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Originally Posted by tonyw  I don't know.
Remember the joker who took a dump on a serving cart? If doing so resulted in him spending a few years where he wouldn't be taking dumps because someone was pounding him in the rear, the next guy who wanted to do something like that might not do it.
Sure, there are still going to be people who do stupid things anyway. But they'll pay up the ying yang and it will serve as a deterrent for many.
There are lots of things I'd like to do when I'm drunk that I don't do because I know I'd end up spending time getting acquainted with a 8x8 cell. And I know this even though I'm so drunk I'm having a hard time standing! |
Its the, if a tree falls in the forest riddle. If nobody knows there is a fine or a major penalty, will that penalty stop a person from doing the punishable act? The news will only report the act itself, say taking a dump on a cart, and the immediate response, being arrested. They won't do a follow up 6 months later saying the full punishment, that part is not dramatic enough to get ratings so it goes unsaid.
Your last statement explains exactly why stupid things like this will continue to happen. Some people can not control themselves. Even if they know there is a penalty they will most likely still continue doing the act and nothing short of a total police state will stop this sort of behavior.
With that said, I do think the punishment for diverting a jet, or taking a dump on a cart, should be harsh. Not as a deterrent to others, a small fine would deter most people, but just as an ####### tax to the individual so the rest of us are not stuck footing the bill for his punishment through our taxes.