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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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 Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2012 12:46 pm Post subject: A Cautionary Tale |
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I was not in the UK when all this was being reported in the media. I first heard about it yesterday. A cautionary tale for anyone going to Thailand - or elsewhere -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandra_Gregory
Last edited by scot47 on Sun Oct 07, 2012 4:20 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Shroob
Joined: 02 Aug 2010
Posts: 1339
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| Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2012 12:55 pm Post subject: Re: A Cautionary Tale |
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| scot47 wrote: |
I was not in the UK when all this was being reported in the media. I first heard about it yesdtertday. A cautionary tale for anyone goingf to Thailand - or elsewhere -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandra_Gregory |
'Gregory appeared in the 2006 British documentary series Banged Up Abroad where she tells about the experience.'
I saw that show (and the others in the series). To be honest, she deserved it. Drug smuggling is obviously wrong and against the law. |
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Tudor
Joined: 21 Aug 2009
Posts: 339
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| Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2012 1:21 pm Post subject: Re: A Cautionary Tale |
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| Shroob wrote: |
| scot47 wrote: |
I was not in the UK when all this was being reported in the media. I first heard about it yesdtertday. A cautionary tale for anyone goingf to Thailand - or elsewhere -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandra_Gregory |
'Gregory appeared in the 2006 British documentary series Banged Up Abroad where she tells about the experience.'
I saw that show (and the others in the series). To be honest, she deserved it. Drug smuggling is obviously wrong and against the law. |
Having read her book several years ago, I seem to recall that she was quite ill and stuck in Thailand so she agreed to smuggle a small amount of drugs to Japan to raise money for her airfare back to Britain.
Yes, what she did was wrong and incredibly foolish, but desperate people do desperate things. But, yes, a cautionary tale indeed - there hardly seems to be a week go by in Indonesia without some foreigner getting arrested for smuggling drugs into the country. Amazingly, I know a lot of teachers who partake in recreational drugs here including some that do so in their homes. Of course, many think that all they have to do if they get busted is grease a few palms and it'll all go away - Gregory and many others like her have found to their cost that that isn't always the case. |
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Shroob
Joined: 02 Aug 2010
Posts: 1339
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| Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2012 1:26 pm Post subject: Re: A Cautionary Tale |
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| Tudor wrote: |
| Shroob wrote: |
| scot47 wrote: |
I was not in the UK when all this was being reported in the media. I first heard about it yesdtertday. A cautionary tale for anyone goingf to Thailand - or elsewhere -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandra_Gregory |
'Gregory appeared in the 2006 British documentary series Banged Up Abroad where she tells about the experience.'
I saw that show (and the others in the series). To be honest, she deserved it. Drug smuggling is obviously wrong and against the law. |
Having read her book several years ago, I seem to recall that she was quite ill and stuck in Thailand so she agreed to smuggle a small amount of drugs to Japan to raise money for her airfare back to Britain.
Yes, what she did was wrong and incredibly foolish, but desperate people do desperate things. But, yes, a cautionary tale indeed - there hardly seems to be a week go by in Indonesia without some foreigner getting arrested for smuggling drugs into the country. Amazingly, I know a lot of teachers who partake in recreational drugs here including some that do so in their homes. Of course, many think that all they have to do if they get busted is grease a few palms and it'll all go away - Gregory and many others like her have found to their cost that that isn't always the case. |
While that may be the case, I've still little sympathy with her. Why didn't she take out health insurance? When you live abroad it's part of the process. Either you take out private health insurance or have it through your employer.
Also, having enough money for a ticket home should hardly bank. From Thailand a one way ticket should cost no more than �600. A responsible person should ensure they always have enough money to get home. |
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Tudor
Joined: 21 Aug 2009
Posts: 339
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| Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2012 2:39 pm Post subject: |
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So you were never young and foolish then Shroob? Whilst I've never had anything to do with drugs, I was a big drinker back in my younger days, and it still amazes me that I never seriously hurt myself, someone else, or ended up in a prison cell with some of the reckless stunts I pulled whilst under the influence. This is probably why I try to avoid being too judgemental of other people's lapses.
There but for the grace of God go I... |
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biliana
Joined: 19 Aug 2012
Posts: 53
Location: Vietnam
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| Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2012 2:50 pm Post subject: |
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| Tudor wrote: |
So you were never young and foolish then Shroob? Whilst I've never had anything to do with drugs, I was a big drinker back in my younger days, and it still amazes me that I never seriously hurt myself, someone else, or ended up in a prison cell with some of the reckless stunts I pulled whilst under the influence. This is probably why I try to avoid being too judgemental of other people's lapses.
There but for the grace of God go I... |
A thoughtful post Tudor.
I agree in many things you say, however she was 28 and teaching kids at the time of her arrest. Mature enough I would think. |
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Tudor
Joined: 21 Aug 2009
Posts: 339
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| Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2012 2:59 pm Post subject: |
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| biliana wrote: |
| Tudor wrote: |
So you were never young and foolish then Shroob? Whilst I've never had anything to do with drugs, I was a big drinker back in my younger days, and it still amazes me that I never seriously hurt myself, someone else, or ended up in a prison cell with some of the reckless stunts I pulled whilst under the influence. This is probably why I try to avoid being too judgemental of other people's lapses.
There but for the grace of God go I... |
A thoughtful post Tudor.
