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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

This Pen Farthing guy

999 replies

TheGenealogist · 25/08/2021 10:54

The bloke with the animal shelter in Kabul.

Refusing to leave unless he can take ALL of his 60 odd staff and ALL of his 200+ cats and dogs with him. Hmm Expecting the government to make special rules for him and his friends.

Getting people out - understandable. The Taliban aren't going to look kindly on people who have translated for the military, or "collaborated" in other ways. But staff at an animal shelter?

And as for the refusing to leave without the animals and making this all out to be the UK government's fault? For not falling over themselves to arrange transport for a bunch of ownerless animals nobody wants when there are human beings in fear of their lives?

What is this guy playing at?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
8
NiceGerbil · 25/08/2021 12:54

I thought he wanted to get the people out. Fair enough.

Is this from Kabul airport? How is he going to get them all through? The animals but also tbh the people. Individuals can't get through.

I don't really understand the logistics.

Are private 'normal' planes being allowed to that airport? And the seats are full thing is a bit odd, the pics inside to the military planes I've seen its just a massive open space.

I find this whole story really odd.

The taleban aren't going to go around executing cats they can somehow tell were from his org surely?

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 25/08/2021 12:54

If I didn't have an elderly cat who would get the arse I would willingly have taken one or two of the cats and I'm sure I'm not the only one. As it is I'd be happy to sponsor an cat or dog until it finds a home.

Ritasueandbobtoo9 · 25/08/2021 12:56

I’m a bit on the fence about this.

Wrongsideofhistorymyarse · 25/08/2021 12:56

How is he going to get them all through? The animals but also tbh the people. Individuals can't get through.

No-one is answering this question.

One of our Parachute Regiments has been rescuing people to bring them to the airport. Should our soldiers put themselves at risk for animals?

Tal45 · 25/08/2021 12:57

This reply has been deleted

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Franklin12 · 25/08/2021 12:57

I saw both his interviews. The first one was great and then it started to crumble. He wanted what he wanted. His staff and animals out first. Never mind that others were potentially in more need.

So, are his staff more worthy then say a pregnant women or some children? Realistically not everyone will come out who wants to come out and I am beginning to feel that this is all about Pen Fathing and what he wants to have happen.

DancesWithTortoises · 25/08/2021 12:57

Desperate women and children don't go in the cargo compartment but could have gone where that Toyota car in the British airplane was accommodated.

Two wrongs don't make a right. He has stolen slots from desperate humans. Odious bully.

TheAstronaut · 25/08/2021 12:57

There’s a few people on this thread, including OP who have stated over and over again on other threads that they don’t like dogs..or cats...or indeed any animal. Regardless of the situation, they wouldn’t be in support of helping animals.

MissTrip82 · 25/08/2021 12:58

Maybe just list the top five things - not all of them, just the top five - you’re doing to help?

That way, we can all learn.

MakemeaCake · 25/08/2021 12:59

For those people who have sad all westerns are out- well, the latest is there are 4000 UK people waiting to get on a plane.

And all this about people here who will adopt the dogs- have you seen all the dogs waiting to be re-homed already in the UK?

And heard that as a result of buying dogs to walk through lockdown, many more are now waiting to be re-homed as their stupid owners realised a dog was for life, not just lockdown.

Iamclaracowbell · 25/08/2021 12:59

@MissTrip82

Maybe just list the top five things - not all of them, just the top five - you’re doing to help?

That way, we can all learn.

Bravo! I'm also very interested to hear this.....
Franklin12 · 25/08/2021 13:00

Have you seen the people surging at the gates of the airport? What does he want to have happen? A safe corridor for himself, his staff, their families and the animals at the airport whilst people are clawing to leave.

