[bach]

Brazil has fined US holidaymaker Douglas Alan Skolnick $17,200 for making an obscene gesture during fingerprinting procedures.
He was arrested in the resort town of Foz do Iguacu for raising his middle finger while being photographed.

Mr Skolnick is the second US national to be fined for "disrespecting police" since Brazil began photographing and fingerprinting US citizens in January.

American Airlines pilot Dale Robbin Hirsh was fined $12,000 in Sao Paulo.


Brazil has been photographing and fingerprinting US visitors in response to similar US requirements for visitors needing a visa.

I'm an American citizen, I'm not a monkey

Douglas Alan Skolnick
Mr Skolnick arrived in Brazil on a charter flight from Chile with a tour group on Friday.

He was taken before a judge early on Saturday after being arrested and jailed, charged with showing contempt to authorities.

He was kept in his hotel room with a police guard outside until he paid the fine.

Brazil's Globo TV showed Mr Skolnick entering a prison cell and telling Brazilian journalists, "I'm an American citizen. I'm not a monkey."

Police Spokesman Marcos Koren said the $17,200 fine would be donated to two Brazilian charities for the elderly and children.

Tourism fears

The incident comes amid diplomatic tensions between the US and Brazil over the security checks, which came into effect at the beginning of the year.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has asked US President George W Bush to drop the visa requirement for Brazilians entering the US.

The checks are to continue for a trial period, while the impact of the measures is monitored.

Many in Brazil fear the policy will harm the country's tourism industry.

Authorities in Rio de Janeiro been giving US visitors flowers and T-shirts saying "Rio loves you" - fearing that the security checks will deter Americans from visiting the city.

The Brazilian measures have been causing long delays for travellers.

When the checks were first introduced, some incoming US flight passengers were delayed at the airport for up to nine hours while security officials ran identification checks.

[Xopolis]

Hehe. That guy's awesome. Perhaps $17,200 is a bit too much, considering it was just a rude gesture. Brazilian crybabies.

[Collective]

The Brazilians are simply exposing how ridiculous American policies are.

[Crazy Brown Guy]

Hehe. That guy's awesome. Perhaps $17,200 is a bit too much, considering it was just a rude gesture. Brazilian crybabies.

They are crybabies...omg ur a Canadian.. all we do is cry and suck dick..we shouldn't be the one to make a comment like this..besides what Brazilians are doing is exacly the same thing the Americans are doing so whats your point..call the American crybabies and we'll be even...

[Steven_K]

The brazilian policy is great, its so wonderfully immature. It won't solve anything, but it makes me happy to see someone stick it to the americans, especially about something where the americans are so over the top, like immigration policy.

[Xander]

Yes soon the Brazillians Might do Obscene things like Bring in the Death Penalty and a NRA

[Xopolis]

They are crybabies...omg ur a Canadian.. all we do is cry and suck dick..we shouldn't be the one to make a comment like this..besides what Brazilians are doing is exacly the same thing the Americans are doing so whats your point..call the American crybabies and we'll be even...

I never said I supported the American policy. When I said Brazilians I meant primarily the gov't. The crybaby factor comes from the "oh no, a middle finger! let's give a $17,000 fine!" I try not to cry as much as other Canadians.

[Wilhelm]

Try that finger at the Miami Airport and see what they do.

That "I'm an American citizen not a monkey" statement is nothing more than racist bullshit. That nazi pig thinks its right to make foreignors in the US go under those contorls, but God help Americans if they are not free to roam all over the world as they wish. This is a perfect example of the one-way globalization that Americans advocate. Have all third-world countries open up their markets and borders to them, but they won't do the same because hey are Americans.

I'm a Colombian citizen, and because of that I am required to get a Visa for almost every country that I visit. We stick up to it. Americans have to learn that they are not superior to every other human being on Earth. Some Brazilians fear that it will hurt the tourism industry, but I wouldn't car emuch about that. Sometimes national pride goes above other things, and I praise the Brazilian government for their security measures. They are not necessary anywhere. With the security measures taken before 9/11 the US government would have been able to see those planes coming months in advance. It's not the res of the world's fault that the incompetent chimps at the CIA weren't able to realize that it would happen until they saw a Boeing crash against a large building.

[Boondock Saint]

I dont know whats better ... his finger, the fine or that so many people take the subject serious.

I'm a Colombian citizen, and because of that I am required to get a Visa for almost every country that I visit.

Is that really that odd? I would have to get a visa for many countries also ... not all, I checked.

[Lincoln (m)]

Yes soon the Brazillians Might do Obscene things like Bring in the Death Penalty

only for Americans that stick up their middle finger while being photographed.

[Wilhelm]

Boondock, where are you from? Aren't you an American? You don't need a Visa anywhere. I need it to go to Canada, USA, Great Britain, Europe.. even Venezuela! I even need a US Visa to go through a US airport. It's not so much of a problem but that American should not be complaining.

[bach]

Mr Wilhelm I'm sorry but you need Visa for almost every country because there is a reason, that is countries are corcern about their security, and ilegal trading, and therefore they can just let anybody walk in( or at least thats their argument) However we all know must of the bad stuff, floats on water and not air, so regulating and imposing visas on colombians is attacking the low end of the business.

Nonetheless, most visas are designed with immigration in mind, specially industrialized countries that dont want third world country immigrants rushing all at once.

Funny, lat month there was an incident with a NY times reporter that said president Lula was drunk all the time, he almost got kick out of brazil, good thing he was married with kids.