Man arrested after joke posted on Twitter backfires

A UK man learned the hard way that what you say on Twitter, even in jest, can come back to haunt you. Upon learning the local airport was closed, Paul Chambers posted on Twitter in fit of annoyance thinking is trip to Ireland might be in jeopardy.

‘C**p! Robin Hood Airport is closed,’ he tweeted. ‘You’ve got a week and a bit to get your s*** together, otherwise I’m blowing the airport sky high!!’

A week later the police showed up at his job and arrested him for violating the Terrorist Act. They say they got an anonymous tip about the tweet. Chambers was thoroughly interrogated and his computer, laptop and iPhone were confiscated. He faces charges of conspiracy to create a bomb hoax and is banned from the airport for life.

“I would never have thought, in a thousand years, that any of this would have happened because of a Twitter post.” He said, “I’m the most mild-mannered guy you could imagine.”

I think the key phrase there is “never would have thought”. In today’s world authorities have to take any mentions of bombing airports seriously, and Chambers should have known better than to joke about something like that. It’s no joke. Ask the people on that Christmas Day flight.

Read [Daily Mail]