Brazil fines U.S. pilot after obscene gesture

The Seattle Times ^ | 1/15/04 | newswire

[ppaul]

Terrorism Notebook
Brazil fines U.S. pilot after gesture

SAO PAULO, Brazil; An American Airlines pilot was fined nearly $13,000 yesterday for making an obscene gesture when being photographed at the airport as part of entry requirements for U.S. citizens, officials said.

Brazil imposed the new rules that Americans be fingerprinted and photographed at entry points in response to similar rules in the United States for citizens of Brazil and other countries who need visas to enter.

The pilot, Dale Robin Hersh, lifted his middle finger while undergoing the new security process at Sao Paulo's Guarulhos International Airport, said Federal Prosecutor Matheus Baraldi Magnani.

Police accused the Miami-based pilot of showing contempt to authorities, a crime in Brazil, and escorted him to a nearby federal courthouse for possible formal charges.

However, Hersh agreed to pay a fine before he leaves Brazil in exchange for no charges being filed, the prosecutor said, and was freed on his own recognizance.

American Airlines spokeswoman Martha Pantin said "the company apologizes to the Brazilian government, the airport authorities, the police or anyone else who may have perceived anything they believe to have been disrespectful."

[ppaul]

Our "homeland security" backfires.
God forbid we should "profile" and single out middle eastern males and Palestinians.
Nope. We'd better show how fair we are by strip-searching Brazillian grandmothers at random.
Payback is hell, huh?

[mewzilla]

I don't have a prob with what the Brazilians are doing. I had a problem with that judge of their calling us Nazis for doing it. Well, if we're Nazis, what does doing the same thing now make them?

[kimoajax]

I heard SARS has shown up in Sao Paulo Brazil.








(Stupid Arrogant Retaliation Scheme)

[EggsAckley]

You are soooo slanted to one side here. The pilot did a stupid thing and now has to pay for it. Brazil has the right to do whatever they want regarding their borders, just as do we.

[Jerry Attrick]

Yes, the pilot did a stupid thing. And yes, Brazil has the right to handle their borders in any way they wish. But, $13,000 for flipping the bird? Hmmmmmm.

[EggsAckley]

Yes, 13K does seem a bit steep, especially since he's also going to be punished by American Airlines. My neighbor flys for AA and he said the pilot is in for it.

[pepsionice]

To show support for the pilot...I urge all 'bird-flippers' to rename it the 'Brazilian Salute' from this day on.

[KarlH]

You can see the photo on the following link:

Link

[snopercod]

Does Brazil have an anti-obscenity law which provides for fines?

Or is this just a typical South-of-the-Border payoff to the federales (or however you say it in Portugese)?

[Gorzaloon]

You can see the photo on the following link...

Wow. There is a picture of me in my high school yearbook holding something in that manner. No fine, nobody mentioned it at all.

I tell ya, I get NO RESPECT!

[TheDon]

Justice, banana republic style.

[ppaul]

Thanks.

[pogo101]

Exactly -- $13K is a bit steep. Maybe something can be done on backchannel with the Brazilian embassy. It'd be a shame if some prominent but not-diplomatically-immune Brazilian national were "perceived as having" made an obscene gesture to US Customs, and fined $13,000 exactly ... wouldn't it, now?

[Prodigal Son]

Lucky he didn't do it in Germany. They have progressive fines there. A footballer got a fine of 100,000 Euro the other day for calling a policeman an a-hole.

[Paleo Conservative]

Exactly -- $13K is a bit steep.

When you're in a foreign country, you shouldn't expect the protections of the US Constitution. Didn't he watch the movie Midnight Express?

[erasmus605]

Here's a more complete story (Chicago Trib)

[PAR35]

Hersh agreed to pay a fine before he leaves Brazil in exchange for no charges being filed

It really appears like the word "fine" should have been put in quotation marks. I wonder where the money went.

[1Old Pro]

After careful review of the phot, I'd deny the charges.

[hunter112]

Good one! Brazilian salute!

Does our government require fingerprinting of Brazilian pilots, or just tourists and other non-airline-crew passengers?

[Willie Green]

But, $13,000 for flipping the bird? Hmmmmmm.

He's lucky he didn't pull this stunt in Saudi Arabia.
They probably would've whacked-off his finger with a sword.