AnnieSnap · 25/08/2021 13:00

@ancientgran

This. Plenty of Brits would adopt the animals. He has been caring for them and feels a responsibility to them. Refreshing in this selfish world. I'm sure the people left behind will have a warm fuzzy feeling about it as they worry about their children surviving.
He is taking people out too. The hold-up in getting out isn’t getting a plane in the air, it’s processing people. He has arranged the paperwork. It doesn’t have to be people or animals.
jasjas1973 · 25/08/2021 13:00

@ancientgran

I think if a child, even one, dies because of it he should be held accountable

^this 100%
Johnson should be held accountable for his failure to repatriate interpreters and their families long before now.

PicsInRed · 25/08/2021 13:01

@Peacrock

Kind of reminds me of mumsnet lately!
Fucking women, reading newspapers and having opinions and shit. Grin
MakemeaCake · 25/08/2021 13:01

Yes of course you're right OP. He should have just left his staff to die and abandoned all the animals he saved.

why @Tal45 are his staff better or more worthy than the 4000 UK citizens also waiting to get on a plane?

(And you can join in a debate without resorting to call people 'dicks', surely?)

EvilPea · 25/08/2021 13:02

I think this is something you will “get” or not “get”.
This whole situation is abhorrent, and someone living out there is well aware of implications of that plane landing and taking a slot. I don’t pretend to know enough about that to argue it, but presumably he knows the implications and believes this extra flight will provide extra support to getting people out.

If the government hadn’t fucked about they could have fucked off weeks ago.
It’s sad people are so cynical now they believe it’s political point scoring.

TacoSunday · 25/08/2021 13:02

No one seems to be answering the big question here....
Is this guy actually named after a 19th century bicycle?

Original poster
TheGenealogist · 25/08/2021 13:03

As the BBC has just reported "race against time" "time running out" "desperate crush of people trying to get out" "planes leaving every 45 minutes".

But yes, lets take up one of those slots, and time on the runway loading up animals into the hold.

OP posts:
failedbyGP · 25/08/2021 13:04

Sadly a lot of the people at the airport don't have the correct papers to satisfy the UK and US authorities. They are not waiting because there is not room, they are waiting because they don't meet the criteria set by UK and US authorities. As we have seen, there is space on flights, but the UK and US authorities don't want to fill it with people whose identity and status they are not 100% sure of

MakemeaCake · 25/08/2021 13:04

@jasjas1973 Your anger should be directed at Trump and Biden.

Trump started the pulling out plan and Biden inherited it.
Biden has had the chance to allow more time and he has said no.

No one foresaw that the Afghan army would surrender to the Taliban overnight after the Brits and US army had spent 20 years training them to fight the Taliban.

Original poster
TheGenealogist · 25/08/2021 13:04

@TacoSunday

No one seems to be answering the big question here.... Is this guy actually named after a 19th century bicycle?
No. A quick google tells me his name is Paul.
OP posts:
FedNlanders · 25/08/2021 13:04

@NiceGerbil

I thought he wanted to get the people out. Fair enough.

Is this from Kabul airport? How is he going to get them all through? The animals but also tbh the people. Individuals can't get through.

I don't really understand the logistics.

Are private 'normal' planes being allowed to that airport? And the seats are full thing is a bit odd, the pics inside to the military planes I've seen its just a massive open space.

I find this whole story really odd.

The taleban aren't going to go around executing cats they can somehow tell were from his org surely?

The cats will have no homes. You really think they will just leave cats? They either murder the staff and cats or leave them to starve. This is the only way out
MakemeaCake · 25/08/2021 13:04

@TacoSunday

No one seems to be answering the big question here.... Is this guy actually named after a 19th century bicycle?
No his real name is Paul, he changed it for effect.

Nuff said.

OhCrumbsWhereNow · 25/08/2021 13:04

Even with all the paperwork in place it is almost impossible to access the airport in Kabul now. Most of the routes that were being used have closed in the last 24 hours.

The closest anyone can get in a vehicle is more than a mile away - there is then a long "walk" through crowds of tens of thousands and multiple Taliban checkpoints.