Thursday, May 31, 2007

The TB carrying passenger

This story has been all over the news.

On one hand I can understand wanting to get back home but he may have put people at risk. He said he never coughed during the trip. The thing that did make me angry was his excuse. He said he didn't want to stay in Europe because he was worried about the quality of treatment. Right, France, Italy and, England don't have top doctors. This guy better hope he didn't pass this deadly strain to anyone. If my relative had been sitting on the plance next to this selfish fool, I'd be pissed. He shouldn't have flown in the first place.

13 comments:

gibber said...

Weeeeeelll, I think this guy was an ass for 1. leaving in the first place and 2. coming back the way he did.

Buuuuuut, I feel him on not wanting to be overseas for this. This is a strain not to be fucked with and the best place for treatment in the WORLD is this place in Denver, so I get it.

That said, this stupid ass never should have LEFT THE COUNTRY IN THE FIRST PLACE! What a moron! Way to put others in danger.

And let's not even comment about homeland security letting this guy on a watch list slip thru. Nice.

Kathy said...

I totally agree. What I don't understand is, like gibber said, how homeland security let him through, yet I can't even take a decent size bottle of conditioner with me!

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

Gibber and Kali - what he did was so sneaky. flying to Canada then driving back into America. Don't they check watch lists at customs?

Kathy said...

I work in commercial lending at a bank, and I have to check the federal watch list before I give anybody money...one could only hope that customs official do the same thing...

Anonymous said...

That concerned me too. If he was on the no fly list made by homeland secrity and couldn't fly into the country, why could he drive in the country? Why don't they have those lists at all border entry points. I don't feel very secure, and that's the whole point of those lists.

Janet said...

I JUST was reading about this while eating lunch -- the story hadn't made it over here to the UK (or at least John and I hadn't heard it). It's very disconcerting...

Janet

PS Catching up with your posts after a little absence -- enjoying them!

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

Janet - welcome back. The story get stranger everyday.

kali and J.Doe - The officier did check the list and let Andrew Speaker through. Crazy.

gibber said...

that officer should be flogged. if caning was legal, that should happen to. the system worked here - it said DETAIN. hell, it even said PUT ON PROTECTIVE GEAR. but hell, the guard thought, he's a good lookin' boy, we'll just let him through.

i tell ya...if that lawyer wasn't a lawyer, wasn't good looking, wasn't white, didn't have a hot wife...there is no way in HELL he would have been back in the country.

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

gibber - I read the officer was transfered while they are investigating. He's lucky Speaker did have a trunk filled with bombs or something.

Shelley - At Home in Rome said...

This is crazy...I hadn't been following the story. Regarding medical care...I agree with you, Europe is NOT the third world. Granted, Italy has some problems with hospitals, but no one should take chances with their health and the health of others when it's something this incredibly serious! Che idiota!

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

shelley - che idiota indeed!

gibber - I meant to say Speaker didN't have....

Anonymous said...

People make mistakes all the time lest we forget. I'll criticize Speaker's actions, but I'll look at my own shoertcomings too. And just so you know "homeland security" is haphazard at best and when it is strictly enforced people bitch and moan about it. Talk about hypocrisy. :)

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

Paul - that is true but the border official should not have let in someone who had a detain notice on their passport.

It's one thing to deal with annoyed travelers at the borders who are waiting on long lines, etc. (and I agree with you, some people need to be more patient) and another to ignore a warning. What's the point of having a Homeland Security list, if customs doesn't pay attention to it?