OT - Lochte

[champs99and04]

It's actually difficult to express how amazing this is.

 

[8893]

Tool.

 

[DCHuskyFan]

He is stupid. It appears that they were held at gunpoint by a security guard with a licensed firearm, and the guard/store owner demanded money from them for vandalism. It is easy to see how a drunk and stupid (no way to go through life) person with a language barrier would interpret that as being robbed, especially when in a third world country (any country outside of the U.S.). I recall being in Italy as 21 year old student abroad and I put my foot up on a rail at the back of the seat in front of me, and a train employee (maybe) tried to extort money from me. Had I known it was wrong I would not have done it, although I still don't know if it was wrong or if it was just some crook trying to make a buck. Being Italian and having been to Italy plenty of times, my guess is the latter.

 

[superjohn]

He is stupid. It appears that they were held at gunpoint by a security guard with a licensed firearm, and the guard/store owner demanded money from them for vandalism. It is easy to see how a drunk and stupid (no way to go through life) person with a language barrier would interpret that as being robbed, especially when in a third world country (any country outside of the U.S.). I recall being in Italy as 21 year old student abroad and I put my foot up on a rail at the back of the seat in front of me, and a train employee (maybe) tried to extort money from me. Had I known it was wrong I would not have done it, although I still don't know if it was wrong or if it was just some crook trying to make a buck. Being Italian and having been to Italy plenty of times, my guess is the latter.

I can see how you wouldn't know that putting your foot on a seat in front of you is wrong. Pretty sure destroying someone else's property and urinating on it is wrong in every country.

 

[intlzncster]

Tool.

This was known before the incident, but all this simply reaffirms that fact.

 

[Hankster]

I can see how you wouldn't know that putting your foot on a seat in front of you is wrong. Pretty sure destroying someone else's property and urinating on it is wrong in every country.

Since the river had tires, furniture, cars, body's, animals, human waste floating in it so thick you could walk across, pools turning green, diving contestants getting sick the urination probably fit in unnoticeable. However, i do agree, destroying property in any country is asking for trouble. I seen it. Lived 5 years in Europe. Respect for the country is the key.

 

[nomar]

Brazilian Police Say U.S. Swimmers Fabricated Parts of Robbery Story

Yikes

 

[Dove]

HE'S RYAN LOCHTE DAMMIT !!!!!

 

[navery12]

Ryan Lochte is what would happen if Mac n Cheese kid was an Olympic level swimmer

 

[zyron]

Ryan Lochte is what would happen if Mac n Cheese kid was an Olympic level swimmer

He is beyond stupid. I think Forrest Gump and him would be intellectual matches.

 

[Tommyboy]

He is beyond stupid. I think Forrest Gump and him would be intellectual matches.

That video is tough to watch. I actually feel bad for him. He has to have some sort of disability.

 

[Scoe]

I really wanted to believe his story either way what a dumb@$$.

 

[selles]

That video is tough to watch. I actually feel bad for him. He has to have some sort of disability.

His disability is that he's really, really not smart. But we knew that well before these Olympics.

That said...the only thing that seems to be completely clear at this point is that Lochte and the others were in fact jacked up for money by a guy with a gun. The Rio police admitted that there was a gun involved and the video that was released doesn't show any destruction by the athletes - of the toilet, the door, the mirror, whatever the story is today - it only shows the athletes getting out of a cab and putting their hands up.

Perhaps they had vandalized something - I think it's quite possible - and perhaps they should have paid for it. But personally, even if I had vandalized something I'd object to having a gun pointed at me while someone demanded money. And I don't know what the laws are in Brazil, but I don't think it's unreasonable for an American to tell other Americans that they were robbed at gunpoint.

In addition, as far as I can tell, the swimmers didn't file any sort of police report. The police decided to investigate themselves. And based on their speed with all this (how are the investigations of the muggings of other athletes going?) I suspect they decided to investigate so that they could nail US athletes to the wall. So I have some skepticism about the whole 'lying to police' thing.

While it's fun to make fun of Lochte (I guess? Is it fun to make fun of dumb people for being dumb?), it's my understanding that there's still a swimmer stuck in Brazil who may face charges. That strikes me as absurd, and I would hope that both our consulate and the IOC are going very aggressively at Brazil and Rio right now.

