Afraid of a fat woman in a silly costume but attacks a man with a cell phone

[CruisnGrrl]

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/...er-daniel-dale

Rob Ford chased and confronted a Toronto Star reporter who was on public property near his home while working on a story about the mayor’s bid to buy adjacent parkland.
“Daniel Dale was on public property; he was never on Ford’s property,” said Toronto Star spokesman Bob Hepburn. “He was following up on a story when Ford came out of his house, off his property, and cornered Daniel, yelling at him. The mayor had his fist cocked, yelling at him to drop his cellphone and tape recorder, which Daniel did.”
Ford spoke to reporters outside his Etobicoke home around 10 p.m. and admitted to chasing Dale, but accused him of snapping photos outside while standing on cinder blocks.
“You know, it’s over the top. You may not agree with my politics, don’t start taking pictures of my family,” Ford said of his long-standing conflict with the newspaper. “My wife’s home, my kids are home.”
Dale said that he was taking photos of the fence and trees with his cellphone. There were no people in the area, he said.
Ford told reporters police were called to his house “and if I have to press charges, I will.” Toronto police contacted the Star early Thursday morning and arranged to speak with Dale at some point during the day.
In a radio interview Thursday morning, Ford told John Oakley that he will refuse to speak with city hall reporters from now on if Dale is present in the press scrum.
“If Daniel Dale’s — that reporter — down at city hall, he will not, I will not be talking to any reporters if he’s part of that scrum,” Ford said. “They have to take him out of city hall. You cannot have a city hall reporter peering in your backyard.”
Dale, an award-winning Toronto Star journalist who was just last week honoured with a National Newspaper Award and has twice been named young journalist of the year, has worked at city hall since Ford took office and would be a familiar face to the mayor.
Dale said that after learning on Wednesday that Ford had asked the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority to buy TRCA land adjacent to his house to build a “better” fence to stop trespassers and to protect his family, he went out to the site.
“In his letter (to the TRCA), Ford said the land was a ‘vacant’ parcel; a TRCA official told me it was actually a sliver of city-operated parkland that had mature trees,” said Dale.
“I decided that I needed to visit the property to see what it actually looked like. I also wanted to see if Ford’s home already had a fence. And I wanted to see where the land was actually located; the TRCA’s map was confusing.”
Dale arrived at 7:30 p.m., walked around the parkland making notes. He was standing about 10 metres from Ford’s backyard fence and said his phone died as he attempted to take photos of the trees and fencing — and not Ford’s backyard, as the mayor has suggested.
“Moments later, the mayor appeared, wearing a white campaign t-shirt, at the sole entrance and exit to the parcel of property; he had walked around from the front of his house. He appeared extremely agitated.”
Dale said Ford yelled, “Are you spying on me?” several times.
In response, Dale said he “shouted, astonished, that I was not — that I was writing about his attempt to buy TRCA land. He began to approach me at a brisk walk, asking again, at an escalating volume, if I was spying. I continued to plead that I was writing about the land.
“At some point, perhaps 10 or 15 seconds into the encounter, he cocked his fist near his head and began charging at me at a full run. I began pleading with him, as loud as I could, with my hands up, for him to stop. I yelled, at the top of my lungs, something like, ‘Mayor Ford, I’m writing about the land! I’m just looking at the land! You’re trying to buy the TRCA land!’ ”
When Ford demanded he drop his phone, Dale complied.
“Every time I tried to sidestep him to escape, he moved with me and yelled at me again to drop my phone. I became more frightened than I can remember; after two or three attempts to dart away, I threw my phone and my recorder down on the grass, yelled that he could take them, and ran.
“When I reached the park’s parking lot, a fair distance away, I approached two young men who were sitting in a car, asking them to use their phone. The mayor, looking in our direction, continued to shout, and I ran to my car and drove away.”
The mayor told CP24 that Dale was screaming.
“It was like unbelievable what he was doing and I caught the guy cold. It’s unbelievable what he did and I'm not going to put up with it. I've got the police here and if I've got to press charges I will. It’s pretty emotional. It’s tough on my neighbour. It’s tough on my family.”
Doug Ford, speaking to media Wednesday night, called the incident harassment, but said his brother “shouldn’t have went up and confronted” Dale.

[RockerGuy]

Don't Mayor's get a gated home of some sort?

[FullMotoJacket]

Don't Mayor's get a gated home of some sort?

Only Mayor Mc Cheese.........wait

[mmmnaked]

Ford is catching way too much **** from lefty media. The guy was democratically elected; Toronto voted him in fairly and that needs to be respected.

Yeah he doesn't have the smooth BS attitude of a career politician, but that doesn't mean he's some dumb oaf. And who cares if he's fat... that his problem.

