Twitter Stupidity Can Get You Arrested

How many people need to get in trouble over something they Tweet or post on Facebook or some other social media site before people learn their lesson? At least one more, it seems…

I came across this story about a guy who posted a Tweet that ended up getting him arrested and convicted:

My tweet was silly, but the police reaction was absurd

The author of the piece is the one who got arrested. Basically, he posted this on Twitter:

“Crap! Robin Hood airport is closed. You’ve got a week and a bit to get your shit together otherwise I’m blowing the airport sky high!”

A short while later (not sure exactly how long after) the police showed up and took him away for questioning. A month later he was charged with “the offence of sending a menacing message.” He was later convicted.

The piece is mostly him whining about how stupid and unfair this is, and to a certain extent, I agree with him. I would think that they once they interviewed him and realized he was expressing frustration (albeit in a very stupid way) they would have dropped the charges or dropped it to something very small.

But the point of my post is not to talk about the fairness or unfairness of the British legal system. No, my point is to do what i usually do: point out the stupid things that people do that get in their own way…

How, in this post 9-11 era, can anyone think that making a joke, in written form for all the world to see, about blowing up an airport is an ok thing to do?!?!?!?

Dumb, dumb, dumb…

Heck, I learned this lesson in 1984 when, while in an airport, I asked a question about a bomb (I forget the context, but it made sense at the time, I promise!) and was immediately told not to say anything about a bomb in the airport or the police would come question me. This was 26 years ago, 17 years before 9-11, and I was 8!

Again, I am going to concede that it’s possible that the police overreacted. It’s possible. But rather than lambasting the system, let’s spend a few moments seeing what we can learn from this guy’s stupid Tweeting mistake:

Writing Doesn’t Carry Tone

in the article, the guy multiple times mentions that he was clearly joking, or that “it was clearly frustration.” Really? Clearly? Maybe to you, in your head, hearing the words spoken the way you would have if you were in person. But to someone else reading them? Not so much.

Here’s an experiment. Imagine his Tweet being said by the following people:

• Christopher Walken
• Ellen Degeneres
• Michael Emerson (Ben from LOST)
• Chris Tucker
• Michael Madsen
• Steve Carrel

Notice a difference? Some would be funny, some would be menacing. When you write, you can’t convey tone, which is why so many people use emoticons 🙂

One man’s joke is another man’s felony. Clearly.

Think Before You Joke

Ah, here’s a theme I keep coming back to on this blog: Think!! A little thought would have gone a long way…

I get that he was joking and didn’t want to actually blow up the airport. But a little thought along the lines of, “hmm, is this something I should express to the world?” would have been nice. He has to be smart enough to not make that joke out loud in earshot of airport security, right? So why feel ok making that joke on Twitter?

Some jokes are better left unsaid (or just said in the privacy and company of good friends you trust).

Writing is Not Talking

In the article, the guy makes the mistaken analogy:

“Like having a bad day at work and stating that you could murder your boss, I didn’t even think about whether it would be taken seriously.”

No, it’s not like that at all. For a few reasons:

1. When you say you could murder your boss, people can hear your tone and frustration
2. When you say you could murder your boss, only the few people within earshot can hear you (not the Twitterverse)
3. You would never say “I could murder my boss,” to your boss.
4. When you say you could murder your boss, it is said once and then forgotten. When you write it on paper, in an email, or in a Tweet, it stays out there forever. And can be passed around. And around. And around. Until it winds up in the wrong (or right) hands.

I can’t believe I have to explain this, but Tweeting isn’t speaking. Learn the difference or get off Twitter.

Not All Your Thoughts Need to Be Voiced

Twitter, Facebook, and all the other social media sites have created a world where some people feel the need to voice every thought in their head. Whether it’s positive, negative, angry, sad, or elated, some people have no “Twitter filter.”

Here’s a tip: not every thought you have in your head needs to go on Twitter. A little restraint can go a long way 9and keep you out of jail).

I feel bad for this guy. I really do. To get arrested and pay a decent fine over a bad joke is a real shame. But I hope you can learn from his example and simply avoid putting yourself in that kind of stupid situation yourself. Think before you act (or Tweet), remember the permanency of writing, and show some restraint, and you should manage to avoid most Twitter related felonies!

P.S. You want a “safe Tweet” you can make right now? retweet this article right now for all your followers to see! I promise, it won’t get you arrested!

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