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Redditors (and Popehat) Versus a Bus Company
Techdirt explains the strange story of a lawsuit-happy bus company in Illinois which managed to tick off a cadre of determined redditors by calling them uncomplimentary names in the reddit forums. This all started when a bus passenger, Jeremy Leval, reported unsavory behavior by a company employee (telling an exchange student "If you don't understand English, you don't belong at the University of Illinois or any 'American' University.") and said so online. Besides the name calling on reddit, the bus company threatened the forum moderator with libel charges, and over insults posted by the bus company employees which the moderator had deleted. Further, company owner "[Dennis] Toeppen threatened to sue Leval, saying, 'The attorneys for Suburban Express are reviewing this incident with a view towards filing the appropriate legal action against this meddlesome MBA student.'" Attorney Ken White of Popehat got involved, though, and asked with good effect whether the company had fully considered the Streisand Effect. The strangest part? Toeppen's former involvement as a domain squatter.
So there's an awfully beneficial to the bus company only contract of adhesion which applies when you purchase a bus ticket from these (IMHO) idiots at Suburban Express. The students seem to be unaware of it when they purchase the tickets, and the "contract" allows suburban express to charge them loads of extra money, or "fines" (ohmigod, they call them fines!) for wierd little things. Then, the company takes the students to court for these fines, and probaby schedules the court dates such that the student could not possibly attend the court action, thereby having the student lose by default.
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There's a very interesting write-up at the Daily Illini about this company and their practices by someone who initially did not believe how bad and wierd (and imho probably illegal) the actions of this bus company were and are: Suburban Express Causes its Own Problems is the title of the April 25th article by Matt Pasquini, an "Opinions" columnist.
It matters because it shows that alleged free market companies cannot really survive in a free market. This bus company took this guys money and then apparently treated him differently than other people and then apparently tried to shut down free debate on what they did. It is important because we must educate people that at least in America they have the right, at least until rand Paul shoots them with a drone because they walk out of a liquor store suspiciously, to equal service for pay and to express themselves both online and the public square.
"She's a scientist and a lesbian. She's not going to let it slide." Orphan Black
right, because rand paul is planning on killing americans with drones. oh wait no, thats what the president has already done....