The other side of the Freedom/tobacco story

[Kristi Williamson]

Where?

 

 

Here's the quote in the article where the PA "contradicts" RCI's claims:

 

 

Harvey says that cruise line security actually returned the items to Robert following the negative test, contradicting RCI's claims that they were destroyed.

[reallyitsmema]

I thought about that and agree with you. I'm sure he made the decision because of many others that were hiding something illegal. However, this couple wasn't (based on what the PA is saying and I have no reason to believe they would lie...what do they have to lose/gain, ya know?) carrying anything illegal. I'm still a big believer in every individual should be judged based on their OWN merit and every case should be handled based on it's merit. I get why she omitted their really stupid packing decisions. Who wants to look like a moron?

 

I don't think stupid is a crime and I don't think bad decision making is a crime. We've ALL been there. My basic feeling is that I think RCI handled this very poorly and if you didn't break the contract and you didn't do anything illegal you don't deserve to be treated as though you did.

You need to read all of Hager's posts on the original thread. She repeatedly said it was tobacco, plain tobacco that was going to be smoked in a brand new "Popeye" style pipe. She did not just omit how it was packed, she outright lied about what it was.

[rubrrick]

Paul...you are an abundance of knowledge on this thread:)

 

 

Steve........he should be, as this is his field of work. And, like a captain of a ship, he is the captain of his station. He has said who he works for, and all that I can say is he is a gentleman, extremely knowledgeable, and a very close acquaintance, if not a friend. So, I do know a bit of Paul, and the reliability of his responses.

 

Rick

[reallyitsmema]

But unless security has a PDR they wouldnt know an asprin from a lemondrop;):D

True, they might not know exactly what it is but they do know that particular pill is OTC and not the ones they have been told to look for.:)

[crzndeb]

It is what it is...I take everything posted by all parties with a grain of salt. A lot of what is printed is partly fact, partly fiction. As others have stated (over and over)...nobody knows the truth, except the parties involved.

 

But, let me play devil's advocate....if, and a BIG if, what if the couple were trying to see if their tobacco, or whatever it was, got past security? They wanted to purchase a little something special to enhance their anniversary night, and they got busted in a foreign country? The outcome would have been a lot worse.

 

If you have nothing to hide, then don't hide it. Hopefully, there will be a suitable outcome for all parties involved.

[time4u2go]

OK, I've got a hypothetical question.

 

What if I had one of these false-bottom cans that's for putting jewelry in, and I packed some expensive jewelry in it. Port police and/or ship security see it on their scanners, and want to know more about it, so they call me off the ship. Do I have to prove that I legally own the jewelry? If I can't prove it, then might somebody decide that I'm high risk (like for possibly stealing other people's jewelry), and boot me off the ship?

[LovesCruising]

I'm gonna call this The Herpes Thread, no matter what you do, it won't go away!!:eek:

 

Oy. Don't you all see this is pointless, at this point?:confused:

 

The mods closed the first thread - and now its back with a new one...over and over and over.....:eek:

[bigeagle12]

Busted for WHAT? Packing badly? Making a poor packing decision? I can't believe there are actually people who think that others should lose a 3000.00 dollar vacation because they made a stupid packing decision and there's no proof of any kind this was anything other than what the passengers said it was. They ran tests and gave the stuff back to them. They weren't busted for anything.

 

Read post #1065.

[johneeo]

IF additional testing were done and it proved to be illegal .. note the word IF .. and the fact that the only testing they did was for THC (marijuana

)

 

I thought that additional testing was done by RCI and that it was determined that it was a controlled substance.

 

BTW, I do believe it was you that provided that info. Just out of curiousity, what is the difference between a controlled substance and an illegal substance.

 

That being the case, why were they not arrested?

 

I am learning so much from this thread, I am almost ready to play a lawyer on the internet.

[d4nigirl]

Spice/K2, and countless other brands of synthetic cannabis.

 

It is a major problem in the US right now.

 

Do they have the same effects as mj? Are they both smoked?

[BeagleOne]

Here's the quote in the article where the PA "contradicts" RCI's claims:

 

 

Harvey says that cruise line security actually returned the items to Robert following the negative test, contradicting RCI's claims that they were destroyed.

 

That is either Ms. Harvey's or Mr. Askin's interpretation of what RCI said, NOT an actual claim from RCI.

 

Where's the actual RCI claim that they were destroyed? As I've pointed out at least twice, "taken by law enforcement to be destroyed", which is what the RCI spokeswoman actually WROTE to Mr. Askin in an email, is NOT the same as RCI's claiming that it WAS destroyed. So there's no proof that RCI lied.

 

Maybe more quotations will come to light showing the RCI did lie about the disposition of the "tobacco". But nothing that's been published so far shows that they lied.

[Kristi Williamson]

You need to read all of Hager's posts on the original thread. She repeatedly said it was tobacco, plain tobacco that was going to be smoked in a brand new "Popeye" style pipe. She did not just omit how it was packed, she outright lied about what it was.

 

But, in the incident report and article posted on the front page of cruise critic...the Port Authority also called it tobacco. They said they found a pipe with the "tobacco". They later refer to it as "hookah herb", which actually has no tobacco.

