On January 10th a French guy, young and flippant as the French can be, travelling on American airlines, happened to spend too long in the john. What he was doing in there we’ll never know, maybe trying to join the Mile High club on his own (there just isn’t room for two in there anyway). The story really starts when a concerned stewardess knocked on the door. On his way out he said - don’t worry, I didn’t put a bomb in there.

The point of that story is that it was a joke. The stewardess wasn’t amused; as a result he was charged and until today was facing four years in the can. The other one, the pound-my-ass kind of can.
Today was the trial; he pleaded guilty for inappropriate behaviour and was released against a cheque for $690.
What interests me in this is the coverage it got in the French media. It’s not just an innocuous piece of news – are there any? I wonder if it’s not a half amused, half sneaky attempt at settling scores, even in a minute way, after all the shit that France got in the US of A press.
To me, what this whole incident says is: that is so typical. Those Yankees think they’re so powerful- but they really are big bullies devoid of a sense of humour. Look at us – we have every right to be indignant but we’ll report that with the phlegm that they did not even suspect we possess. We’re so cool. And one point to us.

I’ll just keep my mouth firmly shut next time I fly with an American company, then.