Not Being Safe Enough is Crime Enough for Canadian Police

Via theglobeandmail:

Anyone who has ridden an escalator and bothered to pay attention has seen and likely ignored little signs suggesting riders hold the grimy handrail. But in Montreal's subway system, the friendly advice has taken on the force of law, backed by a $100 fine.

Bela Kosoian, a 38-year-old mother of two, says when she didn't hold the handrail Wednesday she was cuffed, dragged into a small holding cell, and then fined. She was riding an escalator down to catch a 5:30 p.m. subway when an officer instructed her to hold on to the rail. She replied, “I don't have three hands.” (she was holding other items). That's when the officer demanded identification so he could write her ticket.

Ms. Kosoian started arguing. The officers handcuffed her and threw her into a small holding cell. The officers searched her bag and gave her a $100 ticket for failing to hold the banister and another $320 ticket for obstruction of justice. The handcuffs bruised Ms. Kosoian's wrists and an officer's boot scraped skin off the top of her foot.

Sometimes when we are talking in my class about how bad America has gotten, my kids say that they'll just go somewhere else. "Where?" I ask, and they always say Canada. No offense to our northern neighbors, but your country is worse than ours is, even though ours has been getting totalitarianism too. Freedom, liberty, and justice are fragile flowers struggling against the forces of tyranny and injustice, and most of the times they lose. Here, in Canada, we have a great example of how Canada is worse than the USA.

A law abiding citizen is harassed, injured, insulted, and fined for not holding a safety rail. What crime did she commit? If she had indeed injured herself, so what? It is a far greater crime to give the police the kind of power they displayed here than it is for a person or two to be injured riding the escalator. Remember that, next time there is a vote to give more power to our government for 'our safety'- the greatest threat to your safety is the Frankenstein monster of a government that you yourself created.