U.S. pilot's gesture brings Brazilian fine

[Otis Willie]

U.S. pilot's gesture brings Brazilian fine

(EXCERPT)

SAO PAULO, Brazil (Agence France-Presse) — American Airlines
apologized to Brazil yesterday for one of its pilots who was detained
at Sao Paulo airport, fined $12,700 dollars and released after for
making an obscene gesture when he was required to be fingerprinted and
photographed. Federal police here said Dale Robbin Hersh, 52, pilot on
American's Miami-Sao Paulo flight, raised his middle finger as his
photo was being taken by airport security personnel. "He made an
internationally recognized obscene gesture to the police who were
photographing him," federal police spokesman Wagner Castilho said at a
press conference. Police later showed the photo of Mr. Hersh, his
middle finger raised. Mr. C...

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http://washingtontimes.com/world/20040114-094649-2781r.htm

---------------------------
Otis Willie
Associate Librarian
The American War Library
http://www.americanwarlibrary.com

[Jarg]

"Otis Willie" > wrote in message
...
> U.S. pilot's gesture brings Brazilian fine
>
> (EXCERPT)
>
> SAO PAULO, Brazil (Agence France-Presse) - American Airlines
> apologized to Brazil yesterday for one of its pilots who was detained
> at Sao Paulo airport, fined $12,700 dollars and released after for
> making an obscene gesture when he was required to be

Glad to see the punishment fits the crime. Sheesh!

It's an interesting situation. The Brazilians are ****ed because the US is
fingerprinting Brazilian tourists (because they are some of the worst
offenders when it comes to overstaying visas) and have retaliated by doing
the same. As a matter of national pride I sympathize but as a practical
matter it is silly. I bet Americans almost never overstay their visits, and
furthermore American tourists are surely bigger spenders when traveling than
their Brazilian counterparts which means Brazil have much more to lose.
This kind of publicity doesn't help.

Jarg

[Andrew]

Otis Willie > wrote:
> U.S. pilot's gesture brings Brazilian fine
>
> SAO PAULO, Brazil (Agence France-Presse) -- American Airlines
> apologized to Brazil yesterday for one of its pilots who was detained
> at Sao Paulo airport, fined $12,700 dollars and released after for
> making an obscene gesture when he was required to be fingerprinted and
> photographed. Federal police here said Dale Robbin Hersh, 52, pilot on
> American's Miami-Sao Paulo flight, raised his middle finger as his
> photo was being taken by airport security personnel. "He made an
> internationally recognized obscene gesture to the police who were
> photographing him," federal police spokesman Wagner Castilho said at
> a press conference. Police later showed the photo of Mr. Hersh, his
> middle finger raised. Mr. Castilho said Mr. Hersh had been detained for
> "a serious offense" which could have brought a prison term of up to two
> years. But federal prosecutor Matheus Baraldi Magnani said he asked a
> local magistrate to impose a fine rather than go to trial, for what he
> termed Mr. Hersh's "insulting behavior." The judge complied, fining Mr.
> Hersh 36,000 reals, about $12,700, and releasing him. The fine, said
> the judge, represented 150 times the Brazilian minimum monthly wage
> and took into account "the pilot's financial circumstances and his
> insult to national pride and the federal police." He said American
> He said American Airlines agreed to pay Mr. Hersh's fine, which would
> be contributed to a social service organization. Mr. Hersh, although
> Mr. Hersh, although released from custody late yesterday, would not be
> allowed to leave the country until American Airlines' check cleared,
> court sources said. American Airlines issued a statement apologizing
> American Airlines issued a statement apologizing for the incident.
> The company apologizes to the Brazilian government, to the port
> authorities, to the federal police, and to whoever else feels they
> were disrespected," said the statement, which went on to stress that
> the captain "did not intend any disrespect." Brazil had ordered all
> Americans to be photographed and fingerprinted when entering the
> country -- a tit-for-tat response to the U.S. move to photograph
> and fingerprint all people entering the United States on a visa.
>
> http://washingtontimes.com/world/20040114-094649-2781r.htm
> ---------------------------
> Otis Willie
> Associate Librarian
> The American War Library
> http://www.americanwarlibrary.com


Here's the notorious mug shot:
http://w3.kill-9.com/pilotoamericano1.jpg

Andrew

[Dudley Henriques]

