Fact Check

American Legislator Wants Canadians Banned from Driving in USA

A satirical article reporting that an American legislator wanted to ban Canadian drivers from U.S. roads was mistaken for real news by some readers.

Published Sept. 16, 2016

 (Wikipedia)
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Claim:
American legislator John Grumpart wants to ban Canadians from driving on U.S. roads.

On 15 September 2016, the CBC Radio web site posted an article reporting that American legislator John Grumpart& wanted to ban Canadians from driving in the United States:

During his interview with This is That, US legislator John Grumpart did not shy away from sharing his thoughts about why he believes Canadians should not be driving in the United States.

"Driving in the US is more difficult and takes more skill; skills I don't believe Canadians have," said Grumpart. "The fact that they only drive on single-lane, gravel roads tells me they're not equipped to drive on our impressive freeways."

The article was also accompanied by an "interview" with Grumpart:

CBC Radio is a legitimate news organization, but this story originated with their "This Is That" program, which is satirical in nature — as indicated by a disclaimer at the bottom of the article:

This is That is an award winning satirical current affairs show that doesn't just talk about the issues, it fabricates them.

Previous "This Is That" spoofs that have been mistaken for real news include reports on a Canadian youth soccer league's eliminating the use of a ball, and an artist's quest to create and sell invisible art.

Dan Evon is a former writer for Snopes.

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