At it again

Good old joe
By Good old joe

Man arrested for 'cursing' woman at Dubai airport

London: A 34-year-old Briton, working with the United Nations, has been jailed for two months in the UAE for giving an airport worker "the finger" in Dubai, a news report said.

Paul Anthony allegedly got into a row with a female airport employee when she refused to let him use a customer services desk phone.

A Dubai court heard he "cursed" the Muslim woman in front of colleagues then thrust his middle finger in her face as he passed through border controls, leading British tabloid 'The Sun' reported.

He was arrested minutes after the woman lodged a complaint with the police. He was convicted of indecency and insulting the employee -- named in court as Maryam -- at a previous hearing.

However, he pleaded not guilty and launched an appeal yesterday, the report said.

Court sources said that Anthony worked for the UN and was planning a six-day stopover in Dubai en route from an Asian country. He was locked up for three days then bailed after the first hearing. He faces a month awaiting an appeal against a two-month jail term and deportation order.

A Dubai court source was quoted as saying, "Brits have often fallen foul of decency laws but no one's been arrested this quickly."

By anonymous• 17 Nov 2010 08:55
anonymous

"flipping off a US customs official would carry a MUCH more severe penalty."

Really? Other than kicked out of the airport I can't think of any penalty...Only getting really physically aggressive would get you any kind of penalty (and then that would be Tazzed, locked up for a couple of hours and then released on bail and probably some community service)

By timebandit• 14 Nov 2010 16:44
timebandit

Just adding this to my mental list of places not to use the bird.

By chadqa• 13 Nov 2010 17:23
chadqa

this is just signifying that whoever you are, you are not above the law...

By Black buller• 13 Nov 2010 12:30
Black buller

Good.. he got jailed...many western expacts fink they can do anything in the gulf..as if they are superior or something...

By linc• 13 Nov 2010 08:26
linc

I sympathize with his frustration, but, to be fair, flipping off a US customs official would carry a MUCH more severe penalty.

By my_kris2ffer• 13 Nov 2010 07:49
my_kris2ffer

he's very unlucky person... it's really not a good idea playing with girls... tsk tsk tsk

By rubypavino• 13 Nov 2010 06:15
rubypavino

i hope this serves as a lesson to some even you're an influential person...there goes some justice,such gesture is really offending.

By wnder• 13 Nov 2010 01:21
wnder

aggresive and rude......deserves all he got

By britexpat• 13 Nov 2010 00:44
Rating: 3/5
britexpat

A valid point. We never use the finger ..... We go straight to the action...

By 77machu• 12 Nov 2010 23:49
Rating: 5/5
77machu

There is no customer service phone available at Dubai Airport's Immigration desk as reported in this news article. At Dubai airpot arrival hall travellers should buy phone cards and use any of the Telephone booth to make calls.

Anyway this brit will never forget this incident and I hope he will think twice before trying to make these kind of gesture to a female worker.

By ex.ex.expat• 12 Nov 2010 23:30
ex.ex.expat

To be honest I have always had really nice and helpful immigration agents everywhere in the Gulf. :( He wanted to use their phone which I am sure is for official use only. It doesn't deserve flicking someone off and losing your cool.

By anonymous• 12 Nov 2010 23:02
anonymous

We are all *issed off with female/male, surly, bored, aggresive racist women/men on the Immigration desks in the Gulf.

Why be so hard on us?

We are making you money, we are building your future, we are making it happen for you.

By the way, you sit on your arses! We will do the work for you.

By adey• 12 Nov 2010 22:54
adey

and he's being set up.

How do I know?

Well:

'for giving an airport worker "the finger"'

&

'then thrust his middle finger in her face'

He's a Brit and, as we all well know, no self respecting Brit would do that!

WE WOULD HAVE GIVEN HER THE TWO FINGERED FLICK!

:P

By drmana• 12 Nov 2010 22:27
drmana

He should have known better than using such a gesture in GCC...

By chadqa• 12 Nov 2010 22:14
chadqa

Link please!

By ex.ex.expat• 12 Nov 2010 21:51
ex.ex.expat

UN. He really should have known better, and certainly acted more maturely. But it's true, compared to our country this is a very harsh sentence. Surely he realised he wasn't back home? ;)

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