Drinking boater arrested for not boating...

[JGarrick]

Originally Posted by vonotto

As soon as he got drunk that was an illegal act. We do not confine illegals who are here illegally "to the drunk tank". We begin deportation procedings.

Why? On the principle of the thing? How many hours and dollars were wasted on this because the guy had a few drinks he shouldn't have while waiting to be cleared by customs. It's ridiculous.

[jdoe71]

Originally Posted by Wannafish

No passport.

You still don't need a passport to enter, they did not implement that yet. It's been widely broadcast in the media on this side of the border that they backed off of that until January of 2008.

The Embassy of the U.S.A., Ottawa - U.S. Embassy in Ottawa - Contact Us

I think he actually committed the offence of pissing off a law enforcement official.

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by jdope71

I think he actually committed the offence of pissing off a law enforcement official.

That's a very cogent observation, jgope71. As it's generally stated in California, "He was punished for contempt of cop."

TaoJones

[Ex-Calif]

This may be conclusive.

If you are a participant in the I-68 program - fees, fingerprinting, yada, yada, in advance - you can phone in your arival.

If you are not pre-approved through the I-68 program you "must' first stop at a border control location. In this case it looks like Sandusky Ohio.

So to our Canadian friends. Get the paperwork and get a cell phone and we can all go back to partying at Put-In-Bay.

Canadian Border Boat Landing (I-68) Program - CBP.gov

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by TaoJones

That's a very cogent observation, jgope71. As it's generally stated in California, "He was punished for contempt of cop."
TaoJones

When attorney William J. (“Bill, The Great Mouthpiece") Fallon was threatened with a $50 fine for contempt; he replied:
“Your Honor, $50 comes nowhere near to describing my contempt for this court.”
He, also, went to jail.

[Connemara]

Hmmmm.

Just took part in a 13-day canoe trip on the Stikine River that started in Telegraph Creek, B.C. and ended at Wrangell Island, Alaska.

The border is essentially a 12-foot corridor cut into the bush about three days out of Wrangell -- not a Homeland Security individual in sight.

When we got to Wrangell, one of the guides took all our passports to a payphone and read the numbers to Homeland Security. That was it. Still no actual Homeland Security person ... they were all somewhere else in Alaska.

But I guess it's pretty unlikely that terrorists would try to enter the U.S. that way, unlike those well-known yachting terrorists.


Connemara

[Wannafish]

"But I guess it's pretty unlikely that terrorists would try to enter the U.S. that way, unlike those well-known yachting terrorists."

Yep - ya gots to be on yer toes every minute around them!

[Pura Vida]

It does seem that this boater was not being as cautious as he should have been, drinking before getting clearance. Personally I think he received inappropriate treatment for a minor infraction. I have to admit though, that I have done the exact same thing in waters subject to the British, the only difference was that I did not ask for clearance and left before they caught me.

After thrity five years of travelling the borderland of the US and Mexico from Arizona to the Gulf my experience is that there is no way that it will ever be sealed. The same goes for the northern border wiith Canada. It is not an enforcement problem. If we do not want terrorists or economic refugees we will have to do something to stop making them.

[jdoe71]

Originally Posted by Pura Vida

If we do not want terrorists or economic refugees we will have to do something to stop making them.

Well said.

[Connemara]

Originally Posted by Pura Vida

It is not an enforcement problem. If we do not want terrorists or economic refugees we will have to do something to stop making them.

Yer getting close to treason there, Bub. ''Terrists are evil and they hate our freedom.'' To paraphrase somebody or other.

So, of course, in order to stop the 'terrists', we're dismantling the freedom.

Connemara

[Alan Wheeler]

OK folks. Lets keep this on track. It is about a guy that was copped for drinking, not Terrorists. Please keep to the subject.
Thanks

[conrad]

These discussions are quite interesting; off the subject but related; Flying into a foreign country especially on flights where liquer is gratis. I dont drink not because I dont like to but am a wuss when it comes to crossing boarders and dealing with authorities but officially two beers and one is legally drunk .08 Blah Blah Blah I have seen the majority of folks flying on airplanes when going on vacation extremly (drunk) and going through customs ,quite common actually. So yes let the punishment fit the crime the treatment of the Canadian according to the circumstances in the article were pretty extreme and quite sad. Not the brightest move on the part of the Canadian but come on the good ol USof A peace

[blove8]

Originally Posted by jdoe71

You still don't need a passport to enter, they did not implement that yet. It's been widely broadcast in the media on this side of the border that they backed off of that until January of 2008.

The Embassy of the U.S.A., Ottawa - U.S. Embassy in Ottawa - Contact Us

I think he actually committed the offence of pissing off a law enforcement official.

I read that the passport rule for land and sea travel has not been determined yet...

"Summer 2008
At a later date to be determined, the departments will implement the full requirements of the land and sea phase of WHTI. The proposed rules require most U.S. citizens entering the United States at sea or land ports of entry to have either a U.S. passport; a U.S. passport card; a trusted traveler card such as NEXUS, FAST, or SENTRI; a valid Merchant Mariner Document (MMD) when traveling in conjunction with official maritime business; or a valid U.S. Military identification card when traveling on official orders."

Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative

[Pegastian]

I gather from Vonotto's post that he has spent time in the Michigan jail as well? With leaky toilet, a dozen plus people? And they deported him back to Bum Schmuck VA? The right wingnuts that are ruling this country are shafting the contstitution that I spent years defending in the military, while they conveniently avoided serving.

[Seaworthy]

For crying out loud, why didn't they just guard him in his boat while he slept in his boat and then made him shove off? Why was customs so harsh with this guy? Was he wearing a turban or something? I wish America didn't use 9/11 as an excuse to be a bad world citizen...