 

[bellairehusky]

His disability is that he's really, really not smart. But we knew that well before these Olympics.

That said...the only thing that seems to be completely clear at this point is that Lochte and the others were in fact jacked up for money by a guy with a gun. The Rio police admitted that there was a gun involved and the video that was released doesn't show any destruction by the athletes - of the toilet, the door, the mirror, whatever the story is today - it only shows the athletes getting out of a cab and putting their hands up.

Perhaps they had vandalized something - I think it's quite possible - and perhaps they should have paid for it. But personally, even if I had vandalized something I'd object to having a gun pointed at me while someone demanded money. And I don't know what the laws are in Brazil, but I don't think it's unreasonable for an American to tell other Americans that they were robbed at gunpoint.

In addition, as far as I can tell, the swimmers didn't file any sort of police report. The police decided to investigate themselves. And based on their speed with all this (how are the investigations of the muggings of other athletes going?) I suspect they decided to investigate so that they could nail US athletes to the wall. So I have some skepticism about the whole 'lying to police' thing.

While it's fun to make fun of Lochte (I guess? Is it fun to make fun of dumb people for being dumb?), it's my understanding that there's still a swimmer stuck in Brazil who may face charges. That strikes me as absurd, and I would hope that both our consulate and the IOC are going very aggressively at Brazil and Rio right now.

Ummm, there is video of them vandalizing the bathroom. And now his teammates that were with Lochte are saying he instigated it all. Everyone has to understand that in many countries outside of the US, disputes are settled right there and then, usually with some agreed upon money exchange. Its much easier, faster and cheaper then to say, have a cop come out, write a report and then have to sue for damages - especially if its a just a mirror and a toilet in this case. Regardless, you don't go to another country (or some parts of the US) and do stupid things. Youtube all the bad things that happen to people who do stupid things overseas - he's lucky it didn't end up a lot worse for him and his buddies.

 

[selles]

Ummm, there is video of them vandalizing the bathroom. And now his teammates that were with Lochte are saying he instigated it all. Everyone has to understand that in many countries outside of the US, disputes are settled right there and then, usually with some agreed upon money exchange. Its much easier, faster and cheaper then to say, have a cop come out, write a report and then have to sue for damages - especially if its a just a mirror and a toilet in this case. Regardless, you don't go to another country (or some parts of the US) and do stupid things. Youtube all the bad things that happen to people who do stupid things overseas - he's lucky it didn't end up a lot worse for him and his buddies.

Go ahead and link the video that shows them doing anything to the bathroom. I certainly haven't seen it but I'm happy to be corrected.

Sure they're lucky it didn't end up worse. But does that make any of it just such that we shouldn't complain about our citizens being subjected to it? Is it right to have to settle a dispute with a gun in your face? And if you do settle a dispute with a gun in your face, is it right that you face criminal charges for complaining about it? If you do stupid things in another country, should you automatically then be subject to whatever the other country - or any particular citizen of the other country - wants to impose with no due process? Do you somehow consider that automatically just?

 

[zyron]

If you do stupid things in another country, should you automatically then be subject to whatever the other country - or any particular citizen of the other country - wants to impose with no due process? Do you somehow consider that automatically just?

No, it's obvious every city in the world should have American court systems set up for just this possibility.

 

[selles]

No, it's obvious every city in the world should have American court systems set up for just this possibility.

When our people go to compete in the Olympics in a banana republic and then get caught up in a banana republic justice system, perhaps we should mock the banana republic and not our people.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Perfect example of Halo Effect being successfully overcome.

Many people would think it requires an above average level of intelligence to train and compete as an topic swimmer. Correlating practice and training in to hundredths of a second in competition, understanding how hard competitors train, etc. It can be heady stuff.

And yet Lochte overcomes that tendency of people to transfer greatness at one skill in to a general high level of knowledge.

 

[Leebo]

If you travel to another country, yes, you are implicitly agreeing to abide by their laws.

 

[methodology]

When our people go to compete in the Olympics in a banana republic and then get caught up in a banana republic justice system, perhaps we should mock the banana republic and not our people.

