So as an update to this thread:
http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=70094
I recieved the full story this morning. It had nothing to do with the C-Train or anything. As I'm told, this woman was crossing the street to come into work when one of the calgary transit vans was heading down the street and suddenly stopped at the intersection. The guy came out and started harrassing her and claimed she was jaywalking and demanded ID. This woman is african american and only just started working here and doesn't have any Canadian ID, just the work permit but according to her side of the story, this guy was acting very biggoted and just gave her a bad feeling about how he was talking to her. He demanded a Canadian ID and when she said that she had none, she said that she would call upstairs to work to get some more but then this guy suddenly decided to write her up for "obstruction of justice" for not providing ID, was speaking down to her, treating her like dirt, and put her in his van and hauled her down to lock-up.
She was in tears this morning. She's university educated, has worked for big law firms in the U.S. in the UK, etc. has never been in jail - but they put her in jail for 13 hours with drug addicts and other shady characters. Even in places she's been like Chicago and the Deep South, she's never experienced something like this. I've never been in jail but she said the conditions were horrible, that people could just look into the women's washroom etc. And in the end, the thing the transit cop claimed he stopped her for - jaywalking - she never got a ticket for. Instead, the transit cop claimed several other things and got her booked on obstruction of justice when I know it's not in her character (sounds like Critical Mass anyone?).
I've only heard one side of the story but from the emotions I could see in her eyes - I can see what she's feeling earnestly. She said that she couldn't get the hurt and stench and feeling of disgust off her about how this transit cop treated her. She really felt he was being a biggot and racist. I'm trusly digusted at this city. I've experienced racism before and I could see that's what she's feeling. Even in the U.S., she's never been treated that way and her view of Calgary and Canada in general is terrible right now. Imagine being stopped for jaywalking, being treated like crap unfairly, and then thrown in a filthy jail for 13 hours by a transit cop?
She eventually got out of jail by contacting her embassy and congressman (whom I'm told were quite irate at her treatment). I wonder what the legal recourse would be for other visitors, tourists, or people on temporary work VISAs in Canada would be if something this ridiculous happened to them. I can't express how pissed off I am when I heard this story. It's hard to show it in a post but I could see from how she was almost crying and how she was saying it, how badly she was treated and how disgusted she is with this city and country right now after only being here for a month and I don't blame her...and I thought the racist bars/clubs in this town were bad enough...or the drunk construction workers who kept telling me how this country would be better off if only "Canadians" (ie: white Canadians and not visible minorities) got the good jobs. I don't know the other side of the story, but from how said said it, I had a good feeling of what she meant or felt. It might not be racism, but it's certainly a jerk transit cop power tripping on not being a real cop or something. That kind of treatment and punishment is totally unfair and uncalled for unless the person is really being uncooperative or threatening and I don't think she was in this case.