Could you guys get the stick out of your *ss...

notyoueither · November 8, 2002, 04:15

and let this guy go home?

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...///?hub=Canada

Nearly a month into his imprisonment, a Canadian man, jailed after he crossed the border into the U.S. to fill up with gas, says he just wants to go home.

"Fine me, do whatever you want, but let me go home," said Michel Jalbert, whose wife is five months pregnant. She regularly makes the five-hour trek to visit him in jail.

Jalbert, a resident of Pohenegamook, Que., was arrested on Oct. 11 after failing to stop at the local border crossing. He had crossed into a neighbouring Maine town to fill up his truck with gasoline before a weekend hunting trip.

U.S. officials noticed a hunting rifle on his front seat. A subsequent computer search by American authorities revealed that he had a criminal record in Canada, related to a 12-year-old breaking and entering conviction. Now he's facing four months in jail.

"There's no justice here," Jalbert told CTV News, from his Bangor, Maine prison cell. "They're keeping me locked up but I've done nothing wrong."

Pohenegamook straddles the U.S.-Canada border and residents regularly cross 15 metres into the U.S. side of town to fill up their cars with gas. It's a practice American customs officials used to overlook.

South of the border, Jalbert is receiving support from the locals.

An editorial in the Maine newspaper The Portland Herald called the decision to keep Jalbert locked up "odd" and said he "is no threat to anyone (unless you're a duck)."

Local residents told CTV News the arrest is "foolish" and an "overreaction."

Still, U.S. prosecutors stand their ground. Wednesday, Jalbert was indicted on three charges by a U.S. grand jury. He's scheduled for arraignment next week.

notyoueither · November 8, 2002, 04:18

That story doesn't mention that the border crossing office on the US side was closed when he drove the 15 metres to buy gas.

notyoueither · November 8, 2002, 04:22

sorry. mistake.

Rogan Josh · November 8, 2002, 04:53

I got stopped by the French border guards yesterday. I had taken my car to be serviced at a garage next to where I work, and asked them to change the tyres (to winter tyres) while they were doing it. After picking up the car I crossed the border, and the guards see the old tyres in the back seat. Thinking I had bought them in Switzerland, he asks me for a receipt so I have to explain that they are my tyres (bought in Germany) and I have just had them put on.

BIG MISTAKE. His face lights up and claims that if I have had any sort of service in Switzerland I must declare it when crossing the border, and I have to show him the bill. WTF?? I try to argue this one. I mean, if I get my hair cut in Switzerland, do I have to declare it at the border? To this he laughs saying that it would be under the 45 Euro threshold, so I wouldn't have to. OK then, I say, what aboiut a medical bill? He thinks hard for moment (clearly making it up as he goes along) and says services to the human body do not count.

Anyway, he looks at the bill and sees that my car was serviced and insists I pay 19.5% tax on the entire bill. I complain, saying that we are supposed to get 45 Euros tax free when crossing the border. He says that that doesn't apply to services, to which I ask how the haircut being under the threshold thing worked then? At this point, he suddenly can't speak English any more.

To cut a long story short, I persuaded him to not fine me and take 90 Euros (there were two of us in the car) off the bill before calculating the tax, but I was still really pissed off.

Frontier guards are universally a bunch of ****ers who make up the rules as they go along. I mean, it is not like I was trying get a cheap service by dodging across the border or anything. The service is more expensive in Switzerland than France - the only reason I had it done in Switzerland was because it was next to my work and therefore more convenient.

I am going to have to start destroying my petrol reciepts before crossing the border in future....

Frankychan · November 8, 2002, 06:53

Aaaah, the stupidity of bureaucracy. Don't you just love how common sense goes out the window when people get elected and make stupida** policies like these?

Messer Niccolò · November 8, 2002, 07:23

... nothing more to say!

MarkG · November 8, 2002, 07:28

and then some people complain about plane-spotters geting arrested outside greek military bases...

DRoseDARs · November 8, 2002, 07:29

I read the first example with mild bemuse mixed with a bit of shock, but not stirred with suprise. Yes, even Candanians can potentially be suicidal airjackers.

What I don't get is why he'd want to buy gas in America. Is gas cheaper here than in Canada?

As for the second scenario:

Well, at least you're only out 90 Euros. Really could have been a lot worse. You could hve been extradited to Guantanamo Bay to be interogated on suspicion of smugling tires for use by al-Qaeda.

General Ludd · November 8, 2002, 10:07

Quote:

Originally posted by DRoseDARs
What I don't get is why he'd want to buy gas in America. Is gas cheaper here than in Canada?

Everything is generally.

But not so much when you take the exchange rates into consideration.... the trick is geting the americans to take your canadian money as is.

Lefty Scaevola · November 8, 2002, 10:15

Are you trying to say that this guy is a "stick" and we should bet him out of our "ass" by letting him out of jail. Just why do you want your sometime burglar back rather than having us deal with for crrosing the border imrpoperly armed.

SlowwHand · November 8, 2002, 11:08

Because the thread starter is a wacko Canadian.
You want sense to be made? What, are you kidding?

gsmoove23 · November 8, 2002, 11:16

the article fails to say what 3 charges he was indicted of, pretty important piece of info, or did I miss it. What exactly was he jailed for? Illegal tranportation of petrol across international lines? Terrorizing ducks? Having a criminal record?

I would love nothing better to get that annoying stick out of my a$$!

notyoueither · November 13, 2002, 23:42

being idiots.

Most Canadians accept that the US is quite right to be more sensitive to the borders since 9/11. Anyone with any sense understands that security is a legitimate issue both north and south of the border, but come on, does that guy look like a terrorist? Does he fit the profile? Not to mention the fact that the town he lives in is half in the US and half in Canada.

