On the ground at a Canadian trucker protest: Reporter's notebook

Traffic is the new residence for thousands of frustrated Canadians camping out indefinitely in tractor trailers in the shadow of Parliament Hill.

The joke magnet at the bottom of an Ottawa market rack had suddenly taken on a new meaning, proudly proclaiming "I survived Ottawa traffic!"

Blocks away, traffic is the new residence for thousands of frustrated Canadians camping out indefinitely in tractor trailers in the shadow of Parliament Hill.

They've made themselves right at home: grills and smokers serving up freshly cooked food, makeshift clotheslines hoisting soon-to-be frozen pants and elaborate speaker systems leading dance parties at the conclusion of dozens of anti-vaccine, anti-government speeches.

There are twinges of stereotypically Canadian politeness everywhere -- the demonstrators have kept the sidewalks shoveled, and plenty of people would wish us a good day, including a man sporting a pin that read "the media is the virus." Even the police statement issued nearly two weeks in seemed to tread lightly: If you're blocking the streets, you might be committing a crime, and you could, possibly, get arrested.