To Have Limited Sympathy for the Australian Vloggers Detained in Iran?

[NikeDeLaSwoosh]

Obviously I have the usual human sympathy for young people going something so terribly traumatic, but seriously, what were they thinking?

It seems from the limited information currently available that they had deliberately planned their travels to encompass counties with a 'bad rep' for tourists apparently to disprove those reputations.

Then to fly a drone? How incredibly naive.

The tensions in the Straights of Hormuz have been well-documented in the press, and the plight of Nazanin Zachariah-Ratcliffe is never far from the public eye, how could they not have been aware of this?

It saddens me so much when instagrammers risk their lives, liberty, and for women, their chance of motherhood just for the insta-likes.

That poor couple, but gosh what a foolish thing to have done.

AIBU?

*OMG

Familycourtq

“Now they have (and will) involve a lot of other innocent people in their daft drama”.

This. Bloody idiots.

FYI, OP:

...affects women

I was at uni with the man in this couple. He was nice enough, but I wouldn't have thought clever enough to be spy material. I think they've been stupid, but this is a huge price to pay for being a bit stupid! It's incredibly sad and distressing for their families and I hope they're brought home safely soon.

Quite happy to take it on the chin, it's AIBU after all

Thanks @NoTheresa

That's interesting @LavenderHills, I do ultimately think this was as it appears; an ill-judged attempt to disprove the naysayers about travel to the region.

That's not to say that the footage they shot mightn't be useful, even if to them it was just a beautiful photo.

I was at uni with the man in this couple. He was nice enough, but I wouldn't have thought clever enough to be spy material.

The trouble is the Iranians don't know that. And with reference to my suggestion upthread, a "nice but dim" person is exactly the sort of patsy a foreign intelligence service would chose (although I suspect there would be a lot of competition).

Going out on a limb, these genuises probably "vlogged" in advance that they were going to "get the lowdown on Iran" so it's hard not to imagine a queue of foreign agents eyeing them up as useful idiots.

And if I can think it, without being trained in the dark arts of espionage, then it's a racing certainty the head spooks at Tehran Towers have too.

The whole saga seems to chime with the stories every so often of parents who stop their cars in safari parks, so they can get out and have some quality pictures with the animals ...

Like these drongos

www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2018/05/family-chased-cheetahs-safari-park-animals-spd/

A family with a small child had to run for their lives when two cheetahs chased them back to their car in Holland’s Safari Park Beekse Bergen. Luckily, the cheetahs were not hungry but simply protecting their territory, safari park manager Niels de Wildt told a Dutch radio station.

Luckily no one was hurt.

Agreed, 'I know these animals are dangerous, but they'll never attack me '

Very similar mindset.

She just comes across as judgmental, ignorant and arrogant, funnily exactly what she is condemning in those youngsters

What “youngsters”?

They do not have any sympathy from me, however harsh that may seem to some.

NZR is a completely different case and I have immense sympathy for her when she only went to visit family.

These vloggers have gone to a country where it is known that if you are seen taking photographs, especially in sensitive areas, you will be arrested and accused of spying. Not only did they go there to vlog, but they flew a drone!!! That is such immense stupidity and whilst it is terrible they could be jailed for a very long time, they should not go to a country without at least knowing the basics.

Bit of an old one, but some will "get it (gran )"

Excuse me meeester ...

I have absolutely zero sympathy for them. I’m sick of reading about stupid Brits going off to sometimes remote or judicially backwards countries, breaking their laws and then making a big fuss when they get sent to prison for years and years. I also can’t believe someone was sympathising with girls who transport drugs and get imprisoned for all their fertile years.

Holland’s Safari Park Beekse Bergen

Ha ha we had a holiday at that place when our dc were toddlers... we sheltered in faux safari tents from the endless Dutch rain

I’m sick of reading about stupid Brits going

Stupidity knows no national boundaries ... they're Australian.

Amazingly, they're still only being charged with unlicensed use of a drone. Hopefully the Iranians will see their "vlog", see the comments and likes (and more importantly who they came from) and work out the 2+2 answer to this.

Although we mustn't be too hard on them. They set out with the aim of becoming an example to the rest of the world, and it's safe to say: Job Done.

They set out with the aim of becoming an example to the rest of the world, and it's safe to say; Job Done.
Harsh but fair really.

From your OP and subsequent comments it seems you're perfect, smug and arrogant. What a combination!

Well it is the perfect complement to "not in an Iranian jail" though ?

From your OP and subsequent comments it seems you're perfect, smug and arrogant. What a combination!

Hey, if it keeps her out in solitary in an Iranian jail... ¯\(ツ)/¯

@onefootinthegrave

Your comment says far more about you than it does me

On MN, we play the ball, not the man.

I despair at this! I mean what were they thinking. Clearly not very much. All 3 brain cells between them ruined in pursuit of instagram likes. JFC!

I actually think that they could be spies as surely no one is that stupid that they think they can go to those areas in Iran and fly a drone?

Whilst I have some sympathy for them and their families, I'm just glad they're Australian and not wasting British Government time and money trying to get them home.

(I see this as entirely different to Nazanin's case and as such, feel very differently about Nazanin - hope they are able to get her home one day soon.)

I actually think that they could be spies as surely no one is that stupid that they think they can go to those areas in Iran and fly a drone?

It would be highly amusing in a not-funny-but-someone-would-laugh-way if the Iranians did jail them for spying after saying:

We asked all our embassies around the world to ask a selection of citizens if they would have undertaken a journey like this and not one said yes. So they must be spies ....

I reckon they should be grateful the Iranians got them before they carried onto North Korea ...

I have immense sympathy for them - they are young and foolish. Not a crime

I have immense sympathy for them - they are young and foolish. Not a crime

"Crime" is just a madey-uppy thing depending where you happen to be in the world. Anyway, they're not being charged with "being an idiot" (probably for the best). They are charged with "unlicensed use of a drone" (or similar).

That said, they put an awful lot of effort into being young and foolish.