[invictus43]

It's a little sketchy the amount of attention he gets with the media going to his house etc. I think he is a dumb oaf, but nevertheless, he IS the mayor and deserves a bit more respect than The Star gives him. They really should stop trying to grind their personal axe with him, it's a bit embarassing. And what's with Star dude cowering and running like a little kid?!?!

[Paul]

Of course the Star reports that the Star reported actually WASN'T on his property.

Maybe he was on Rob's property though? Oh wait...Ford haters...that can't be possible....it must be Ford that's lying....cause reporters are all on the up and up! LMFAO!!

[RockerGuy]

Of course the Star reports that the Star reported actually WASN'T on his property.

Maybe he was on Rob's property though? Oh wait...Ford haters...that can't be possible....it must be Ford that's lying....cause reporters are all on the up and up! LMFAO!!

Ban all members who're not Ford supporters

[RetroGrouch]

Yeah whatever. If someone was snooping around my backyard while my wife and kids were inside, I'd grab a fork tube before investigating.

The Star is getting flak from other media outlets about this, even some of the lefties and anti-Fordists are saying the reporter was way out of line. Hell, even the nastiest Ford-hating rag, Now Magazine posted a story saying The Star went too far.

Oh and who was the fraidy cat? From Ford's account, Daniel Day nearly wet his pants when confronted and immediately gave up his cell phone and camera, even without Ford demanding them. The Star is a joke, that's why they can't sell papers and have to give them away to create the illusion of circulation.

[invictus43]

Of course the Star reports that the Star reported actually WASN'T on his property.

Maybe he was on Rob's property though? Oh wait...Ford haters...that can't be possible....it must be Ford that's lying....cause reporters are all on the up and up! LMFAO!!

Well, I think Ford actually admitted he wasn't on is property...nevertheless..that's just low-brow behaviour for a reporter.

[invictus43]

Yeah whatever. If someone was snooping around my backyard while my wife and kids were inside, I'd grab a fork tube before investigating.

The Star is getting flak from other media outlets about this, even some of the lefties and anti-Fordists are saying the reporter was way out of line. Hell, even the nastiest Ford-hating rag, Now Magazine posted a story saying The Star went too far.

Oh and who was the fraidy cat? From Ford's account, Daniel Day nearly wet his pants when confronted and immediately gave up his cell phone and camera, even without Ford demanding them. The Star is a joke, that's why they can't sell papers and have to give them away to create the illusion of circulation.

He's basically being a papparazzi..he can be on public property and snoop around..I don't think he did anything illegal..immoral? Yeah, probably..

[RetroGrouch]

The reporter used cinder blocks to peek over Ford's backyard fence so he could get a clear view of his home. That's really splitting hairs whether he was breaking the law or not. But as a so-called legitimate award-winning reporter and not merely a papparazzi, it was highly unprofessional behaviour.

[Red_Liner740]

So what if hes not on his property? Some dude is standing in the middle of the road snapping pictures of my house damn right i'm going there and asking him Whiskey Tango Fox-trot, and i aint gonna be nice about it.

[invictus43]

The reporter used cinder blocks to peek over Ford's backyard fence so he could get a clear view of his home. That's really splitting hairs whether he was breaking the law or not. But as a so-called legitimate award-winning reporter and not merely a papparazzi, it was highly unprofessional behaviour.

100% agree.

[RetroGrouch]

Ah Toronto, the city where you can't catch a thief that's robbing your store or confront a stranger taking pics of your home without others condemning you.

[invictus43]

So what if hes not on his property? Some dude is standing in the middle of the road snapping pictures of my house damn right i'm going there and asking him Whiskey Tango Fox-trot, and i aint gonna be nice about it.

Whatever..it's not illegal and if you touch him you're getting charged, and probably convicted, of assault. They have courses for anger management..

[RockerGuy]

From what I recall from picture taking:

It's legal to take pics in public where you think everybody would see clearly.
It's however, illegal to take pics of the subject if the general public doesn't have a clear view.
Case in point, its legal for me to take a pic of someone walking down the street, however, its illegal for me to take a pic upskirt of a woman on the street.

So in short, reporter climbed on a block which the general public doesn't see, to take a peek = illegal

[Red_Liner740]

Whatever..it's not illegal and if you touch him you're getting charged, and probably convicted, of assault. They have courses for anger management..

who said anything about touching or assaulting him...but i have every right to approach and ask WTF and to make his stay unpleasant.

[Venom01]

He was "scared" of Mary Walsh because he knew who see was and how she is REAL good at ripping politicians apart on the spot and I don't think he was ready or smart enough to play along. The guy has done some things people have found questionable but I can agree with him about as much as I disagree with him.

This is my signature

[Yamaha_Gurl]

This is my signature

Do you type that in every time?

[mbroyda]

I call BS on the chasing - Rob Ford is in no shape to chase anyone.