BS: Canadian Diary (CarolC)

Subject: RE: BS: Canadian Diary (CarolC)
From: Dave (the ancient mariner)
Date: 30 Jan 01 - 06:33 PM

you obviously aint been around the docks much mate Nuf Said each to their own...

Subject: RE: BS: Canadian Diary (CarolC)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 30 Jan 01 - 05:59 PM

Oh, don't be silly, Dave. Nothing will ever make life perfect, but I feel little need for either a gun or a can of pepper spray when walking Canadian streets.

This thing about "coddling" criminals is just a handy cliche that gets trotted out to push the interests of various people with a chip on their shoulder. Why not go out and commit a few crimes yourself and then see how much "fun" it is dealing with the cops, your neighbours, and the judicial system, and the penal system, and the other convicts? See how "easy" it is getting a job and returning into normal society afterward. Then come back and tell me how criminals are being coddled. It's an often repeated myth. Being in trouble with the law is hell...doesn't matter what country you live in. Karla Homolka is not the rule when it comes to experience in prisons. She's sort of famous, you see, kind of like O.J. Simpson in a way, you might say...that's a whole different story. The Toronto Sun loves belly-aching about stuff like that.

This is a pretty safe country, and people's attitudes reflect that. The attitude in the USA is more like a fortress mentality. God knows, I felt a lot safer in Cuba, that's for sure, than I do in most American cities.

If you're arguing that people should have the RIGHT to carry pepper spray, however...well, I'd have no objection to that, I guess. If they want to. After all, Chretien's guards got to use some awhile back, didn't they. Fair's fair. And it doesn't kill people, at least.

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: Canadian Diary (CarolC)
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 30 Jan 01 - 04:35 PM

I don't care how big or small it was... I know border guards and they are not gonna let ya carry that stuff over here... Mind you, I know places you can buy it again once yer here!

LOL!!

Have fun eh!

;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Canadian Diary (CarolC)
From: GUEST,Dave (the ancient mariner)
Date: 30 Jan 01 - 02:56 PM

Carol. Im Canada the mentality is "die if you must but dont fight back you might hurt a criminal" I share your spirit. (buy a can of easy off oven cleaner and swear it just happened to be in your pocket) *BG*

Subject: RE: BS: Canadian Diary (CarolC)
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 30 Jan 01 - 10:27 AM

Glad you had a safe trip Carol. On my first gig in New Orleans, I found out the Louisiana equivalent to carrying your own pepper spray. EVERYONE keeps those little mini-bottles of Tabasco sauce on them. Don't know if they use 'em for self-defence though.

Rick

Subject: RE: BS: Canadian Diary (CarolC)
From: Peter T.
Date: 30 Jan 01 - 09:30 AM

To those of us in Ontario it is an open question. yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: BS: Canadian Diary (CarolC)
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Jan 01 - 09:21 AM

IS ONTARIO REALLY A PART OF CANADA..OR IS CANADA A PART OF ONTARIO..ENJOY, WHATEVER THE CASE

Subject: RE: BS: Canadian Diary (CarolC)
From: flattop
Date: 30 Jan 01 - 08:44 AM

I'd ask for asylum too if I lived in a country without cows.

Subject: Canadian Diary (CarolC)
From: CarolC
Date: 30 Jan 01 - 06:04 AM

This is not my first trip to Canada. I spent a bit of time here on several trips in the 1970s. But it's my first time traveling alone, and my first time here as a guest of Canadians. So it's a new experience for me.

At the border, we waited in the train as the border guards processed us. I had to give up my pepper spray. I explained that it was for the trip back when I would be in the U.S. She probably would have let me keep it if it hadn't been such a big honker. I told her it was nice to be traveling in a country where pepper spray wasn't needed. In a broad, mid-western accent (like the ones in the movie "Fargo"), she said, "Yaa, soo faar."

On the train from Hammond, Indiana to the Canadian border, the man one seat up and across the isle from me ate the entire time I was on that particular train. It was non-stop munching. He really got my attention because he never stopped eating the whole time. The border guard asked him of what country he was a citizen. He said "Pakistan". The border guard asked him what he intended to do in Canada. He said "I'm going to ask for political asylum". That held the train up for about an hour and a half. Somebody said they were going to hold him over-night. He didn't come back. Maybe he got lucky.

flattop wanted me to observe the cows along the way and to write my observations about them and all of their pretty colours. I went through West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and part of Ohio in the dark. But in the daylight, travelling through most of Ohio, and through Indiana and Michigan, I did not see any cows. In Ohio and Indiana, mostly all I saw were smoke stacks and industry. That surprised me. (Spaw, second to New Jersey, Ohio is the smelliest state I've ever been in... and I don't think it's entirely because of you... )

More later...