A UK citizen has been sentenced to three months in jail in Dubai after “insulting” airport staff who were slow to bring his mother a wheelchair.
The unnamed man was originally issued a Dh 10,000 (£2,150) fine, but his appeal against this failed and his punishment was extended to a jail term on 6 November.
An airport employee told the court that the man swore at her after she had explained the airport’s wheelchair policy to him, telling him that “a wheelchair would be made available before boarding the bus”.
“When I tried to explain it to him, he insulted me using very bad language. I told the traveller that using such offensive language is not allowed at Dubai airport but he responded that he didn’t care.”
The employee then called the police, and a case was filed against the man in Dubai’s Criminal Court. Following an appeal, which he lost, the fine was escalated into a jail sentence, followed by immediate deportation.
10 000 Dh is not $10 000. It’s a lot less than that, more like $2700.
As for free speech…
Why differentiate between physically abusing somebody and verbally? Abuse is abuse. It should not be tolerated.
Still, 2.7k fine for an insult, in a single instance, is already bonkers, but three months jail time?
Whatever your stance on whether or not the guy should be punished, the extent of this punishment here really shouldn’t sound fair or just in any way
I’m thinking about it from the staff’s point of view.
I have mental health problems and an interaction like that would make it difficult for me to work.
His little outburst will actively affect the member of staff. Weird how no one is mentioning that.
I think it’s totally fair personally.
To fine an absurd amount and/or send them to jail for 3 whole months?
If one person being an ass causes one to spiral bad enough to warrant that kind of sentences, I would hazard a guess that they are extremely likely on a wrong occupational path. There’s no way interactions like that aren’t weekly for everyone working any service gig.
I get that it has an effect and nobody should behave like that, but I can’t believe anyone would deem these as proportional punishments.
You likely get same 3 months jail here where I live (a western social democracy) for manslaughter, if you are first-time offender. Depending on a lot of course, but that anyone would consider these appropriate seems insane to me.
Pretty standard really. This is from the UK
“Why differentiate between physically abusing somebody and verbally?” Because of the obvious difference in severity. One insult doesn’t need medical attention, while a punch could put someone in the hospital.
You are intentionally underplaying the importance of mental wellbeing to justify odious behavior.
If someone insulting you causes harm to your mental wellbeing, you weren’t well in the first place.
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Words have power. Politicians wouldn’t talk if they didn’t. Adverts would be mute.
How’s the mental wellbeing of women and foreign workers in Dubai? Know many gay men who feel safe there?
Ok, so since women already feel unsafe there, they should be allowed to be verbally abused by tourists?
I find it absolutely shocking how many people here are siding with the abusive asshole. 🙄
Because punishment should be proportional.
proportional to what exactly? to your poor ass, or to the rich dubai native? I would say the latter, because, you know, it happened in dubai.
punishemnt should be high enough so that next time he will think twice before he’s abusive. He was warned first, he said he didn’t care. He got a fine, he wasn’t happy with it either. So he’s in jail. I think it’s all perfectly fair. I bet my left nut he will never again be abusive to the staff in dubai.
Proportional to the crime…
Would you rather someone beat the shit out of you, or call you a bitch?
Neither.
If you don’t pick, someone beats the shit out of you. Pick one.