http://www.consumerist.com/consumer/whoops/directv-installer-jokes-that-hes-being-held-hostage-dispatch-sends-swat-team-265845.php

Julie Pyle's DirecTV installation was taking so long she decided to bake cookies for the installers. Sadly for Julie, the installation would not end with snack time. Julie was led at gunpoint out of her Savage, Minnesota home, ordered to the ground and handcuffed. Why? Her DirecTV installer had joked to his dispatcher that they were being "held hostage until they were done."

The dispatcher heard, "gun," not "done," and called 911.[more]How stupid!!!

I wonder if a lawsuit will ensue and if any $$$ will be extracted!

EDIT:

I guess so!!

http://www.savagepacer.com/node/2912

"held hostage until they were gun."? That makes a lot of sense.

Looks like someone's going with cable after all.

"held hostage until they were gun."? That makes a lot of sense.
"we're being held hostage....gun..."

those Nextel two-ways aren't always clear.

The word for this situation is "overreaction," dammit.

The word for this situation is "overreaction," dammit.

That seems to be par for the course these days. Everyone seems to be afraid to put any thought into anything.

That seems to be par for the course these days. Everyone seems to be afraid to put any thought into anything.

Perhaps it is just the inevitable result of dumbing down public education. Teaching the correct answers to the standardized tests instead of critical thinking leads to graduates entering the workforce without the ability to think for themselves, but merely to choose from the authorized list of responses.

Perhaps it is just the inevitable result of dumbing down public education. Teaching the correct answers to the standardized tests instead of critical thinking leads to graduates entering the workforce without the ability to think for themselves, but merely to choose from the authorized list of responses.

I think that's part of it, but I think it also stems from politicians and the electorate over-reacting to problems that arise. Some kid overdoses on drugs at school. It comes out later that the principal had questioned the kid about the drugs and the kid said they were a prescription anti-histimine. Shortly thereafter the state legislature is passing a law requiring immediate five day suspensions and calls to the police for any student found with any medicine whatsoever. End result? Kids being led away in handcuffs because they brought some aspirin to school.

Perhaps it is just the inevitable result of dumbing down public education. Teaching the correct answers to the standardized tests instead of critical thinking leads to graduates entering the workforce without the ability to think for themselves, but merely to choose from the authorized list of responses.


I'm trying to make the connection between a DirectTV installation that ended in a women's arrest and how standardized tests in schools are robbing students of critical thinking, and I'm failing to do so. What are you saying? Because a DirectTV manager had to take standardized tests in school, he couldn't tell the difference between a joke and hostage crisis? Do you know the educational background of the people involved?


Maybe you should have saved that particular rant for another post, dammit.

A nation of paranoia is all we are.