Absolutely terrible customer service and practices. I don't find this an example of stupid people, but rather an example of an ignorant CEO and a company operating with policies that are ridiculous.
This woman was travelling with her two children and elderly parents. She was unable to print the return boarding passes out before she left because they were not available due to the length of her trip.
I would not travel on this airline after reading the full article. As someone who travels a lot, both in Canada and abroad, and has misplaced a boarding pass before, I would say that the fee amounts to extortion. Unless you pay it, you don't get to fly and it is waay out of whack with the staff time or paper cost to print another.
So, while cost is a factor in some consumer decisions, I also make decisions based on customer service - thanks for helping me to decide not to use Ryan Air.