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Yep, you might've guessed it by now that I just got done reading a Yahoo news article about the world's most popular pilot at the moment, Dale Hersh, who was detained in Sao Paulo, Brazil for flipping a cameraman off.
First off, I'd like to just take a moment to give Mr. Hersh a telekinetic skull-thumping and ask him what the hell he was thinking...but since I don't actually HAVE that kind of ability, I'm SOL.
Still, I don't care what the circumstances were that brought him to do that...as a visitor to another country he should've known he needed to represent himself better, since he whether he liked it or not he was also representing the US as an entirety. I don't care if the whole world sympathizes with him and felt he was justified in giving the international "fuck off" sign, it was completely reckless and shameful of him.
You know, we might be the greatest country on the planet, but by no means should we think that we can get away with shit like that just because we're from this land. When you're on their turf, your status as an American goes straight down the toilet in meaning anything. Seriously...how many female Americans have you seen allowed to walk around Iran by themselves without their faces covered? How many Californians do you think have ever gotten away with giving people the "A-OK" in France? (Trivia bit for ya here: I mention that because there, putting your index finger and thumb into a circle and directing it at someone or something is an accusation of worthlessness. Other countries have far more bizarre hand gestures than the one Hersh gave, believe me!)
If you ever go to visit another country, you've GOT to make sure to keep your manners and wits about you and not make an international dumbass out of yourself. Remember the kid who got busted in Singapore for grafitti? Here he would've just been fined and sent on his way, but over there they beat the everliving shit out of him, and there wasn't squat we could do about it.
Am I trying to dissuade anyone from travelling abroad? No. I'm just stating the tried and true saying here:
When in Rome (or whatever), do as the Romans (or whoever) do.
And make sure the pilot of your flight out there isn't a dipshit.
...That's it.
First off, I'd like to just take a moment to give Mr. Hersh a telekinetic skull-thumping and ask him what the hell he was thinking...but since I don't actually HAVE that kind of ability, I'm SOL.
Still, I don't care what the circumstances were that brought him to do that...as a visitor to another country he should've known he needed to represent himself better, since he whether he liked it or not he was also representing the US as an entirety. I don't care if the whole world sympathizes with him and felt he was justified in giving the international "fuck off" sign, it was completely reckless and shameful of him.
You know, we might be the greatest country on the planet, but by no means should we think that we can get away with shit like that just because we're from this land. When you're on their turf, your status as an American goes straight down the toilet in meaning anything. Seriously...how many female Americans have you seen allowed to walk around Iran by themselves without their faces covered? How many Californians do you think have ever gotten away with giving people the "A-OK" in France? (Trivia bit for ya here: I mention that because there, putting your index finger and thumb into a circle and directing it at someone or something is an accusation of worthlessness. Other countries have far more bizarre hand gestures than the one Hersh gave, believe me!)
If you ever go to visit another country, you've GOT to make sure to keep your manners and wits about you and not make an international dumbass out of yourself. Remember the kid who got busted in Singapore for grafitti? Here he would've just been fined and sent on his way, but over there they beat the everliving shit out of him, and there wasn't squat we could do about it.
Am I trying to dissuade anyone from travelling abroad? No. I'm just stating the tried and true saying here:
When in Rome (or whatever), do as the Romans (or whoever) do.
And make sure the pilot of your flight out there isn't a dipshit.
...That's it.
