to avoid embarassing questions) is what I deem the risky behavior that (at least IMO) puts him in the running for the title. Apparently the risk was minimal, even without a mask. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2007, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-tb-guy-the-biggest-asshole-ever-or-what/406240/377 "2007-06-04T03:04:33Z")
[QUOTE=Heffalump and Roo] 😃 Thank you **Vinyl Turnip**. And indirectly, thank you **Quiddity Glomfuster** also. It’s been a tough week and you made me laugh. [/QUOTE] You’re welcome. **QG** and I are actually going on tour, beginning the second week in July. Check your local alternative weekly for showtimes. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2007, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-tb-guy-the-biggest-asshole-ever-or-what/406240/378 "2007-06-04T03:37:26Z")
[QUOTE=brazil84] Apparently the risk was minimal, even without a mask. [/QUOTE] Well, that will be small comfort to whomever might turn up infected by this guy. “Oh! It was only a 1 in a 200,000 chance that I would catch that from him? Well, I guess that was a reasonable risk for him to take… I withdraw my complaint.” Sure, highway speeders are rolling the dice with each other as well. However, when you consider the millions of folks who commute every day, for years, without killing anyone, it seems to me that the risk they are choosing to take is somewhat less than the one TB Andy chose to take. I agree that this “asshole award” is entirely subjective. I can see that you cast your ballot in the “no” column. Fair 'nuff… ---
**Author:** ![Vice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/53a042/32.png) [@Vice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vice)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2007, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-tb-guy-the-biggest-asshole-ever-or-what/406240/379 "2007-06-04T03:51:56Z")
[QUOTE=Capatalist Lion Tamer] Not true. UGA Law is most certainly not “clown college”, and PI is not reserved for people who could not get a job elsewhere. Ask your husband to explain Ad Hominem to you. [/QUOTE] UGA is not a clown college but odds are he didn’t graduate at the top of his class. Ok, there are few PI firms that are acceptable - I have no idea where TB Andy or whatever everyone is calling him on this thread works. But 99% of personal injury lawyers are slimeballs who couldn’t get a job anywhere else. and fuck you about your snide comment about ad hominem. I wasn’t making a statement whether TB Andy was an asshole or not - and using his profession as a justification of my opinion. I was just commenting how people think just because he is a lawyer means he should have superior reasoning skills and he should have known better than to do something like this. What I meant by my comment was that if TB Andy was a high school drop out, would people still be as this pissed off about it? Or would have it been more acceptable since he wasn’t “educated enough?” There are a lot of dumb lawyers in this world is all I’m saying. ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2007, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-tb-guy-the-biggest-asshole-ever-or-what/406240/380 "2007-06-04T04:05:44Z")
[QUOTE=Vice] and fuck you about your snide comment about ad hominem. [/QUOTE] Yeah, **CLT** , how dare you say that **Vice** is personally insulting. 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-tb-guy-the-biggest-asshole-ever-or-what/406240.md?page=18) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-tb-guy-the-biggest-asshole-ever-or-what/406240.md?page=20)