It's only a practical joke if the recipient can take it. I bet you know several people who's lives have been a misery because they have been the butt of people's jokes. There's usual one on every squadron / unit.
There was no implication that this was one of many "jokes" played on a single individual by one or more others in the original post. Unless AR1 has "inside" information which he should have alluded to for clarity's sake if nothing else then his comment is indicative of the kind of attitude that gives us the 'Elf and Safety etc. BS we see too much of nowadays. There was no reason to see the worst, but he did...