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.
It should be illegal and they should be punished, but the fine is ridiculous and 3 months of jail is disgusting.
In the UK you don’t treat someone like this for a single offense, where someone’s annoyed and has an outburst.
If you and the UAE are on the same page about how to punish people, maybe you should reflect on that.
The initial sentence was a fine. The sentence on appeal was 3 months imprisonment. Why should people be allowed to verbally assault others with no recourse?
Because it should be considered free speech (i know, this is Dubai)…unless you physically cause a scene you shouldn’t be arrested. Dubai is nuts, and this whole thing is nutters.
The guy is a dick, but a 10,000 dollar fine for being mean to someone? Come man, this isn’t pre-school.
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.
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.
Assault is not free speech.
Did he hit the person, or just was rude, and inconsiderate? If it’s the former. Sure, but if it’s the later, then that’s just unfortunately stuff you deal with when you’re in customer service.
Why should anybody be forced to tolerate verbal assault?
Because they are not 5 years old and bursting into tears when someone does it. Get a grip dude, the world isn’t full of nice people dancing around the campfire, someone bitching at you for whatever reason out of your control is a normal day in the life of any customer service worker.
You are not harmed by mean words.
Apparently the Emiratis had the good sense not to take such a position, hence the legal consequences for vile and abusive language.
Sounds like another day in an authoritarian hell hole if you ask me, but language like that would get me locked up there. Cheers from Canada, fascist!