Do you believe he really didn't know he had to pay for the items? I mean come on, I don't know of any store that you just can go and grab things for free.
International Level: Specialist / Political Participation: 43 4.3%
No way I will ever believe something like this. Come on, no matter the name of the shop, everybody knows that a store is there for profit and that humanity invented money as a mean of regulating economical transactions within the society. In my opinion, the guy just tried to be smart. And failed.
International Level: Politics 101 / Political Participation: 6 0.6%
Why does it seem that society is trying to get away with the idiot appeal so much? Here in the US people have sued for things like 'McDonalds made me fat', 'Starbucks coffee was hot and I didn't know it', 'I put a can of beans on a stove and cooked it and it exploded, no one told me I had to open it and take the beans out'.
This guy in Derry sounds just like those other morons. What I can't believe is some of them win with that appeal.
International Level: Politics 101 / Political Participation: 0 0%
I agree with you, Steff. We have tv shows in Italy about this kind of things coming from the US (actually, is not only the States but you guys make more sensation because you are supposed to have a high level of information and culture). I'm sorry to say that, but is a general feeling amongst Europeans that Americans are less smart and intellectual. The stereotype of the "Yankee" is a tall, large man with a big jaw and almost no brain. Well, that's far from being true, of course. But I met myself a couple of individuals that would perfectly match the description...
I think that stories like this one contribute to damage the perception that foreigners have about Americans. To make things worse, in your Country is not considered acceptable to openly say, for instance, that this guy is a perfect idiot. In our Countries they would laugh about him in the News and show what happened like a curiosity rather than like a serious fact. That's because of the different way in which the "Politically correct" is interpreted. I know that, but not everybody does. Some people think that your media take it seriously because people in the US find the story normal and perfectly acceptable (which I know is not) and, therefore, believe most of you guys to be a little bit naive if not clearly gullible.
Don't blame me. I'm just explaining the common reaction in my Continent and in many other places around the world. If I shared the same opinion, I would not be here.
International Level: Politics 101 / Political Participation: 6 0.6%
I take no offence Brunconero. This kind of thing used to be on the news as a kind of "Look at this idiot" segment, but it's becoming more and more mainstream as there are more and more morons coming out of the woodwork to make the rest of us look like a nation of 'slack-jawed yokels'. Part of the problem is this nation has elevated the need (or want) for money and/or how to get it the easy way. One of the easy ways is to "Sue someone's pants off". A lot of these are for the dumbest things. The newsgroups love sensationalism, so these stupid court cases get a lot of television/news time.
Many news programs nowadays in the U.S. Are skating the edge into illegal "Yellow Journalism".
Also the U.S. Has an enormous amount of "Court/Celebrity Judge" shows. We've become a nation that loves to see idiots in our courtrooms
International Level: Politics 101 / Political Participation: 0 0%
The first story of this kind which I remember of, was an old lady that sued McDonalds (or TimHorton? I forgot) because the coffee was too hot and she got burned. People in my Country were shocked when she won the trial and got a large sum of money in reparation of the damage she suffered (a burning). I mean, even my dog knows that coffee is hot: is like buying a knife and complain because that thing cuts!
The problem is that people got money out of these stupid allegations so, yes, others will try as well.
International Level: Politics 101 / Political Participation: 6 0.6%
Good points, however to stop this topic's drift from "Man Caught Stealing At Finders Keepers" to other Topics such as "Frivolous Lawsuits" or "American Perception Abroad" which is not what this thread is about please note there are topics for the points you all are bringing up (including the hot coffee):
* I Slipped On A Grape
* Do Wrong To Be Sued
* What Do Americans Know?
* Why U. S. Culture Sucks
* Anti-American?
* Where's The Beef? Taco Bell Sued Over Ingredients
* Dumbing Ourselves Down
* Numbing Society For Profit