I agree in many things you say, however she was 28 and teaching kids at the time of her arrest. Mature enough I would think. |
Well, yes, you'd think so wouldn't you. Fortunately, I grew out of my self-destructive phase in my mid-twenties and I'm so glad I did - I cringe now when I see colleagues and acquaintances in their 30s and 40s getting into the same scrapes that I used to in my 20s.
Either way though, I couldn't help having some sympathy for Gregory when I read her book, notwithstanding any fecklessness on her behalf. |
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tttompatz
Joined: 06 Mar 2010
Posts: 1951
Location: Talibon, Bohol, Philippines
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Shroob
Joined: 02 Aug 2010
Posts: 1339
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| Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2012 10:06 am Post subject: |
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| Tudor wrote: |
So you were never young and foolish then Shroob? Whilst I've never had anything to do with drugs, I was a big drinker back in my younger days, and it still amazes me that I never seriously hurt myself, someone else, or ended up in a prison cell with some of the reckless stunts I pulled whilst under the influence. This is probably why I try to avoid being too judgemental of other people's lapses.
There but for the grace of God go I... |
I'm only 23 as it happens, so I have plenty of time to do some foolish things. However, drug smuggling is definitely not one of them! I would say that's beyond foolish.
I've been raised to know the difference between right and wrong. Admittedly, she was in a tough situation, however, not one in which a little planning/responsibility wouldn't have solved. |
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artemisia
Joined: 04 Nov 2008
Posts: 875
Location: the world
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| Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 9:31 pm Post subject: |
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How easy it seems to be to totally ruin your own life! While it�s also easy to become judgemental, you can�t really avoid making judgements either. But how does it happen? Lack of planning? Lack of experience? Sheer bloody-mindedness that nothing bad will ever happen to you? It�s not always about age, but desperation is frequently a factor.
I think a lot of people take a big risk not shelling out for expenses like insurance if they�re not going to an organised job with related benefits. It may be a mundane topic, but getting travel health insurance or local health insurance where you live is vital in most places. And so is knowing exactly what it covers. This guy thought he had full comprehensive insurance (from an Australian co.) before embarking on a holiday to Thailand. I�ve read a few news reports about him. The first day of his holiday, he was out and about on a scooter and he got hit by a truck:
http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/high-price-for-thai-scooter-crash-20120704-21h3r.html |
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1st Sgt Welsh
Joined: 13 Dec 2010
Posts: 946
Location: Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
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| Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2012 11:17 am Post subject: |
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| artemisia wrote: |
I think a lot of people take a big risk not shelling out for expenses like insurance if they�re not going to an organised job with related benefits. It may be a mundane topic, but getting travel health insurance or local health insurance where you live is vital in most places. And so is knowing exactly what it covers. |
I've heard so many hard-luck stories by travelers abroad - usually when they are sniffing around for a few bucks  . I'm certain many of them were scams but I wouldn't be surprised if one or two were genuine. Anyway, at the risk of sounding cold/judgmental, if someone doesn't have insurance and get themselves into strife, I've got very little sympathy. I hate paying the premiums as well but if you can't afford travelers' insurance then you can't afford to travel.
I've watched quite a few shows in this series and, putting the issue of morality to the side, it never ceases to amaze me how much risk these people are prepared to take for so little reward. The woman in the documentary, (who comes across as more sympathetic than most of the people I've seen in that series), effectively risks her life for 1,000 pounds  . |
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artemisia
Joined: 04 Nov 2008
Posts: 875
Location: the world
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| Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2012 5:29 am Post subject: |
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| 1st Sgt Welsh wrote: |
I've watched quite a few shows in this series and, putting the issue of morality to the side, it never ceases to amaze me how much risk these people are prepared to take for so little reward. The woman in the documentary, (who comes across as more sympathetic than most of the people I've seen in that series), effectively risks her life for 1,000 pounds . |
True, 1st Sgt Welsh, quite true. Nevertheless, while I've never done anything as daft as that, I still get the sense she felt trapped and wasn't able to extricate herself. Well, she said that often enough. She had choices; for some reason she just wasn't capable of recognising that she did.
I've met people abroad who seem to have adopted a different moral code from the way they would behave 'back home'. They've been quite brazen about it. For example, drinking with local people at bars until they just about fall over and then stealing their wallets - laughing their heads off about how much money they got. I had the impression it's not what they'd do in their own countries. Maybe this had nothing to do with any sense of a (bankrupt) 'moral code', but was more to do with feeling they were immune to any local laws. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2012 6:00 pm Post subject: |
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Diffrreent morality when "abroad" ?Read all about it in the novels of Conrad or Somerset Maugham.
But then I suppose people of that age don't read books. |
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gloomyGumi
Joined: 29 Dec 2010
Posts: 353
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| Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2012 6:22 pm Post subject: |
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| necessıty ıs the mother of ınventıon |
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steki47
Joined: 20 Apr 2008
Posts: 1029
Location: BFE Inaka
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| Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2012 2:36 am Post subject: |
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| scot47 wrote: |
| Diffrreent morality when "abroad" ?Read all about it in the novels of Conrad or Somerset Maugham. |
Williams Burroughs, Ernest Hemingway and Paul Gaugin built whole careers on being dirtbag expats.
Just carrying on a fine tradition!  |
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