Re: Who'd visit Dubai?

On 06/05/2011 19:40, Ret. wrote:
Dex wrote:
On 06/05/2011 11:21, Ret. wrote:
Dex wrote:
On 06/05/2011 08:22, Ret. wrote:
Mike P wrote:
On Thu, 05 May 2011 18:41:48 +0100, Ret. wrote:

Seems that you can arrested, have your passport confiscated, and
locked up for 'gesturing' in Dubai. Another in a long list of
tourists being arrested for silly things in that country:

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/london-surgeon-detained-in-dubai-over-

driving-row-398063.html

"A top London surgeon has been detained in Dubai on a charge of
public indecency following an altercation with a motorist, it was
reported Thursday.

Joseph Nunoo-Mensah, a consultant surgeon at King's College
Hospital, London, faces trial after he was accused of making a
rude gesture at another driver, The Independent reported.

Dr Nunoo-Mensah was in the UAE with his family at the invitation
of US healthcare group Cleveland Clinic, which is building a
medical centre in the Gulf state's capital.

The British national said he was returning to Dubai when he was
tailgated by a car flashing its lights. The stretch of road had a
60kph speed limit as roadworks were ongoing, he told the paper.

"I was trying to abide by the speed limit and couldn't move out
of his way. I pulled over when I could, but instead of
overtaking us, he pulled up alongside. and drove in parallel
with us for up to a minute. He was looking at me in an
intimidating way - I was quite terrified," he said.

"I raised both my hands to say, 'What do you want?' but he pulled
out and then took off and turned right. He alleges I stuck a
finger at him but I raised both hands. I am sure he must have
seen them at an angle, and that was offensive to him."

Making offensive hand gestures is illegal in the UAE and can lead
to a jail term.

Dr Nunoo-Mensah had his passport confiscated by police the next
day and is now waiting to be notified of his court date.

At King's, his patients awaiting surgery have had their
operations reallocated to other doctors.

The case is the latest documenting the arrest of British
nationals in the UAE, following a spate of arrests relating to
crimes such as the illegal consumption of alcohol and
inappropriate behaviour. Holidaymaker Lee Bradley Brown died in
custody in Dubai last
month after being arrested for the alleged assault of a Nepalese
housekeeper at the emirate's iconic Burj al-Arab hotel.

The British Embassy said in 2009 that Brits were more likely to
be arrested in the UAE than anywhere else in the world.

A poll of British tourists in March ranked Dubai, which hosts
around one million Brits a year, alongside Mexico, South Africa
and Jamica as the countries they feel the least safe in."

Aren't you the one that always wants people who come here to abide
by our laws and customs, and whinges when they don't?

Isn't it rather hypocritical of you , therefore, to whinge about
Brits being arrested abroad for breaking local laws?

The problem with Dubai (and bear in mind that the gov't has pointed
out that Brits are more likely to be arrested in UAE than anywhere
else in the world), is that even the simplest actions, which are
commonplace in the UK, (kissing your wife/girlfriend in public for
example) are arrestable offences out there.

It means that if you are visiting that country you are walking on
eggshells, scared stiff of being arrested for making the most minor
slip. Doesn't seem to me to be the best way of attracting tourists
to your country.


Yet over 90% of the population are expats and migrant workers, so it
cant be that bad.

Yes - but if you actually live out there then you will just have to
learn about all these criminal acts (which are not criminal in your
own country) and abide by them. Tourists going somewhere for a two
week holiday are unlikely to want to spend time learning that it is a
jailable offence to send a sexually explicit text message, or to kiss
your wife in public, or to make a hand gesture in a car, etc.




What the authorities *should* be doing is making allowances for
tourists who unwittingly fall foul of minor over-strict (to
westerners) laws.


You should know better than that Kev, you being an ex-copper, give
them an inch...

I'm pretty sure if you were a still a Copper and caught someone
from a foreign nation breaking our laws you wouldn't budge an inch.

Depends very much upon what the broken law was. If it was a serious
offence that the offender should have been aware of - then that is
different to a minor offence that may not be an offence where the
visiting foreigner has come from.



According to this surgeon, he merely raised both his hands in a
'what is the problem?' sort of gesture.

Tough. As already mentioned "When in Rome...".

Which is fair enough if you *know* that making hand gestures is a
criminal offence. The simple fact is that a lot of Brits (and other
Westerners) have been arrested and jailed in UAE for the most minor
and stupid actions that are not an offence in their own countries.
If the UAE is not prepared to make allowances for that fact - then
that is a damn good reason to give their country a wide berth.



Do you think that it was remotely
reasonable to remove his passport and lock him up for that? Even if
he was lying,

Nothing to do with what you, me or anyone else see as reasonable in
another sovereign countries laws. Unless you want to see the entire
globe follow (pre-Labour) English law.

No - I simply expect countries who want tourists to come and visit,
to make some allowances when those tourists, unwittingly, commit
'offences' which are not offences in the country they have come
from. If those countries are not prepared to make such allowances,
then I consider that a very good reason not to visit them.

So if an African family came here and decided to walk about naked as
they do at home you'd not object in any way shape or form?

I said 'unwittingly'. Do you think it remotely likely that the African
family would not know that walking around naked is not normal in the UK?


No. It's not a requirement to study our laws when coming here. They could easily think we cover up because of the weather.





I honestly CANNOT believe some of your stupid, ignorant and even
downright bigoted posts sometimes.

Oh for pity's sake. It is you who is being stupid and ignorant here.


Not quite, you're the one who thinks our laws take precedent over
another countries when we visit them, just like the Yanks.


I suppose you think this scrote should have been given a slap on the
wrist and fined,
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90776/90883/6854884.html.

Or maybe not, he's one of your bogeymen, a Muslim.

Why do you introduce such ridiculously irrelevant examples?


Because you think our laws take precedence over other nations laws.


If he'd been covicted here he'd have got a few years and you posting a Daily Mail link and bitching about immigration as well as if they wont obey our laws they deserve what they get.

I can easily imaging one of your counterparts in Dubai doing it about Joseph Nunoo-Mensah.
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Whod visit Dubai?
    ... Another in a long list of tourists being arrested for silly ... The case is the latest documenting the arrest of British ... It means that if you are visiting that country you are walking ... kiss your wife in public, or to make a hand gesture in a car, etc. ...
    (uk.legal)
  • Re: Whod visit Dubai?
    ... The case is the latest documenting the arrest of British nationals ... A poll of British tourists in March ranked Dubai, ... It means that if you are visiting that country you are walking on ... Tourists going somewhere for a two week holiday are unlikely to want to spend time learning that it is a jailable offence to send a sexually explicit text message, or to kiss your wife in public, or to make a hand gesture in a car, etc. ...
    (uk.legal)
  • Re: Whod visit Dubai?
    ... Another in a long list of tourists being arrested for silly ... The case is the latest documenting the arrest of British ... It means that if you are visiting that country you are walking ... kiss your wife in public, or to make a hand gesture in a car, etc. ...
    (uk.legal)
  • Re: Whod visit Dubai?
    ... The case is the latest documenting the arrest of British nationals ... A poll of British tourists in March ranked Dubai, ... It means that if you are visiting that country you are walking on ... jailable offence to send a sexually explicit text message, ...
    (uk.legal)
  • Re: Whod visit Dubai?
    ... The case is the latest documenting the arrest of British ... A poll of British tourists in March ranked Dubai, ... It means that if you are visiting that country you are walking on ... jailable offence to send a sexually explicit text message, ...
    (uk.legal)