"Andrew" > wrote in message
...
> Otis Willie > wrote:
> > U.S. pilot's gesture brings Brazilian fine
> >
> > SAO PAULO, Brazil (Agence France-Presse) -- American Airlines
> > apologized to Brazil yesterday for one of its pilots who was detained
> > at Sao Paulo airport, fined $12,700 dollars and released after for
> > making an obscene gesture when he was required to be fingerprinted and
> > photographed. Federal police here said Dale Robbin Hersh, 52, pilot on
> > American's Miami-Sao Paulo flight, raised his middle finger as his
> > photo was being taken by airport security personnel. "He made an
> > internationally recognized obscene gesture to the police who were
> > photographing him," federal police spokesman Wagner Castilho said at
> > a press conference. Police later showed the photo of Mr. Hersh, his
> > middle finger raised. Mr. Castilho said Mr. Hersh had been detained for
> > "a serious offense" which could have brought a prison term of up to two
> > years. But federal prosecutor Matheus Baraldi Magnani said he asked a
> > local magistrate to impose a fine rather than go to trial, for what he
> > termed Mr. Hersh's "insulting behavior." The judge complied, fining Mr.
> > Hersh 36,000 reals, about $12,700, and releasing him. The fine, said
> > the judge, represented 150 times the Brazilian minimum monthly wage
> > and took into account "the pilot's financial circumstances and his
> > insult to national pride and the federal police." He said American
> > He said American Airlines agreed to pay Mr. Hersh's fine, which would
> > be contributed to a social service organization. Mr. Hersh, although
> > Mr. Hersh, although released from custody late yesterday, would not be
> > allowed to leave the country until American Airlines' check cleared,
> > court sources said. American Airlines issued a statement apologizing
> > American Airlines issued a statement apologizing for the incident.
> > The company apologizes to the Brazilian government, to the port
> > authorities, to the federal police, and to whoever else feels they
> > were disrespected," said the statement, which went on to stress that
> > the captain "did not intend any disrespect." Brazil had ordered all
> > Americans to be photographed and fingerprinted when entering the
> > country -- a tit-for-tat response to the U.S. move to photograph
> > and fingerprint all people entering the United States on a visa.

What's wrong with this?
You can't even drive a car more or less fly an airplane in the United States
if your middle finger is broken!!!! It's used as a meaningful method of
friendly visual communication over here.
Why just this morning, my lovely bride of many years made her usual left
turn from the right lane as we were driving to the store.I distinctly saw in
the mirror the guy in the left lane screaming something about her being #1
in his book, and displayed the finger to prove it as he bounced back into
his seat after careening off the steering wheel as she passed by in front of
him!!!
:-))))
Dudley Henriques
International Fighter Pilots Fellowship
Commercial Pilot/ CFI Retired
For personal email, please replace
the z's with e's.
dhenriquesATzarthlinkDOTnzt

[OXMORON1]

Dudley noted:
>What's wrong with this?
>You can't even drive a car more or less fly an airplane in the United States
>if your middle finger is broken!!!!

Try arthritis in that digit! A rural cop threatened to write me up and and take
me in when he asked for my driver's license the other night in a routine stop.
My doctor has offered to get me an appointment with a hand surgeon to get the
finger permanently set to a less obvious position. Problem is, a folded in
position gets in the way of a lot of things except writing.
Almost got myself in a fist fight with a guy jockeying for the last handicapped
space at Wally World at Christmas :-)

Oxmoron1
banged up MFE

[Dudley Henriques]

"OXMORON1" > wrote in message
...
> Dudley noted:
> >What's wrong with this?
> >You can't even drive a car more or less fly an airplane in the United
States
> >if your middle finger is broken!!!!
>
> Try arthritis in that digit! A rural cop threatened to write me up and and
take
> me in when he asked for my driver's license the other night in a routine
stop.
> My doctor has offered to get me an appointment with a hand surgeon to get
the
> finger permanently set to a less obvious position. Problem is, a folded in
> position gets in the way of a lot of things except writing.
> Almost got myself in a fist fight with a guy jockeying for the last
handicapped
> space at Wally World at Christmas :-)
>
> Oxmoron1
> banged up MFE

The pain involved with arthritis not withstanding......That's a riot! :-)
I sincerely hope you find a solution that allows you some compromise.
DH

[John R Weiss]

"OXMORON1" > wrote...
>
> Try arthritis in that digit! A rural cop threatened to write me up and and
take
> me in when he asked for my driver's license the other night in a routine stop.
> My doctor has offered to get me an appointment with a hand surgeon to get the
> finger permanently set to a less obvious position.

Hmmm... Even Rosie O'Donnell played it up on her show a few years ago when hers
was "stuck up" after losing the fight with her kitchen knife... I didn't see or
hear any outcry in the press or from the courts...

