'Cat Bin Lady' feels the wrath of the Web

It should be obvious to most that our wired (and wireless) world means that it's difficult to do anything without being caught. Thus is the case of the so-called "cat-bin lady," Mary Bale, 45.

Naturally assuming that no one could see her, Bale first pet Lola, the cat, then dumped her into a trash bin, where she remained for some 15 hours before her owner, Daryl Mann, who heard her mewling in the bin. What Bale didn't know is that Mann had surveillance cameras, and the CCTV footage was uploaded to the Web.

It wasn't put there in an attempt to lambast the woman, and certainly not to put her life in danger, but it sure turned out that way, after the organization 4Chan got ahold of it. Once that site, which has been linked to attacks on the Church of Scientology among others, sank its teeth into the matter, they easily found details on Bale's job, phone number, and her Facebook page, as well.

Needless to say, on that information was leaked, there have been calls for her dismissal from her job, and even threats on her life. It's been reported that she has been assigned police protection.

The Web wasn't finished with Bale after 4Chan was done with her, however. For one, there's now a "Mary Bale Hate Group" on Facebook with over 9,300 members, at the time of this writing. There's also a fake Twitter account @catbinlady, with humorous "posts" from Bale.

Some of them include "There's a rude word on the window of this cafe written in squirty ketchup. I think the owner thinks I did it. I know I did. Embarrassed" and "Her across the way came looking for her wind chimes earlier. I told her I didn't have them. I don't. They're on her roof, where I threw 'em."

Naturally, someone the subject of so much Web hatred has to have a spoof game, and Mary Bale, does, as well. Whack-Cat-Woman, but the U.K. tabloid the Sun, lets you "get back at the cat dumper by slamming the dustbin lid on her in our fun game."

The wrath of the Web is harsh, particularly when it comes to anything fluffy and cute. Bale has been interviewed by the RSPCA and has apologized, saying, "I cannot explain why I did this, it is completely out of character ... It was a split second of misjudgment that has got completely out of control."

She left out the part about assuming that she would not get caught, and not realizing how harsh the wrath of the Web might be.

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