Wow you are an amazing person. I'm going out on a limb and guessing you 1) have never been to the hood or another country and 2) you were never taught to respect others properties and follow the house rules when a guest in another house or country

Lochte caused vandalism you cannot debate that. His teammates threw lying under the bus. Doesn't matter where it happened cause guess what if he did the same crap in a hood in the United States and a local caught him the same thing would have happened. He wasn't robbed he was forced to pay for his blatant disrespect and property damage he caused. He's lucky he wasn't robbed of his watch and forced to strip naked for what he did. I've seen that happen in the United States when a non local visitor broke windows and graffiti. The local hood enforcers surrounded the idiot and took everything he had including his shoes. I'm pretty sure that person learned his lesson and never disrespected anyone else property again.

 

[DCHuskyFan]

Wow you are an amazing person. I'm going out on a limb and guessing you 1) have never been to the hood or another country and 2) you were never taught to respect others properties and follow the house rules when a guest in another house or country

Lochte caused vandalism you cannot debate that. His teammates threw lying under the bus. Doesn't matter where it happened cause guess what if he did the same crap in a hood in the United States and a local caught him the same thing would have happened. He wasn't robbed he was forced to pay for his blatant disrespect and property damage he caused. He's lucky he wasn't robbed of his watch and forced to strip naked for what he did. I've seen that happen in the United States when a non local visitor broke windows and graffiti. The local hood enforcers surrounded the idiot and took everything he had including his shoes. I'm pretty sure that person learned his lesson and never disrespected anyone else property again.

My guess is that from Lochte's doltish perspective (I can't stress enough how generally stupid he is), it was a shake down. Can you imagine if two American gas station security guards detained (with guns) 4 Brazilian swimmers over what amounted to a $50 payment for damages? Then the Brazilian government holds the swimmer's passports over $50 in damages. Did they agree to release the passports for that $10,800 payment or for a correctly worded admission? I would throw Lochte under the bus to get my passport back as well. However, I see the point of respecting the traditions of third world countries like Brazil. The solution is not to have big events in these countries. We get to go to Russia and Qatar for the next two World Cups, which are historically bastions of enlightenment.

This whole thing amounts to an attempt by Brazil to save face over what turned out to be a possible extortion attempt, rather than a robbery.

 

[mauconnfan]

My guess is that from Lochte's doltish perspective (I can't stress enough how generally stupid he is), it was a shake down. Can you imagine if two American gas station security guards detained (with guns) 4 Brazilian swimmers over what amounted to a $50 payment for damages? Then the Brazilian government holds the swimmer's passports over $50 in damages. Did they agree to release the passports for that $10,800 payment or for a correctly worded admission? I would throw Lochte under the bus to get my passport back as well. However, I see the point of respecting the traditions of third world countries like Brazil. The solution is not to have big events in these countries. We get to go to Russia and Qatar for the next two World Cups, which are historically bastions of enlightenment.

This whole thing amounts to an attempt by Brazil to save face over what turned out to be a possible extortion attempt, rather than a robbery.

While Lochte turns out to be a total tool, this is the story as DC so eloquently tells it:

"This whole thing amounts to an attempt by Brazil to save face over what turned out to be a possible extortion attempt, rather than a robbery."

 

[prankster]

I probably a good time to rob him, right now....

 

[MilliniumPrince]

The fact there are people defending him after voluntarily traveled to another country and broke the law.....that is the reason guys like him exist. By the way, what he did is also against the law in the United States. This was some weird cultural difference that could cause confusion. This sounds like a classic Break & Entering with a little vandalism thrown in for fun. Had to make sure people understood what the "ugly American" looks like. Then he creates a story that in no way makes any sense. I knew he was lying the second I heard his version. He gets jacked by a real thug, tells the guy he isn't giving up his possessions, the guy pulls a gun..and no one gets hurt at all. Where I grew up, the dude with the gun in that scenario would have at least pistol whipped him, just for fun and to prove a point.

 

[pnow15]

Would have liked to have seen pictures of this bathroom prior to Lochte's visit. The gas station doesn't appear to me up to US standards. That being said, anytime you can buy yourself out of a no win situation for a few bucks - pay the bucks and get out of town as quietly as you can. And don't go back.