Be nice … or else pepper spray

Dear Gadling Reader,

It has come to our attention that on Monday, March 2nd, on the Canada/U.S. border just east of Vancouver, a dance instructor from Coquitlam, B.C. attempted to cross and visit his second home in Washington, where he had left his wallet.

The dance instructor, Desiderio Fortunato, was asked to shut his car off by the American border officer. Unfortunately for Mr. Fortunato, his dance instructor discipline got the better of him and he asked the officer to “say please.”

Then his dance instructor stubbornness got the better of him and he refused three times to turn off the car, because the officer refused three times to say please.

Mr. Fortunato was then pepper sprayed by the border officer, which, if Wikipedia is to be believed, caused him “immediate closing of the eyes, difficulty breathing, runny nose, and coughing. The duration of its effects depend on the strength of the spray but the average full effect lasts around thirty to forty-five minutes, with diminished effects lasting for hours.” Then he was taken into custody by several officers and held in jail for three hours, and subsequently dismissed with a warning to be more cooperative.

According to the National Post, Mr. Fortunato “pulled a similar stunt at the same border crossing about one year ago. In that case, he was ordered to wait hours to be questioned before being allowed to cross.”

In conclusion, we have no choice but to dub Mr. Fortunato “kind of a douche.” Still, the pepper spray may have been a little extreme, and he should probably sue.

“I asked him three times and when I didn’t turn the car off, because he didn’t say please, he pepper sprayed me…. It was terrible. For half an hour or so I couldn’t see anything.” –Mr. Forunato, Kind of a Douche

Sincerely, Annie Scott and the Gadling Staff