Australian Court: Farting on co-workers is not bullying

Farts are pretty funny. Let’s just admit that right now. But, of course, only when you’re the one ripping ’em.

When someone else lets one go in your presence, it’s disgusting.

If it’s someone you know, you have a variety of options. You can hit them back with a smelly retaliation. You can tell them what a gross, disgusting, inconsiderate pig they are. Or you can simply leave.

However, what if you were trapped in a room with someone? And they kept farting? At what point does it become a form of harassment?

Thanks to a court in Australia, we still don’t know the answer because they recently ruled that repeatedly farting in the same workspace as your co-worker is not bullying.

I’ve had some co-workers who shamelessly fill the air with their fragrance (you know who you are), but it never got to a point where I thought about taking legal action.

Now, sure, if you were to grab your co-workers head, force it down to your butt and cut one loose on their head, that could be considered bullying. Funny, but also possibly assault.

Lighting farts on fire? Hilarious at Christmas parties. Although not specifically mentioned in most employer’s handbooks, generally considered a violation against personal conduct policies.

fart

But David Hingst says he was forced to share a windowless office with a co-worker who would allegedly let the smelly ducks he was smuggling in his pants quack all day long.

Hingst tried to escape.

Hingst says he moved to another office, but the odoriferous offender would come into his new office and crop-dust him several times a day.

“He would fart behind me and walk away. He would do this five or six times a day. He thrusted his bum at me while he was at work,” Hingst told local media.

Hingst even tried spraying the farter with deodorant to counter the farts. Which, if it was Axe Body Spray, well we can all agree that’s worse than actual farts, right?

You can only push a man so far before he pushes back. But rather than go home and eat a bunch of garlic and baked beans to arm himself for the next day (like a normal person would do), Hingst filed a lawsuit instead. A $1.8 million AUD ($1.2 million American Dollars) lawsuit.

Hingst claimed the non-stop butt jazz a form of bullying.

The court did not agree and ruled the alleged farter was not bullying Hingst, nor was the construction company where they worked negligently. Adding “whoever smelt it, dealt it.”

Hingst came back with a “nah uh, whoever supplied it denied it!”

Ok, that last part didn’t happen. But it should’ve.

The accused claimed he never recalled farting in Hingst’s office but did say it could’ve happened “once or twice.”

This all took place more than 13 years ago, too. Hingst was let go from his job back in 2006. He claims it was because of the fart bullying. The company says it was because of a “downturn in the construction industry.”

At any rate, fart away at work. It’s not bullying. And for a little inspiration, here’s some video of people farting in public through the eyes of The Predator. (Yeah, the video is fake, but still… even digitally inserted gas clouds are funny.)

 

 

 

 

Keanu Reeves: The Greatest Man on the Planet? Most Definitely.

Long story short: Keanu Reeves is one of the greatest human beings on the planet.

Short story long: Mr. Reeves was recently on a flight from San Francisco to L.A. when the plane had to make an emergency landing in Bakersfield, CA.

Rather than just rent a fancy car for himself and take the 2-hour drive alone, Reeves helped organize a road-trip with his fellow stranded passengers and bonded with them on the trip through the power of trivia, music, bananas, Gatorade and eventually, Carl’s Jr.

Watch the tale here:

And the man who shot the video on Instagram wanted to follow Keanu’s well-known philanthropic endeavors and asked anyone who might have seen this video to consider donating to a charity. He even listed a few of his favorites:

http://www.sickkidsfoundation.com
http://www.standuptocancer.org
http://www.scorefund.org
http://www.wildlifewaystation.org
http://www.coachart.org/get-involved
http://www.coachart.org
http://www.stjude.org
http://www.cityofhope.org/giving

If you’re reading this locally, I recommend the Spokane Humane Society.

Shrimp Breeding… Who Knew?

I’m always looking to make a quick buck and after several failed business endeavors (see video) I believe I found my cash cow. Or cash shrimp.

I came across a very interesting article from The Star-Tribune on Wednesday about a Minnesota man who is now making a living breeding exotic shrimp after only a few years in the business!

It is now my goal to fulfill this hour-long dream of mine to become the #1 Prawn Broker in the Inland Northwest. WATCH HERE

From Iron Man to Iron Dad (Bod)

A little 7-year-old girl reminded me that my dad bod is coming along nicely.

It was a cold, calculated attack. And the worst part? She’s right.

Watch what I’m talking about here: