Attention: Keith Creel
On Thursday, December 6th, 2018, Cherell Brady received a violation ticket in the amount of $115 for trespassing on CP Rail property. This is quite distressing for two reasons: the first, Mrs. Brady was extremely upset, shaking and teary-eyed, as a result of the demeaning and disrespectful behaviour demonstrated by the CP Rail employee; the second, was the residual anxiety Mrs. Brady experienced days after she received the ticket.
Let me explain, Mrs. Brady is a 4’11”, 97-pound woman from the Philippines who recently immigrated to Canada, and knows very little if nothing at all about the unusual rules and laws around trespassing on CP Rail property. She was carrying two bags of groceries and heading home from work. The employee who administered the ticket was intimidating and displayed bullying qualities during the process of checking Mrs. Brady’s identification and writing up the ticket. What saddens me about this experience was the fact that the employee did not express any compassion for a person who was obviously unaware of the illegal action she was committing, nor did he respect Mrs. Brady when she apologized for trespassing on CP Rail property. His immediate and ill-mannered response to her apology was, and I quote, “I don’t believe you are sorry.”
This ordeal could have turned out entirely different – it could have been a positive learning experience, not an intimidating and fear-inducing ordeal – if the employee had taken the time to explain the infraction that was committed and why such a law is in place. Instead, he wrote up a ticket and told Mrs. Brady that she could read the details and payment process on her own time.
It is the insensitivity and lack of cultural awareness on the part of the employee that disturbs me most. In a time when Canada is embracing and encouraging immigration, it is the responsibility of those in positions of authority to be aware of cultural differences and to demonstrate unbiased respect to all. I understand that people who deal with the challenges of aggressive or uncooperative individuals need to use an authoritative, and at times aggressive approach. But Mrs. Brady is an incredibly shy, quiet individual who appreciates the life she has here in Canada, and by no means would ever challenge the authority of a person in uniform. You see, Mrs. Brady comes from a country where police officers are corrupt, not to be trusted, and feared for all the wrong reasons. I have expressed from the moment Mrs. Brady arrived in Canada that those individuals working in the capacity to protect society can be trusted and given respect for choosing a career that most people shy away from. I don’t think you can imagine how disheartened I was to see Mrs. Brady moments after she received the ticket. She was physically shaking, with eyes full of tears, wondering what she had done to deserve such disrespectful treatment.
My concern and reason for writing this letter is not the unnecessary financial penalty, but rather the unwarranted and disrespectful behaviour expressed by the CP Rail employee. Time and time again, we are reading about law enforcement officers mistreating and mishandling members of the public. And it is the agencies and employers of these misguided individuals who need to understand the mistakes being made when hiring the inappropriate candidates that work with and for members of society. Accountability has to start somewhere, and this is the purpose of my letter.
As I write this correspondence, Mrs. Brady is sitting beside me nervously and unnecessarily concerned about the repercussions of reaching out to such an influential person – and I don’t mean a positive or compassionate response, but rather negative reactionary retribution by someone in power. This is all too reminiscent of Mrs. Brady’s home country and not at all what I want for her to experience here in Canada. I believe you can be instrumental in helping change the attitude and belief systems with misguided employees who are representatives of strong and positive companies in Canada. I also believe you can help closed-minded employees learn how to maintain important laws and at the same time, respect individuals who are unintentionally breaking those laws implemented for the safety of all.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter, and I hope it sparks a real and concerted interest in making positive changes within your organization.
Sincerely,
Paul Brady (Mrs. Brady’s husband) | Creston