ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS:
- Joel McHale lost his Apple Watch on a JetBlue flight and used the “Find My” feature to locate it in a residential area near Newark, New Jersey. He shared the address on social media, turning it into a public post.
- McHale’s actions sparked a debate, as some found the situation humorous, while others criticized him for potentially doxxing an innocent person and acting recklessly, despite his attempt at humor.
- Doxxing concerns were raised, with commenters reminding McHale and others that sharing someone’s private information online could be dangerous and possibly illegal, suggesting it should have been handled by authorities instead.
Joel McHale, who is best known for hosting The Soup and his role as Jeff Winger on the sitcom Community, just posted on Threads and Instagram that he accidentally left his Apple Watch on a JetBlue plane after flying from Los Angeles (LAX) to Newark (EWR).
When he realized he’d lost it, he used “Find My” to locate it and saw that it was in a residential area not far from EWR. But the crazy thing is that he then took a screenshot of the location and address and shared it on social media. Here’s what he posted (note: I’m blacking out the address):
@joelmchale: “Rode on extremely pleasant JetBlue flight from LAX to Newark Airport and left my Apple Watch on board (my scatter brainedness causes me to leave things all over this planet). That said, when I did a “Find My” for the device it somehow made it to a residential part of Newark New Jersey. To the person that has it at [redacted] Newark NJ 07106 … I’ll give you three guesses on the passcode and then if you’re slightly close, it’s yours. I mean, it’s clearly yours now but it’s a fun game. Enjoy!”
Obviously, Joel is trying to be funny but what he’s doing is quite dangerous and possibly against the law. Who knows if the person who has his watch was a thief or instead found it while walking off the plane and felt it was safer to try to locate the rightful owner rather than handing it to one of the flight attendants or airport personnel. Personally, I would have given it to the purser or the captain since they would hand it over to lost and found.
If you’re unfamiliar with the term ‘dox’, it’s informal slang that means to publicly publish or identify someone’s private information, often as a form of punishment or revenge. According to Malware Bytes, “while doxxing itself is not always illegal, it can lead to other illegal activities. For example, if doxxing leads to harassment, cyberstalking, threats, identity theft, or provokes violent acts, these offenses can be prosecuted. It is important to understand the legal implications of actions on the Internet and their real-world consequences.”
The comments on McHale’s post are, not surprisingly, split. Some think it’s hilarious that he’s shaming a “thief” while others find it reckless and dangerous.
Here are some of the most popular comments so far and keep in mind he only posted this seven hours ago:
@tann._.er: The Jeff Winger dox was not on my 2024 bingo card…
@madisonsinclair: Plot twist: It was Chevy Chase
@spritestuff: Brooo don’t dox someone its literally a crime.
@juniors_crack_dealer: Someone that was on the plane with you. They could be wanting to give it back to you.
@cadoret_threads: Instead of doxxing the address of a potentially innocent person, you should’ve reported it to the police.
@artypea: Nice of you to use your status and public profile to give out an address that may or may not be accurate.
@genedanielgrayartist: Brilliant
@ladylunanola: OMG they need to see this!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@daniel.goodfriend: Casually exposing a thief’s location. Love it
@jillarmenante: Jersey girl here. Should we mail him a horse head cake?🔥❤️
@amyandcaitiephotography: I had someone steal my kids Apple tag watch… I like to check in on them occasionally, see how life’s going. They go on vacation more than I can afford to so that doesn’t seem fair.
@niavardalos: Let’s all go there!
@epogue6: I kind of want to know how this plays out
I agree with @epogue6 as I’m curious how this is going to play out. Here are McHale’s posts on Threads and Instagram. My guess is that he’ll take his post down and issue an apology. How about you?
Regardless, if something like this should happen to you and you lose an Apple Watch, iPhone, AirTag or otherwise traceable device or gadget, don’t ever dox the person if you do eventually locate it. Report the incident to the police, who will handle it.
KEEP READING
–Did you know your electronic devices should always be charged when going through security?
–The travel gadget flight attendants never leave home without
–Going on a cruise? Be sure to bring this
–The genius phone hack to try when your plane doesn’t have an in-flight entertainment system
–Travel hack: How to use your wireless headphones to watch in-flight movies
Want more travel news, tips and deals? Sign up to Johnny Jet’s free newsletter and check out these popular posts: The Travel Gadget Flight Attendants Never Leave Home Without and 12 Ways to Save Money on Baggage Fees. Follow Johnny Jet on MSN, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube for all of my travel posts.
