We've reported on some rather stupid things posted to YouTube, such as footage of people breaking the law then flaunting it online. Postings of
beatings and
theft are disturbingly common, and so, too, are "fire in the hole" videos, in which camcorder-armed teens with nothing better to do order drinks at fast-food drive-throughs, then throw them back through the window before speeding off (and then post the video on YouTube). Two Florida teens were recently caught doing said act, an, in an welcome twist, were required to post
an apology video to YouTube as part of their sentence.
The unnamed teens threw drinks at Taco Bell worker Jessica Ceponis at a franchise location in Merritt Island, Florida. When Ceponis learned a video of the incident was posted online, she used MySpace to track down the perpetrators. After pretending to be their friends she figured out their identities, she called the police, and had the teens arrested.
The teens were each charged with two counts of battery and one count of criminal mischief, and, as punishment, were required to post the apology video (which they edited themselves). They are also serving 100 hours of community service, paying $30 cleaning fees to the restaurant, and personally writing apology letters to to Ceponis. Will this put a stop to these sorts of videos? Probably not, but we're pretty sure these two pranksters at least won't be doing it again. [Source:
YouTube, via
USA Today]