[Mark and Kim Smith]

Andrew wrote:

>Otis Willie > wrote:
>
>
>>U.S. pilot's gesture brings Brazilian fine
>>
>>SAO PAULO, Brazil (Agence France-Presse) -- American Airlines
>>apologized to Brazil yesterday for one of its pilots who was detained
>>at Sao Paulo airport, fined $12,700 dollars and released after for
>>making an obscene gesture when he was required to be fingerprinted and
>>photographed. Federal police here said Dale Robbin Hersh, 52, pilot on
>>American's Miami-Sao Paulo flight, raised his middle finger as his
>>photo was being taken by airport security personnel. "He made an
>>internationally recognized obscene gesture to the police who were
>>photographing him," federal police spokesman Wagner Castilho said at
>>a press conference. Police later showed the photo of Mr. Hersh, his
>>middle finger raised. Mr. Castilho said Mr. Hersh had been detained for
>>"a serious offense" which could have brought a prison term of up to two
>>years. But federal prosecutor Matheus Baraldi Magnani said he asked a
>>local magistrate to impose a fine rather than go to trial, for what he
>>termed Mr. Hersh's "insulting behavior." The judge complied, fining Mr.
>>Hersh 36,000 reals, about $12,700, and releasing him. The fine, said
>>the judge, represented 150 times the Brazilian minimum monthly wage
>>and took into account "the pilot's financial circumstances and his
>>insult to national pride and the federal police." He said American
>>He said American Airlines agreed to pay Mr. Hersh's fine, which would
>>be contributed to a social service organization. Mr. Hersh, although
>>Mr. Hersh, although released from custody late yesterday, would not be
>>allowed to leave the country until American Airlines' check cleared,
>>court sources said. American Airlines issued a statement apologizing
>>American Airlines issued a statement apologizing for the incident.
>>The company apologizes to the Brazilian government, to the port
>>authorities, to the federal police, and to whoever else feels they
>>were disrespected," said the statement, which went on to stress that
>>the captain "did not intend any disrespect." Brazil had ordered all
>>Americans to be photographed and fingerprinted when entering the
>>country -- a tit-for-tat response to the U.S. move to photograph
>>and fingerprint all people entering the United States on a visa.
>>
>>http://washingtontimes.com/world/20040114-094649-2781r.htm
>>---------------------------
>> Otis Willie
>> Associate Librarian
>> The American War Library
>> http://www.americanwarlibrary.com
>>
>>
>
>
>Here's the notorious mug shot:
>http://w3.kill-9.com/pilotoamericano1.jpg
>
>Andrew
>

You have got to be kidding me!! Jeesh! That's not a gesture, that's
holding a piece of paper! What's the penalty for winking?!?

[Jim Knoyle]

"Dudley Henriques" > wrote in message
nk.net...
>
> "OXMORON1" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Dudley noted:
> > >What's wrong with this?
> > >You can't even drive a car more or less fly an airplane in the United
> States
> > >if your middle finger is broken!!!!
> >
> > Try arthritis in that digit! A rural cop threatened to write me up and
and
> take
> > me in when he asked for my driver's license the other night in a routine
> stop.
> > My doctor has offered to get me an appointment with a hand surgeon to
get
> the
> > finger permanently set to a less obvious position. Problem is, a folded
in
> > position gets in the way of a lot of things except writing.
> > Almost got myself in a fist fight with a guy jockeying for the last
> handicapped
> > space at Wally World at Christmas :-)
> >
> > Oxmoron1
> > banged up MFE
>
> The pain involved with arthritis not withstanding......That's a riot! :-)
> I sincerely hope you find a solution that allows you some compromise.
> DH
>
>
An old, grizzled press operator on our home town newspaper lost
half of his finger somehow. No idea how...never asked. :)
When he was ticked off he would give you this evil glare and
stick the stub into his nose. No handicap for him!
JK

[Peter Stickney]

In article >,
"Dudley Henriques" > writes:
> What's wrong with this?

> You can't even drive a car more or less fly an airplane in the United States
> if your middle finger is broken!!!! It's used as a meaningful method of
> friendly visual communication over here.
> Why just this morning, my lovely bride of many years made her usual left
> turn from the right lane as we were driving to the store.I distinctly saw in
> the mirror the guy in the left lane screaming something about her being #1
> in his book, and displayed the finger to prove it as he bounced back into
> his seat after careening off the steering wheel as she passed by in front of
> him!!!

And, in fact, the upraised mid-finger isn't considered as much of an
obscene guesture in Brazil.

Interestingly enough, IIRC, the "O.K." sign, ('You know, the little
finger circle with the other fingers kinda splayed around, is
considered highly offensive. (It's apparently the Brazilian
Equivalent of "Let's You, me, John Tarver, and the California Senate
Deleegation fet together an have us a Goold Ole Time".)

Caveat: I haven't been to Brazil in decades, and my Copy of
_Jane's_All_the_World's_Insults_and_Guestures_ is rather out of date.

--
Pete Stickney
A strong conviction that something must be done is the parent of many
bad measures. -- Daniel Webster