# No, that's NOT the time to make a joke **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 21, 2004, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thats-not-the-time-to-make-a-joke/225451 "2004-01-21T12:46:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thats-not-the-time-to-make-a-joke/225451/1 "2004-01-21T12:46:11Z")
> **[Student in US jail after airport bomb joke](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2004/jan/21/britishairways.terrorism)** > > A British student could face up to 15 years in jail after allegedly making a joke about having a bomb in her rucksack at an American airport. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thats-not-the-time-to-make-a-joke/225451/2 "2004-01-21T12:48:32Z")
:smack: What was she _thinking?_ ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thats-not-the-time-to-make-a-joke/225451/3 "2004-01-21T12:58:22Z")
She probably thought she was funny as hell. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thats-not-the-time-to-make-a-joke/225451/4 "2004-01-21T13:05:24Z")
A very very very silly thing to do indeed. Was she on Mars for the last few years? She does not deserve any jail time however IMO and if she gets some it will be a real shame. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thats-not-the-time-to-make-a-joke/225451/5 "2004-01-21T13:10:34Z")
And the worst thing is that she said it not once, not twice, but THREE times. You’d think after they pulled her aside and asked her to repeat herself she would have realized that she’d made a big mistake. :rolleyes: There are times when I despair of ever making sense out of the things people do. This is a good example of that. ---
**Author:** ![Gomez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d78d45/32.png) [@Gomez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gomez)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thats-not-the-time-to-make-a-joke/225451/6 "2004-01-21T13:36:37Z")
Silly bitch. I wouldn’t be sad if she did a little time for that one. ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thats-not-the-time-to-make-a-joke/225451/7 "2004-01-21T13:43:58Z")
> [@Gomez](#): > > Silly bitch. I wouldn’t be sad if she did a little time for that one. I think doing time is a bit harsh for making a dumb joke. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thats-not-the-time-to-make-a-joke/225451/8 "2004-01-21T13:45:24Z")
This coming right on the heels of a German teenager who allegedly left a note on a Frankfurt-US flight saying there was a bomb on board. I seriously fail to understand how people can be so stupid sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![heater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/858c86/32.png) [@heater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heater)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thats-not-the-time-to-make-a-joke/225451/9 "2004-01-21T13:51:02Z")
What in the world was she thinking. Sometimes I just wonder what goes on in peoples heads. I agree, some time in the pokey to reflect on her insanity might be a good thing. ---
**Author:** ![croakdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b77776/32.png) [@croakdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/croakdale)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thats-not-the-time-to-make-a-joke/225451/10 "2004-01-21T13:55:35Z")
stupid certainly, but jail time? come on, she obviously didn’t have a clue that it could land her in trouble, otherwise she wouldn’t have done it. I think a slap on the wrist would be appropriate in this case. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thats-not-the-time-to-make-a-joke/225451/11 "2004-01-21T13:57:46Z")
Leaving a note anonymously saying there’s a bomb and joking about having three bombs in your bag that is sitting in front of you and guards are quite different things. > [@](#): > > I agree, some time in the pokey to reflect on her insanity might be a good thing She’s getting that now while her bail is being sorted out. To give the gobshite real prison time would be just silly. It is zero tolerance BS. I agree there are situations that need to be dealt with harshly the note in the toilet being one BTW but this should be a slap on the wrist nothing more. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thats-not-the-time-to-make-a-joke/225451/12 "2004-01-21T14:04:11Z")
I know I for one would be proud to have my tax dollars go toward locking up such a dangerous person. Think how much safer we’ll be with her behind bars! Stupid joke. I understand the temptation, mind you – I have to bite my tongue when going through security sometimes, really keep my Tourette’s humor in check – but I do that. It is astonishing that she didn’t say, “no, just kidding,” when they asked her to repeat herself. Obviously a real terrorist isn’t going to declare that they have bombs, however. How on earth does it make us safer to make such jokes illegal? At most, we should be looking at a significant fine – maybe $500 – for making a dumb joke like that, inasmuch as it inconveniences people while the matter gets sorted out. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thats-not-the-time-to-make-a-joke/225451/13 "2004-01-21T14:16:49Z")
