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Morning Brew: inmates stage hunger strike, teen charged after bragging online about speeding, G20 charges were delayed in the mail, Blurred Vision get Pink Floyd's support, Greyhound Canada lockout looms, cocaine bust at Pearson

Posted by Jerrold Litwinenko / August 11, 2010

greyhound strikeAccording to an inmate at the Toronto East Detention Centre in Scarborough, the food served is not healthy enough, the portions are too meagre, and special dietary needs aren't being acknowledged. As a result, some 300 inmates are staging a hunger strike and may even consider rioting. Generally speaking, being incarcerated doesn't come with the same expectations as staying at a resort hotel, but if inmate health is at risk, perhaps this should be looked at more closely.

It's not clear to me exactly how charges were laid, how the prosecution supported their case, or why the suspect plead guilty, but a 19-year old has been charged and convicted for street racing without having even been caught in the act. Instead, he was reported by an online forum reader, who pointed police to his online boasting about doing 140kh/r in a 40km/h zone. Is being caught bragging about committing a crime enough to substantiate charges and result in a conviction? It would appear to be so.

The only G20-related charges that were laid under the controversial Public Works Protection Act were mysteriously absent when David Vasey, the sole suspect, showed up for his scheduled court date back on July 28th. Police originally stated that an administrative error must be to blame for the missing charges, and now, two weeks later, the official explanation is that the documents' arrival was inexplicably delayed in the mail. Vasey remains sceptical, however, saying that "We know they're scared to challenge us now in the open court system because they know that they will lose this public battle.

Toronto-based band Blurred Vision has garnered the permission and backing of Pink Floyd's Roger Waters to cover and modify the 1979 classic "Another Brick in the Wall." Fronted by two Iranian brothers in exile here in Toronto, the song aims to draw exposure to ongoing political issues in Iran (where it's illegal to play rock music).

Following rocky contract negotiations between workers and management, Greyhound Canada is poised to lockout drivers and bus terminal staff pending a solution. Some bus routes in Ontario would be affected by a Thursday lockout, so if you're planning to use the bus service, be sure to look into things before heading to the terminal with your luggage in tow.

And a Colombian man arriving at Pearson Airport was a little too shifty in front of border services agents, who took him in for secondary inspection. They found almost 2kg of cocaine (a street value of over $200,000) hidden in pellets within bags concealed in his underwear. The suspect will soon appear in a Brampton court, and if convicted he'll face deportation.

Photo: "Going places" by burnstoemerge, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

Discussion

18 Comments

The Shakes / August 11, 2010 at 09:36 am
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What kind of parents buy their 19 year old a 510hp BMW M5? Clearly in this case stupity is hereditary.
rob / August 11, 2010 at 09:37 am
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that should probably be "colombian".
Dan / August 11, 2010 at 09:38 am
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The Greyhound labour dispute is not a strike, it's a lock out. There's a difference.
Traffic safety / August 11, 2010 at 09:52 am
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On the street-racer, if you read the story in the Star it is pretty clear the police asked for and found a witness to the event on the street, not just a witness to the boast (at least one person on the street had already posted in reply to the punk in question). So with police interest and clear evidence, and presumably a guilty conscience, he pleaded guilty.
CrimeTime / August 11, 2010 at 10:06 am
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Don't like the food, then don't do the crime. Starve yourselves and rid society of a problem. We'll all be better off without you.
Ryan L. replying to a comment from Traffic safety / August 11, 2010 at 10:06 am
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If the guy was smart, he'd just say he was exaggerating. The police would have had no way to tell how fast he was going based off of a Facebook post. If he told them he was actually only going 80, they'd probably not even bother persuing it.
Xavier replying to a comment from Ryan L. / August 11, 2010 at 10:13 am
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"If the guy was smart"
He probably wouldn't have done 140 in a 40 zone
@dandmb50 - Daniel .. Toronto / August 11, 2010 at 10:23 am
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@dandmb50 - Nice try, but it doesn't wash, sounds like a "stock answer" to me.

It just doesn't make any sense and nice try but it seems very unlikely. And it just happened to arrive the day after his court appearance? I think the real reason they don't want to go before the court is because then they would have to tell "the whole truth and nothing but the truth" and they don't want that. .. Daniel .. Toronto .. http://bit.ly/bKGa13
BLOG G20 / August 11, 2010 at 10:47 am
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G20 crap is still more important to report than the girl faking cancer going to trial today?

Get your priorities straight.
Daniel / August 11, 2010 at 11:11 am
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I have been scratching my head about the Facebook racer since I heard about it a few days ago. How can police press charges for an event they were not present to witness? How many pictures are there online of people smoking weed, intoxicated, fornicating publicly, possessing stolen material, etc. Should every rapper go to jail for talking about guns and drugs? this is stupid.

This is f**cked up! So, if me and a couple of friends make something up about someone online and then tell the police with a believable story, he will get charged?

@dandmb50 - Daniel .. Toronto / August 11, 2010 at 11:15 am
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@dandmb50
When is this "talk" tab coming, it seems it's been there for months? It sounds like a good addition.

<b>Daniel .. Toronto</b>
http://bit.ly/bKGa13
NotYou / August 11, 2010 at 11:18 am
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Isn't this interesting. A person was arrested for boasting about doing something illegal and the best evidence anyone has is a witness - whom I will assume was not holding a radar gun - and he is charged and sentenced. Where are the cries for a police state now? Or is it because we all agree this was pure asshattedness that this time it's acceptable.

If you're really serious about this stuff, you kind of need to be full time, not just when it's convenient.
Mike W replying to a comment from @dandmb50 - Daniel .. Toronto / August 11, 2010 at 11:18 am
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Derek, Jerrold:

Isn't there a policy against constantly pimping out your personal blog in your comments (on top of the website field)? Not to mention the twitter and URL hiding/shortening.

Anyone remember jackcokelime or something like that?
mr hate / August 11, 2010 at 12:21 pm
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Thank jebus the street racer is stupid and pled guilty, because a witness with no radar gun + a comment on a forum where people talk sh*t does not = proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

At least the jacka*s is banned from driving for 6 months.
Ryan L. replying to a comment from mr hate / August 11, 2010 at 04:09 pm
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It is if he admitted to going that fast to police when questioned.
Bryanna replying to a comment from BLOG G20 / August 11, 2010 at 06:42 pm
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Yup.

Really? I'd rather hear about G20 stuff, because that actually affects me and people I know ie. Canadians.
Some girl who did something bad and stupid? It's being dealt with -- what do I care beyond acknowledging that she shouldn't have done that. I mean, I know it's just so exciting to hop on one ridiculous story and crucify her and all...
seanm / August 11, 2010 at 07:50 pm
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Good work Iran; they criticized us after the G20, but it's still illegal to play "rock music" (among all their other crazy laws). Bravo.

Also bravo to that Colombian man for upholding the cocaine stereotype for at least a little longer.
jordy replying to a comment from CrimeTime / August 11, 2010 at 11:08 pm
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metro east houses a lot of people awaiting trial, what happened to innocent until proven guilty? why should a Muslim in jail be forced to decide between faith and famine? Or a vegan or vegetarian for that matter?

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