Canadian Entering US at Blaine, Wa asks Border Cop for Politeness, Gets Pepper Sprayed

[Wiley50]

No link. maybe someone can find it.

Heard on Peter B. Collins Show:

Canadian entering border at Blaine, Wa gets told by border cop to turn off his engine.

He didn't like the tone of the Cop's request, asks him to say "Please"

Gets pepper sprayed and restrained

Major investigation ensues

Huh, those Canooks are used to being treated as humans?

We know better here in NaziLand

[paulsby]

1. that's a gross simplification

in that he was allegedly TOLD that if he didn't turn off his engine, he would be pepper sprayed (iow, he was warned).

i'm not saying i agree or disagree with what the border patrol agent did. i want to see the full fact pattern first (like, let's have an investigation).

but he did not merely ask the agent to say please, and was summarily pepper sprayed.

plenty of links up btw

[csziggy]

2. "Canadian asks border agent to say 'please,' gets pepper spray instead"

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008817008_webborder05m.html

<snip>
As Fortunato described it, the inspector ordered him to turn off his car in what Fortunato thought was a rude way.

"What I just requested was the word 'please,"' Fortunato said. "He repeated it (the order) three times and I repeated three times the word 'please.' ... He told me, 'Turn the car off or else I'm going to spray you."'

Fortunato figured the officer wouldn't make good on the threat, since he wasn't being abusive or threatening to the officer.

He miscalculated.

He said the officer sprayed him "right in the face, a foot or two from me. I was stunned. ... I was partially blind, in pain. Then he opened the door and grabbed me by my neck."

Other officers came to assist, and Fortunato found himself lying facedown, handcuffed. He said he was taken to a holding area and detained for about three hours.
<snip>


Damn! That could have been me - I expect a public servant to have some modicrum of civility.

[XOKCowboy]

10. The officer gets about as much "respect" a day as an airline baggage agent

Plus he works at one of the main weapons smuggling points on the border. Pretty stressful job in my opinion. From what I read he followed procedure and after the 3rd time I'D have pepper sprayed the guy. This isn't grade school.

There is audio and video record of the whole deal going to both Canadian and US authorities. We'll see how it turns out.

[LiberalFighter]

13. Time for the Candians to bomb the border patrol.

[tanngrisnir3]

3. While you've left out enough details to make a judgement, I can say....

that the USBP doesn't have a rep for hiring the sharpest pencils on the desk.

As to your comments about NaziLand: I really enjoy mustard. Oh, and I have a green Frisbee.

[Wiley50]

5. Mustard? Green Frisbee? I think most of us see the US has gotten very fascist post- Bush

Post Reagan or Nixon for that matter

I'm just relaying what I heard from Peter B.

If there's more to the story, that's why I asked for info

[tanngrisnir3]

7. Oh, I thought you were interested in an exchange of non-sequitors....

Seeing as more information is indeed needed, but you felt it was fine to go off the deep-end with the NaziLand bit.

[Suich]

4. If you want to get where you're going,

do not, I repeat, DO NOT, mouth off to the Border Patrol, at any crossing!

The guy is lucky they let him go after 3 hours.

[Wiley50]

8. I don't think a free citizen should tolerate being treated as a prison inmate

Evidently, you do.

So, that's just the way it is, suck it up?

Too many here have become willing subjects of an authoritarian state

[Eryemil]

9. Couldn't agree more

The ones with the problem are those who think that this sort of thing is even remotely acceptable.

[midnight]

11. Now that you put it that way, why are we being treated like

prison inmates? We are free, and common curtesy is and should be part of ones job.

[Suich]

12. Not really. I travel to Canada often, crossing at Sumas,

and learned a long time ago, don't be lippy with border guards. They can really mess up your travel plans.

That's all...peace!

[pnwmom]

6. I can't work up much sympathy for this guy. Telling someone to say please

is itself impolite. (Unless it's your child whom you're trying to teach.)

The guy was being an idiot, and uncooperative. Maybe the pepper spray was overkill. But still . . .