He said he thought they were going to throw him in jail or something. They found a DUI road side supension on him that was over 20 years old. He was never charged with an offense, the cops just towed his vehicle and that was the end of it back then but it got into the system. So they really put him through the grinder at Canada Immigration.

I was shocked when they phoned me - answered the phone and this lady says "this is so-and-so from Canada Immigration" and right away I thought it had something to do with my old job at Immigrant Services - but didnt expect this !!!! My brother didnt even know they had phoned, until I told him just now when he called from the ferry. I've been thinking "what if I hadnt been at home" would they have turned him back?

Another guy was being interrogated at the same time, reckless driving charge ten years ago and he was turned back and refused admittance into Canada. He was told for a fee of $200.00 he could send for records to show he was "rehabilitated".

WOW - seems a little extreme to me.

Anyhow my brother said it was trying to get through Check Point Charlie. He was pretty shaken up by the way he was treated, he also said the line up going the other way - into the US - was a mile long.

quote:

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Location: US Customs, Calais, ME; 3:30 p.m.

After we pull into the yard, two officers board the bus to interrogate...er...question the passengers about their vital stats. One starts in front, one in back, and they meet at Bill and I in the middle, at the exact same moment. Because we say we’re together, they only listen to Bill’s story. I feel cheated.

Officer glares at visa and my state ID as if trying to see where I glued it together. Announces that he has never heard of such a town as Steep Falls. I restrain urge to reply that a passing acquaintance with an atlas would clear that right up. Finally leaves, so we can progress to the next stage of customs: baggage check. One by one, passengers are herded off bus to have belongings rifled through. Did not recall process as being quite so thorough, since last time. Fortunately, my bag checker is quite nice, and amusing, and from (of all places) Portland, near where I live. He’s pretty damn meticulous, but v. polite about it. I mean, he hasn’t even forgotten how to smile yet or anything. He was tres cute, too, and I would have photographed him, too, but customs officials are not so good about such things.

He (I think the name on his shirt might have been Ruddall or something) gets points for:
• asking about, but not being antsy about, my pills and eyedrops;
• not freaking out when I pointed out he almost forgot to check my backpack, or when I made poorly considered jokes about “sneaking things through;”
• asking about knives in my bag only because he didn’t want to cut himself; and
• having enough of a clue that he didn’t even ask about my vibrator, much less require me to whip it out for a full demo right there.

Unfortunately, the rest of our company did not fare so well. Bill and I escaped much hassle, because we’re white, not getting married, speak fluent English, and I, at least, am an American. The rest of our fellow passengers, however, certainly did not fit the last point of that list, and managed to hit one or more of the others, as well. Rude Seat Tilter doesn’t speak good English, so they got sharp and rude, and nearly tore her bag apart while searching. Nearly everybody had to go see Immigration. The woman in front of me, en route to her wedding in California, was actually denied entrance into the country because she didn’t have some retarded scrap of paperwork.

Am stuck on the most problematic bus ever to wheel across border. Can only pray that this is not comparable to most experiences, or else will end up crying for what country has become.

Even if I did luck out at the border, it sucks to see everyone else treated like so. Just because I was armed with all the tools to crack this mother open from the start does not make this treatment of innocent people acceptable. No wonder someone wanted to blow us up, looking at this arrogance and disrespect.

God Bless America. Honey, I’m home.

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And another story about going through Calais. (Scroll down past two pictures...)

[ December 08, 2002: Message edited by: Smith ]

This is scary sh*t - I would probably get mad and start fighting with them if I went through that crap so I better not try to cross the border.

He told me that The US has the right and the power now to shoot Americans in other countries on sight if they feel they are conversing or interacting with what are thought to be, or perceived to be "undesirables". I havent heard this officially or read it anywhere. He is pretty freaked at all of this.

He has always been a pretty staunch republican and I was surprised to hear him saying the things he was tonight about the political prisoners being held without due process, and how Bush has gone too far and isnt getting anywhere anyhow in this stupid war on terrorism.

In fact I was very gratified to hear it.

This is a guy who worked for the CIA and he was intimidated at the border, my God ! What about us ordinary citizens who's worst experience is flirting out way out of a speeding ticket?

I guess you cant pull the "dumb blonde" routine at the border anymore to get out of filling out those damn forms -

WHEREYAGOING?!

GOTANYALC'HOLFAHRARMSERTUBACCO?!

PURPOSEOFYERTRIP!?

WHATSTHUHNAMEOFTHEPERSONYERVISITING?!

HOWD'YOUKNOWTHISPERSON?!

*Shines flashlight all over inside of car*

ALLRIGHTFAHNHAVEANAHSDAY!

The other guard made her put it back - she insisted I couldnt carry it on the plane and had to give it to her, the other guard said "then she can put it in her bag and check that through, now give it back". The woman was a petty thief in my opinion.

I dont mind the dogs in customs, they are okay - no bad attitude there, they have a job, they do it.

Immigration is what sucks right now. I am wondering how many real undesirables got through while they were shaking down these guys?

They even took away cell phones while they were interrogating them and told them they were not allowed to make any calls.

The most unnerving thing about getting stopped at the border is having to wait in the office and see those pictures of GW and Big Dick staring, staring, staring, at me with their cold, dead eyes.