lionheart

I have just taken this story from the Detained in Dubai website. It might be worth reading for anyone planning to fly during the holidays. The veracity of the facts have not been independently corroborated but the story certainly sounds plausible, other than possibly the fisty-cuffs.

It was brought to my attention by someone who was recently released (without charge) from Dubai that Emirates Airlines are serving alcohol to persons on the plane, knowing that they will be incarcerated on arrival in Dubai if breath tested. This raises the question of whether in fact, EA owe a duty of care to their passengers to either ban alcohol in flight or warn passengers that if they leave the plane, they risk detention.

Mark tells us his views:

Part of Dubai’s law on alcohol is the following: “drinking in public or being intoxicated in a public place is illegal.”

Questions were raised by me and inmates regarding alcohol served by Emirates Airlines. One of my cell mates was travelling with a group of friends. The hostess offered them free extra bottles of wine. They refused. After listening to the story provided by the 63 year old man, he was glad they declined the offer.

To protect the privacy of the 63 year old, I will call him Peter. He was travelling first class. Throughout his journey, alcohol was served for free. He took advantage of the offer.

Once he arrived in Dubai, he was pulled aside by customs. He was clearly intoxicated, but not misbehaving. Peter was breathalysed and then arrested. When he stood up for himself, a group of eight police men took him to a room and bashed him.

Time I arrived at the deportation centre; his bruises had already cleared up. I was told by others what he looked like when he first arrived. They were all horrified by his conditions.

It wasn’t the first time you came across men entering covered in bruises, but an older man makes you sick. It is wrong. I saw him cry on several occasions and my heart would overflow with sadness. Although my father has passed away, I had visions of him in the same situation.

Peter left the following week of my release. His stay would have been for approximately 50 days.

I definitely question the integrity and lack of responsibility of Emirates airlines towards its customers. They are aware of alcohol laws in Dubai and still serving it.

All flights going to and through the UAE should ban the serving of alcohol. Being a responsible drinker is not the issue. Why serve alcohol when it’s a crime to be intoxicated in public?

Not once did any of the airline crew advise the travellers of the possible consequences in drinking throughout the flight. They just kept on serving, glass after glass.

Since returning home, I have been corresponding with Emirates airlines requesting change in their policies and procedures. To this date, nothing has been achieved.

Mark S.
Melbourne
Australia

Euc-

You can say the same about all airlines flying into Dubai then, not only Emirates.

Norm_uk

I posted the link for that site in another thread...

Important to know though...

This is symptomatic of the huge problems in this country. The contradictory laws and no system of precedent to smooth things out.

N.

Euc-

I think this one is more scary though:

http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/em...burst-1.527364

Some lunatics jumped out of a moving car and the driver is being detained as "he is the one responsible for the safety of the two passengers jumped out of the sports utility vehicle while still in motion after its tyre burst, said Salah Bu Farousha, Head of Dubai Traffic Public Prosecution."

So he had to keep the doors locked, what if the car overturned, caught fire and they cannot get out as the door is locked, whatever you do you're *****ed apparently.

Norm_uk

Someone always has to be blamed it would seem...

The more I learn about the judicial system here the more worried I become.

N.

coffindodger

Yes EK and Dubai's chant is Fly EK & KEEEP DISCOVERING ha ha
yes you ceratinly will.

Bonny Boy

Arriving in a Muslim country "clearly intoxicated" = Not a good idea.

...and reading between the lines, "Stood up for himself" = Started a fight.

Bijilo123

I don't see anything wrong with airlines serving drink inbound to UAE, Kuwait, KSA and so on - it is not illegal. I don't see anything wrong with being prosecuted for being drunk anywhere really including Middle East, UK - anywhere for that matter.

The waitresses on airlines have guidelines on how to treat passengers and offer or serve booze - but it is not their fault if the passenger gets pissed.... and consequently jailed.

There is no contradiction in that. And why should they care about a passenger getting drunk if the passenger does'nt?

co durham boy

so whats reading in between the lines ? thats a pretty judgemental opinion , as the previous post said , there is no precedent in the law to reside over cases and there is a total over reliance on total judgemental rulings, thats where the disparity and injustice comes into it.
its basically about how the judge feels on the day but thats what you have in this part of the world,very very very wrong indeed.

Aikman7981

Other airlines are not owned by the royal family of Dubai and do not represent the emirate internationally.

American (or British, if you like) Airlines would probably not know anything about this and that is excusable.

lionheart

The point is that not everyone is aware that you can be jailed over here simply for consuming alcohol without necessarily being a public nuisance. In KSA its understood but not necessarily in Dubai which is, after all, full of bars and often rowdy tourists.

Bijilo123

No... The point being that it is illegal to be drunk in any country and bye laws applicable in airports can be even more severe but the fact remains you can't be drunk in any country or under the influence of drugs.

Also in no country is ignorance of the law a defence. And it does not matter if one regime is more lenient than another in upholding the law - breach of the law is a crime.

spart

Bollox
Total Bollox
That is the only correct thing in your post.

It is absolutely legal to get drunk in many countries, as it is to be under the influence of drugs in dozens of countries.

When you get behind the wheel of a car or on a bicycle, or start making a nuisance of yourself; thats when you start to break laws in most sensible countries.

commander

yea, its illegal to get stoned in a cafe in Amsterdam...

Bungdit Din

please get a clue... it's NOT illegal just to be drunk in Europe, the USA, Australia... almost anywhere...

it IS illegal to do some things while you're drunk and it's illegal to do other things at any time whether you're drunk or not but it is NOT illegal just to be drunk in most countries of the world.

but in the UAE even if you've just had a glass of wine on a plane that counts as being drunk in public and if they want to they can jail you for it...