 

I suppose I view that kind of like people calling a butterfly pupa's chrysalis a cocoon. It's a misconception, but an easier one that everyone will understand. It's not a lie to me...it merely an easier way to say what you're trying to say in a way that it's easy to grasp. Maybe she was lying...I don't know. But, I still don't think she should have been kicked off that day...which was quite a while before she posted here. They didn't break the contract or the law and legally they should have been on that ship...in my opinion.

[Aquahound]

.....and a very close acquaintance, if not a friend.

 

Thank you Rick. :o

 

You and B are nothing less [/i]than good friends to T and me.

[bigeagle12]

I thought that additional testing was done by RCI and that it was determined that it was a controlled substance.

 

BTW, I do believe it was you that provided that info. Just out of curiousity, what is the difference between a controlled substance and an illegal substance.

 

That being the case, why were they not arrested?

 

I am learning so much from this thread, I am almost ready to play a lawyer on the internet.

 

Did you read the article by CC .. RCI stated it tested positive for a "contolled substance" .. in my opinion that equals illegal .. but I will leave that to Aquahound.

 

They turned it over to PC police which obviously could only test for THC.

[jonbgd]

True, they might not know exactly what it is but they do know that particular pill is OTC and not the ones they have been told to look for.:)

True...... they would have a field day with my little white bottle of pills mixed together.:eek:

[Aquahound]

Do they have the same effects as mj? Are they both smoked?

 

Yes. In fact, folks have told me it is a much stronger high, almost like extreme intoxication.

 

Common smoking methods are rolling papers, hookahs, pipes, and homemade bongs.....sometimes just a hole punched through a soda can.

[time4u2go]

Did you read the article by CC .. RCI stated it tested positive for a "contolled substance" .. in my opinion that equals illegal .. but I will leave that to Aquahound.

 

They turned it over to PC police which obviously could only test for THC.

 

I think certain legal prescription painkillers are also controlled substances.

[johneeo]

The Captain had grounds to suspect the stuff and chose to deny boarding because of safety and health concerns of the other 4000 people on the ship.

 

Could you explain that to me?

 

I am easily confused. Let's even assume for arguments sake that the leafy stuff was a combination of marijuana, thc, angels dust, magic mushrooms, and peyote.

 

How would this effect the safety and health of the other passengers?

[bigeagle12]

I think certain legal prescription painkillers are also controlled substances.

 

Yes with a prescription .. but would not be found laced in "tobacco"

[d4nigirl]

Yes. In fact, folks have told me it is a much stronger high, almost like extreme intoxication.

 

Common smoking methods are rolling papers, hookahs, pipes, and homemade bongs.....sometimes just a hole punched through a soda can.

 

Wow! Thats some pretty insane stuff. What about a cored apple?...:rolleyes:

...Anyway...stronger high, so maybe closer to other types of drug effects, and this stuff -was- legal? wow.

 

Honestly, as long as my xanax isn't taken away when I travel, I'm fine. I of course, keep it in it's prescription bottle.

 

I wonder if there's a video or pictures of the events that took place. It would definitely be something to see. I can imagine though that enforcement wouldn't appreciate it.

[bigeagle12]

Could you explain that to me?

 

I am easily confused. Let's even assume for arguments sake that the leafy stuff was a combination of marijuana, thc, angels dust, magic mushrooms, and peyote.

 

How would this effect the safety and health of the other passengers?

 

Example: 30 years ago a girl in the apartment below ours was spaced out on Valium and fell asleep smoking a cigarette on the couch. She died .. 8 apartments burned out .. fortunately no one else died.

 

Fire on a cruise ship .. that might affect the safety and health of other passengers.

[johneeo]

OK, I've got a hypothetical question.

 

What if I had one of these false-bottom cans that's for putting jewelry in, and I packed some expensive jewelry in it. Port police and/or ship security see it on their scanners, and want to know more about it, so they call me off the ship. Do I have to prove that I legally own the jewelry? If I can't prove it, then might somebody decide that I'm high risk (like for possibly stealing other people's jewelry), and boot me off the ship?

 

And they can conclude that there is a POSSIBILITY that you will take the can ashore in a foreigh country and smuggle jewelry back onto the ship, thereby putting the health and safety of the passengers on board in jeopardy, and the Captain, in his best judgment will have to deny your boarding.:rolleyes:

[Aquahound]

Did you read the article by CC .. RCI stated it tested positive for a "contolled substance" .. in my opinion that equals illegal .. but I will leave that to Aquahound.

 

Lol! Thanks for the vote of confidence, but that is one of the questions of the day.

[d4nigirl]

Could you explain that to me?

 

I am easily confused. Let's even assume for arguments sake that the leafy stuff was a combination of marijuana, thc, angels dust, magic mushrooms, and peyote.

 

How would this effect the safety and health of the other passengers?

 

I surely would NOT want to be around someone tripping that hard.

[time4u2go]

Example: 30 years ago a girl in the apartment below ours was spaced out on Valium and fell asleep smoking a cigarette on the couch. She died .. 8 apartments burned out .. fortunately no one else died.

 

Fire on a cruise ship .. that might affect the safety and health of other passengers.

 

But this type of incident isn't because the girl used an illegal substance, which is what the previous poster was asking about. This same type of incident could happen to someone that drinks too much booze.