An Effigy To Get Effing Mad About

I’ve been in the work force for a number of years. So, I’ve seen my fair share of idiotic behavior when it comes to working with people. Surprisingly, there are still things that make me have to stop, and rethink the level of stupid humanity can actually sink to. I recently read an article (Yes, we at News From The Fringe read other people’s articles!) about two staff members at the Royalton Jamaica Resort making a beer drinking, crying effigy of a couple’s son, who passed away in 2014 from a balcony fall, for them to find in their room. Wow.

The parents, Faye and Andrew Stephens, have made an annual tradition to celebrate the birthday of their son, Alex, since his death. This year, his godmother, Karen Baker, came along as well to the resort. Ms. Baker tipped the two employees to adorn the couple’s room with balloons, and a birthday cake. That’s it. That’s all she wanted. She didn’t ask for a dummy MADE OUT OF ALEX’S FRIGGING CLOTHES AND TOWELS. Yes, believe it, or not, Beavis and Butt-Head decided to go through these people’s personal belongings to make this cluster fuck of a situation. This thing came complete with tears running down it’s face, a beer in hand, a cake in it’s lap, and fucking petals that say, “We miss you, Alex”.

Discovering the effigy first, Karen said she was “utterly horrified”, and she got rid of the dummy before the Stephens’s could see it. She said, “I was absolutely horrified - as you could imagine I was sweating and shaking. We just didn’t want our friends to see it.” She looks at the photographs now, and “can’t believe somebody thought to do that.” Neither can I, and anyone else with any common sense.

TUI UK have given the family a full refund and an apology after Karen talked about it on BBC Three Counties’ JVS Show. They have also said they are following up with the hotel. The travel company believes the employees of resort were not meaning to upset anyone.