Can you say please?

March 5, 2009 by Daniel Menjívar • #news #society

Here’s an interesting story from the Globe & Mail:

B.C. man pepper sprayed when he asked border guard to say ‘please’
The Canadian Press
March 5, 2009 at 4:11 PM EST
BELLINGHAM, B.C. — A British Columbian man who wanted a U.S. border inspector to say please got a face full of pepper spray instead.
Desiderio Fortunato, of Coquitlam, B.C., says he thought the guard who told him to turn off his engine Monday was rude and asked him to say please.
The 54-year-old says he was stunned and blinded as he was sprayed, pulled out of the car and handcuffed.
He was detained about 3 hours.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Mike Milne says it was a lawful order that travellers must obey but the use of force is under review.
Mr. Fortunato crosses the border two or three times a week to visit his second home in Blaine, Wash., and says inspectors are mostly courteous.

Craziness! Lucky for him, he wasn’t tasered. And it’s a good thing he didn’t happen to have a stapler sitting on the passenger seat either… Hm.

I guess people just don’t want to say please anymore. I’ve definitely noticed manners and etiquette these days aren’t what they used to be – it makes me feel old to say that, but it’s true!