Couple on Route 1 push carts from Fla.

CALAIS – They’ve created quite a spectacle wherever they are seen along U.S. Route 1 and other Maine roads. A man and a woman claimed Thursday they had pushed three carts loaded with 1,000 pounds of their belongings to Calais from Miami, a total of about 2,400 miles.

The carts are piled high with an assortment of clothes, children’s toys and an American flag. There also was a fishing net, along with several wooden poles.

The man and woman declined to identify themselves. A check with Calais police revealed they are Christopher James, 58, and Rebecca Yunk, 38. Neither has an address.

Officer Roy Wise of the Calais police said a background check revealed neither is wanted on outstanding warrants. He said police are satisfied they do not pose a threat and that they have adequate resources to protect themselves from the elements.

The “junk” as the man, identified by police as James, called it was strapped to the carts with rope.

James said he had made two of the carts – one was built on inline roller skates – and the third cart was donated to them by an Amish family, he said.

James said they get their food from “good” people, but are not allowed to ask for it. “All we can ask for is water,” he said.

He said they are trying to get into a foreign country, but denied it was Canada. The St. Croix River separates Calais from St. Stephen, New Brunswick.

He said they were walking for fallen soldiers, especially those who had thrown themselves on hand grenades to save their fellow warriors.

They told the Calais police they were walking to protest the federal government’s lack of emergency preparedness.

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