Dad Writes Attention Ebola on Cup of Coffee - Fined ?2,500
 

A man arrested over "a sick joke" about Ebola on a Dublin-bound plane has been told to pay 2,500 euros (£1,963) to charity to avoid a criminal conviction.

Roberto Binaschi, 56, from Italy, was arrested at Dublin Airport on Thursday.

He had written "Attenzione Ebola" on the lid of a disposable coffee cup as a joke with his daughter while on board the Aer Lingus flight from Milan.

The cup was disposed of in the usual way, but cabin crew spotted the words on the lid, sparking an alert.

At Dublin District Court on Friday, Mr Binaschi apologised and said he never intended to cause concern.

The court was told Mr Binaschi was on the flight with his wife and daughter to attend a conference in Dublin.

His daughter had ordered a coffee and he took a sip from the cup first. She told him his germs were on the coffee cup and as a joke he wrote "Attenzione Ebola" on the lid.

His daughter then finished the coffee and the cup was disposed of.

When a member of the cabin crew spotted the words, Mr Binaschi was asked if he had written them and he said he had.

The court was told his wife was sitting with them and was not even aware of the joke. At no time was the cup or lid exposed to anyone else on the plane.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-29845065

:1orglaugh :1orglaugh :1orglaugh :1orglaugh ...

How fucking colossally stupid can people get? :helpme

They should give that pinhead a week's vacation in west Africa.

After frequenting GFY for so many years isn't that question pretty much rhetorical? :)

True that.

But I think there's a special sub-category of unbelievable stupidity reserved for idiots who write 'ebola' on an airline coffee cup.

i find this funny ;p

I would say that airline people were idiots....
like here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJhWVsx1U8c

It's called having a bit of fun with his daughter.

'The cup was not show to anyone else even the wife' Like give the family man a break :Oh crap

Yeah, because ebola is great fun for shits 'n giggles on an aircraft.

Anyone else except...oh, maybe the flight attendant?

Defending stupidity is equally stupid.
Please stay off my next flight. :disgust

Oh shit the cup is empty; the ebola escaped!

I probably shouldn't wear my new shirt.

http://pixel.nymag.com/imgs/daily/in...29.h529.2x.jpg

its funny if it does not affect you right? people are dying

That is just too much

So basically you can get fined for writing the word Ebola ?

Hmmm

No room for sense of humor on a plane describe the bathrooms smell as poison gas and it will even get you arrested.

Wow. How long before we're all cowed into a 1984 existence? Fined for a private joke? Crazy.

wtf... so the crew knew it was an airline coffee lid, but were unsure whether someone had put ebola into the cup, or what? what train of thought would lead anyone to think it was anything other than someone just writing 'ebola' on it?

So basically, yeah.

It's a stupid thing to do at the best of times - but especially in this era of rampant terrorism, planes used as weapons, ebola epidemic.

Let's play a game of What If. What if it hadn't been just the airline crew that saw 'ebola' written on the cup? What if word got around to all the passengers? What if panic ensued?

Doesn't take an Einstein to figure out the potential result.

Akin to shouting 'Fire!" in a crowded theatre.

No, it was a stupid joke between a fun loving father & daughter. Yes a telling off, but a fine :Oh crap

Sometimes, when you're having fun & enjoying yourself, people do stupid things, not hatred or loud & mouthy like some people get on flights :2 cents:

I hope if someone REALLY enjoys their coffee on a flight, or anywhere else, that they don't write:
"This coffee is the BOMB!" on the lid, or the side...