What would the Yanks say if it was an American with a shotgun in the truck languishing in a Canadian jail?

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...///?hub=Canada

A Quebec man arrested after crossing into an American border town for gas remained in jail Wednesday night despite being granted bail on felony charges of entering the U.S. illegally.

Michel Jalbert, 32, pleaded not guilty Wednesday charges of illegal entry and illegal possession of a firearm. He was granted bail despite prosecutors' objections, over fears that once Jalbert was allowed to return to Canada, he wouldn't attend his U.S. trial in January.

Despite the fact that Jalbert was granted bail, CTV's Jed Kahane said he has only won half the battle for returning home. He still needs to obtain authorization from U.S. Immigration officials, who also have charges pending.

"They could hold him for a couple of months as well," Kahane said, noting that with Immigration offices closed for the day, it would be at least Thursday before a decision is made.

Wednesday's hearing was Jalbert's second appearance in the Bangor, Maine courthouse.

Jalbert was arrested on Oct. 11 at a gas station on the border between Quebec and Maine. He had his shotgun in his truck when border guards pulled him over at the gas pumps just inside the U.S. border. Jalbert had been on his way to a family bird hunting trip.

He has been in a Maine jail ever since and immigration charges could keep him in jail for another two months.

Hours before Jalbert's court appearance, his lawyer, Jon Haddow, said he advised his client to fight charges of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Haddow said the prosecution had been trying to coerce Jalbert into pleading guilty. Jalbert does not speak English and has been provided few details of the circumstances of his arrest by U.S. police, Haddow said.

"Nobody in the jail speaks French," Haddow said.

Jalbert's arrest has prompted national media attention. Residents in his home town of Pohenegamook, Que. regularly cross the border, without passing through customs, and without incident.

In court Wednesday, Haddow presented a 1990 letter from the former director of U.S. Customs in Maine that exempted Pohenegamook residents from passing through customs for the purpose of getting gasoline.

A U.S. Immigration Department spokeswoman said her officers aren't bound to honour the document from another agency.

"It's an old document," said Amy Otten. "And since the events of Sept. 11, everything has changed."

American customs officers used to look the other way when Canadians crossed the 15 metres from the Quebec side of the community into the U.S. side of the town to get gas. But that all changed since border security was tightened against terrorists.

DRoseDARs · November 13, 2002, 23:46

Quote:

Originally posted by notyoueither
What would the Yanks say if it was an American with a shotgun in the truck languishing in a Canadian jail?

"Keep him. We have enough rednecks as it is."

korn469 · November 13, 2002, 23:47

that is the biggest bunch of bs i've ever heard
it makes me ashamed of my country's border patrol

Felch · November 13, 2002, 23:50

He's obviously a legit American. He has a gun.

alva · November 14, 2002, 02:07

Quote:

He's obviously a legit American. He has a gun.

Funny you mention that. When I was reading the article, that's why I thought he would be arrested for

Ah wel, I'm just another silly european (please don't start another gun debate, this was not my intention)

orange · November 14, 2002, 02:13

if it were an American being held in Canada, Bush would be asking Congress for a declaration of war.

The Mad Monk · November 14, 2002, 02:21

Quote:

Jalbert does not speak English..."Nobody in the jail speaks French," Haddow said.

Dosen't speak English? In a town that straddles the border, and where he crosses the border regularly?

How sad.

Hurricane · November 14, 2002, 02:40

I would be very surprised if Americans at the Mexican border would speak Spanish.

The Mad Monk · November 14, 2002, 02:42

I'm fairly sure that the Americans who regularly cross the border to shop or work there do.

Rufus T. Firefly · November 14, 2002, 02:42

Quote:

Originally posted by orange
if it were an American being held in Canada, Bush would be asking Congress for a declaration of war.

Nonsense. In an ideal Republican world, most Americans would be in jail anyway.

If the Canadians wants to lend a hand, more power to 'em.

Gatekeeper · November 14, 2002, 04:43

Stupid frickin' bureaucrats. This kind of crap makes you want to throttle them.

MRT144 · November 14, 2002, 05:09

canadians actually have more guns per capita than americans...

Richelieu · November 14, 2002, 08:18

Quote:

Originally posted by MRT144
canadians actually have more guns per capita than americans...

Link please.

gsmoove23 · November 14, 2002, 10:16

In an American town near the Quebec border their is no one in the jail who speaks French?? Not too suprising really.

uh Clem · November 14, 2002, 10:24

This guy's lucky. If he were a Muslim, he'd be in Guantanamo right now.

Hurricane · November 14, 2002, 10:58

Quote:

Originally posted by The Mad Monk
I'm fairly sure that the Americans who regularly cross the border to shop or work there do.

Yes, but he didn't work there. And you won't manage with grocery shopping vocabulary when someone interrogates you and tries to get you to confess you are a terrorist.

- Groucho - · November 14, 2002, 12:38

I went to law school in Victoria, B.C. and a lot of my friends took summer jobs as customs agents after first year. Removing arsenals from Americans was a regular event for them. American toursits would come up on their boats to cruise through the Gulf Islands. Their first stop was often in Victoria for gas, provisions and as many cuban cigars as they thought they could smoke or smuggle back into the States. When they stopped, they were subject to customs inspection and my friends would have the lovely job of convincing them to give up their weapons before sailing on. Apparently, one guy had 6 hand guns and two assault rifles with him.

Long story short, if they surrendered the weapons they were allowed to sail on their way. No jail time.

DinoDoc · November 14, 2002, 12:43

Quote:

"Nobody in the jail speaks French," Haddow said.

That's his problem. What's he doing living so close to the border and NOT speaking English?