> [@](#): > > Obviously a real terrorist isn’t going to declare that they have bombs, however. I wouldn’t be entirely sure of that. Terrorists aren’t known for being the brightest fish in the pond. But the basic fact of the matter is that the authorities cannot afford to pass up any hint or lead. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thats-not-the-time-to-make-a-joke/225451/14 "2004-01-21T14:26:36Z")
> [@smiling bandit](#): > > I wouldn’t be entirely sure of that. Terrorists aren’t known for being the brightest fish in the pond. But the basic fact of the matter is that the authorities cannot afford to pass up any hint or lead. You don’t have to be the brightest fish in the pond to know that declaring your bombs is a bad idea. But let’s not disucss theoreticals: instead, why not point to a single occasion, ever, where a terrorist was caught ahead of time because they told a security person that they were carrying weapons with which they intended to carry out a crime? Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thats-not-the-time-to-make-a-joke/225451/15 "2004-01-21T14:28:29Z")
I used to work airport security, back in the 90’s. I sat in that chair, & worked the x-ray machine. _We were always told to take each & every bomb threat like it was real!_ Sometimes, a terrorist will lose his or her nerve \*just before \* reaching the x-ray, & start making threats & demands then & there. So, to protect others, all bomb threats are treated as _real_, no foolin’. And have been for 30 years. Why don’t people realize this after 30 years? Just dumb, I guess. The brat may not deserve 15 years, but a few months in a cell, or a fine & a lot of community service work may be in order. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thats-not-the-time-to-make-a-joke/225451/16 "2004-01-21T16:40:16Z")
> [@](#): > > stupid certainly, but jail time? come on, she obviously didn’t have a clue that it could land her in trouble, otherwise she wouldn’t have done it. At every airport I have ever been to in the US, there are posted signs telling people literally not to make jokes. That everything they say to security will be taken seriously. Moreover, people do stupid shit all the time that they KNOW could land them in trouble, but decide that they’re special cases becauwe they’re invincible, cute, young, foreign, whatever. She was an idiot. Anyway, the reality of it is that she will get nowhere near 15 years in jail, and will likely walk for it. But the possibility of hard time will likely scare the shit out of her. ---
**Author:** ![Jabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@Jabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jabba)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thats-not-the-time-to-make-a-joke/225451/17 "2004-01-21T16:46:07Z")
> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#): > > It is astonishing that she didn’t say, “no, just kidding,” when they asked her to repeat herself. She says she thought it was an order to repeat exactly what she had said, and didn’t realize she was making things worse. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thats-not-the-time-to-make-a-joke/225451/18 "2004-01-21T16:46:44Z")
I was always told, and there are plenty of signs around airports (and even bus terminals) that I’ve been in which confirm it, that making jokes about bombs or hijackings is a serious offense, and that violators WILL be arrested. And this was well before 9/11, as **Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor** mentioned. Obviously, she had not learned the lesson, had a serious lack of judgement, and should be made an example of. Jail time is probably not warranted, though. Perhaps suspending/denying her visa for a year or so might drive home the point that “WE ARE NOT SCREWING AROUND HERE!” Make that joke, find a lawyer, and find another way home. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thats-not-the-time-to-make-a-joke/225451/19 "2004-01-21T17:16:24Z")
What would happen if someone was carrying frozen desserts of icecream with chocolate centers? Could they claim to be carrying three bombes which need to be treated gently by security? Has anyone ever claimed to be carying a bomb in hand luggage who actually was carying a bomb? (or grenade, or similar explosive item) ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thats-not-the-time-to-make-a-joke/225451/20 "2004-01-21T17:17:10Z")
15 years is perhaps too long. Maybe a formula could be developed. 1 hour of community service for each person in the Miami airport even slightly delayed or inconvenienced by a “full-scale” terrorist alert". [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-thats-not-the-time-to-make-a-joke/225451.md?page=2)