Man Gets 15 Month Sentence For Smoking On Plane

[matcom]

<snip>

ATHENS, Greece --A Greek court sentenced a man to 15 months in prison for smoking on a plane, and then hitting a male flight attendant who told him to put his cigarette out, court officials said Thursday.

The 50-year-old Greek resident of New York was also convicted of endangering the aircraft. He was traveling on Olympic Airlines Flight No. 412 from New York to Athens last week.

Flight attendants said the defendant had been smoking in the main passenger area of the plane and in the toilet.

The man, who remains free pending appeal, said a 45-minute delay in takeoff from New York had made him nervous.

http://www.boston.com/news/odd/articles/2005/11/17/man_gets_15_months_for_smoking_on_plane?mode=PF

[underpants]

1. I thought Europeans smoked while giving birth

and pretty much anywhere else they wanted to.

:shrug:

[LynneSin]

2. I don't think the smoking was the problem - he did deck the guy...

...who asked him to put out the cigerette.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

3. Exactly. The headline is shitty.

Reeks of xian-fundy-style victimization attempt (a technique some smokers - AND non-smokers - seem to be adopting).

OR it can be just a cynical effort to make sensationalist headlines.