From: "Randy H" 

Makes me wonder what would happen if you gave them the American OK sign
down there....

"Rich Gauszka"  wrote in message
news:4025aee2{at}w3.nls.net...
> I don't have a problem with this. Fining stupidity is a novel idea.
>
>
http://news.myway.com/top/article/id/383813|top|02-07-2004::10:27|reuters.ht
ml
> SAO PAULO, Brazil (Reuters) - The second American in a month was arrested
> while entering Brazil for making an obscene gesture while being
photographed
> by an immigration official, police said on Saturday.
> Federal police in Foz do Iguacu on Brazil's border with Argentina and
> Paraguay said retired U.S. banker Douglas Allan Skolnick, 56, was jailed
> overnight for flipping his middle finger in a photo now required to be
taken
> of all U.S. tourists entering Brazil.
>
> Brazil began fingerprinting and photographing Americans entering the
country
> in January after the U.S. government imposed a similar process on
> foreigners, except for those from 27 mostly European countries.
>
> "Mr. Skolnick went before the judge this morning and opted to take the
> public prosecutor's offer that he pay a 15,000 real fine ($5,000) to avoid
> prosecution," said officer Marcos Koren of the Foz do Iguacu federal
police.
>
> Skolnick, who came into Brazil on a charter flight with 91 other
tourists --
> mostly American -- from Chile on Friday, is being held in his hotel room
> under police guard until he pays the fine, said Koren. He will then be
free
> to leave Brazil.
>
> Skolnick declined to comment.
>
> On Jan. 14, an American Airlines pilot was arrested upon entry into Brazil
> via Sao Paulo, after flipping his finger in a photo. American Airlines
paid
> a fine nearly $13,000 to free the pilot.
>
>
>

--- BBBS/NT v4.01 Flag-5