SA man returns from Thai jail after 18 years

Read about it on another news site.

He says for 18 years he had no hot water to wash and just a concrete slab as a bed.

And what about the lives lost to drugs? Sorry you want sympathy not gonna get it from me

Maybe they werent as aware back in those days, but you dont take chances with things like that in foreign countries. No matter how much money they promise, tell them no.

@marine1

You mean the war on drugs? Imagine if corporations farmed poppies so that farmers in Afghanistan would not be forced to at gunpoint. Imagine if someone who wanted to do drugs, could be guaranteed that the drugs they were buying were not tampered with.

Ask Netherlands about legalization, its worked great for them. Its actually reduced consumption levels.

I refuse to get into yet another pro/anti drug discussion.

Then you shouldnt try to start one.

Originally Posted by Ancalagon

Then you shouldnt try to start one.

Couldn't agree more.

I didn't you did

One flying back from Thailand I was approached by this Indian gentleman who befriended me. Just before boarding he asked if I would not carry on one of his bags as he was over loaded. I was young so I thought nothing about it. But just before i was about to board I came around and asked him if he minded if I had a look what was in the bag. He scowled at me and grabed the bag and walked out of the boarding lounge.

Another time again when I was young I went with a group in the company i worked for to Singapore. Before we boarded i was asked to carry the First aid kit. I didn't think much about this until as walking through the Singapore entry gates I read "Mandatory death penalty for drug trafficking and it occurred to me I was carrying a plastic suitcase full of pills. Lucky i figured it out after i was through or might of had a panic attack.

Be careful of judging too quickly. People are innocently made into mules every day.

Originally Posted by marine1

And what about the lives lost to drugs? Sorry you want sympathy not gonna get it from me

Mostly all avoidable if drugs were legal and regulated. then standards could be upheld and people would know they are not getting toxic (more so than necessary) drugs. People could also get treatment without stigma and wouldn't have to hang out in the depravid depths of society to carry on their habit. I hate drugs and have seen them screw up many friends, but I don't think we help anyone by making them illegal. Drug crime and drug lords and gangsters are also a direct result of making drugs illegal. Legalize them and their street value diminishes. Never actively encourage the use of drugs further than this though obviously.

Wow this guy has a lot of catching up to do.

Originally Posted by DrYes

Wow this guy has a lot of catching up to do.

His family already bought him an iPhone 4S.

Don't be surprised if people don't want to call you Baas anymore.

Originally Posted by fantasticfred

One flying back from Thailand I was approached by this Indian gentleman who befriended me. Just before boarding he asked if I would not carry on one of his bags as he was over loaded. I was young so I thought nothing about it. But just before i was about to board I came around and asked him if he minded if I had a look what was in the bag. He scowled at me and grabed the bag and walked out of the boarding lounge.

Another time again when I was young I went with a group in the company i worked for to Singapore. Before we boarded i was asked to carry the First aid kit. I didn't think much about this until as walking through the Singapore entry gates I read "Mandatory death penalty for drug trafficking and it occurred to me I was carrying a plastic suitcase full of pills. Lucky i figured it out after i was through or might of had a panic attack.

Be careful of judging too quickly. People are innocently made into mules every day.

ANYBODY that carries anything through customs for another person is stupid. I don't believe they deserve the punishment handed out to them but c'mon after all the horror stories one has heard surely you would know not to do it. If i had to travel to a country with a death penalty for drugs I would probably only take hand baggage that is locked and never left my side just in case someone sneaks something in, that's how paranoid I am.

People that do this knowingly deserve what they get, when in rome do like the romans do and abide by their laws even though you don't agree with them. On second thought just avoid the place.

Originally Posted by Ancalagon

Maybe they werent as aware back in those days, but you dont take chances with things like that in foreign countries. No matter how much money they promise, tell them no.

@marine1

You mean the war on drugs? Imagine if corporations farmed poppies so that farmers in Afghanistan would not be forced to at gunpoint. Imagine if someone who wanted to do drugs, could be guaranteed that the drugs they were buying were not tampered with.

Ask Netherlands about legalization, its worked great for them. Its actually reduced consumption levels.

So how has their law on importing drugs worked? Can you go there with two kilo's of heroine/coke in your tummy and walk away scott free?

I somehow doubt it. If you are dumb enough to try traffic drugs in foreign countries don't cry about it.

What are the laws in netherlands regarding 1.2k of heroine? I am sure jail time will the order of the day.

Originally Posted by fantasticfred

Mostly all avoidable if drugs were legal and regulated. then standards could be upheld and people would know they are not getting toxic (more so than necessary) drugs. People could also get treatment without stigma and wouldn't have to hang out in the depravid depths of society to carry on their habit. I hate drugs and have seen them screw up many friends, but I don't think we help anyone by making them illegal. Drug crime and drug lords and gangsters are also a direct result of making drugs illegal. Legalize them and their street value diminishes. Never actively encourage the use of drugs further than this though obviously.

Tell me how has legalizing cigi's worked out hey? Do you think legalizing some of the most addictive drugs on the planet will work? Think about how many people are addicted to cigi's, would people be so addicted to cancer sticks if it was illegal i wonder?

I dunno i don't think legalizing nicotine has worked in all honesty.

Originally Posted by killadoob

Tell me how has legalizing cigi's worked out hey? Do you think legalizing some of the most addictive drugs on the planet will work? Think about how many people are addicted to cigi's, would people be so addicted to cancer sticks if it was illegal i wonder?

I dunno i don't think legalizing nicotine has worked in all honesty.

Nicotene has been legal long before we knew it was bad for us. Well for that you can thank ignorance in the early party of the last century where ciggies were even promoted as healthy at one stage. The advertising industry also pushed the image of ciggies as cool onto people. Think back on the ciggie ads of the 1980's. Since then it's just been a habit that until very recently was socially acceptable. I don't think it's comparable for these reasons.

Originally Posted by fantasticfred

Nicotene has been legal long before we knew it was bad for us. Well for that you can thank ignorance in the early party of the last century where ciggies were even promoted as healthy at one stage. The advertising industry also pushed the image of ciggies as cool onto people. Think back on the ciggie ads of the 1980's. Since then it's just been a habit that until very recently was socially acceptable. I don't think it's comparable for these reasons.

Perhaps not but do you deny that nicotine is the only reason people smoke for the most part? Perhaps some smoke socially but most addicted people cannot go without nicotine for very long and quitting is extremely hard, i understand the advertising but i don't think people see a cigi ad on tv and then go rushing off to the shops. In general it comes from peer pressure, wanting to be cool and so on. The ads may affect which brand they end up being hooked on but i don't think advertising will make people smoke. Movies also make drug use look cool as well.

I just think nicotine is a prime example of how badly addicted people can get to legal drugs.

And this is why I don't trust people when they want stuff moved by me when I travel....

I do you a favour = my rules
put the money into my account & I buy at a store I see fit, then I move it....