I HATE crossing the border. Even though I know that I'm doing nothing wrong, I still get this mini-anxiety attack when I pull up to their little window. They ask so many questions. I know they are trying to trip you up. Where are you going? What's in that bag? Where do you live? How long will you be gone? But the question that got me this last time that I crossed back into the U.S. was, "Do you have any cat food?"
I ALWAYS tell them when I have my cat in the car (the last thing I need is to get pulled over for trying to smuggle a life animal over the border), but no one has EVER asked me if I had cat food (in all actuality, I thought they'd have more problems with the kitty litter box on the back seat).
I told them that yes, I had cat food. How much? A couple cups. Is it in the original packaging? No... I pour it into a Tupperware container. By this point I am getting really confused. Then the guy sticks this orange post-it note thing on my wind shield and tells me to park my car and go see someone at the agriculture desk inside (and he TAKES MY PASSPORT.... this worried me a bit).
My mother was with me on this trip, so we park the car and the two of us head into the building... still not quite sure what's going on. We stand in line behind a large family that appears to be of some eastern European decent (and also appears very confused). There is no one at the counter helping them, though they appear that they have been helped and are waiting for someone to return. So, Mom and I wait. Finally one of the immigration officers tells us to step to the other counter where another office is working on something. So, we go over there. And, without a word, the officer that was there picked up and left... never to be seen (by us) again. And, we wait some more.
FINALLY this woman comes up and asked if we'd been helped. I was not happy to see this particular woman... she was the same one who tried to fine me $300 for an apple. She took my little post it. And told me that I wasn't suppose to bring cat food into the country because it may have lamb in it (...so?). And then she just stared at me! lol I asked her what my options were and she told me that I could either turn around and take it home, or she would dispose of it. After sitting in line at the border for over an hour, I was most definitely NOT going to turn around and take 4 cups of cat food back home. So I told her to go ahead and get rid of it. Then she asked me which car was mine and where the cat food was. I told her and she told us to remain inside.
I could see her from the window... and she inspected my entire car. Even popped the trunk even though I'd told her that the cat food was in the back seat. My mother, somewhat naively, seeing the women poke around in my trunk asked if she should go out and tell the woman where it was. I told her NO. lol... the last thing I needed was for my mother to walk outside against a border officer's orders and get detained for further questioning! Finally the woman brought my cat food inside, dumped it out, handed me the container back and told me that she'd left the small amount of food that was actually in his food dish.
Wow... wasn't that nice? lol
And we were on our way again...
Fast forward to weeks later, crossing back into Canada...
The signs along the freeway said that the wait at the border would be about 10 minutes. I was very pleased about this as I had been driving for a LONG time. I stopped in Blaine, got some gas, and then drove a few more blocks to the Hwy 543 border crossing. Right before the lanes split cars were backed up. One by one border agents were letting cars drive through a check point; every 5th car or so they stopped and had their drug dogs sniff around. I was so worried that they were going to stop me and the dogs were going to freak out 'cause I had a cat in the back seat! lol (I know this is highly unlikely since they are trained drug dogs, but they thought still crossed my mind). Thankfully, I wasn't stopped and continued on to.
There were about 4 lanes open at the border, two on the right, and two on the left. Right in the middle (in a now-closed lane), about one car length from the window, was an RV... with a tow truck in front of it trying to hook it up! lol I would NOT want to be those people!
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I feel for you Brittney, I really do. I think one of the subjects of which I am most sore is US border agencies. << That is just me making excuses for the following rant, which may or may not be related to your post once the power of the demon comes over me!
ReplyDeleteThat feeling of unnameable anxiety is the psychological goal of these programs. It is the same feeling we get about walking to school when we know there is a bully around the corner who might take our lunch money if he's having a grumpy day. That is because some of these people really are thugs. If you give somebody relative immunity to search, seize, intimidate and coerce people (even in the name of "public safety" or "to fight drugs" or some other nonsense) then you have a problem of statistics - people who like that kind of power are going to rise to the top. These are not going to be the kinds of maverick do-gooders in the propagandist cop shows. They are going to be abusive thugs with uniforms.
The police, especially any kind of federal police (FBI, DHS, CIA, TSA, etc...) are not your friend. They are trained to view you as a criminal. Trust me, I know, I spent several years with the Federal Government in one of these agencies. There is no such thing as "trying to be helpful." They would have viewed your mom trying to help them as a sign of guilt (why are you trying to interrupt their search? Are you diverting them from drugs or explosives? Is she distracting the agent in order to do something illegal?). No joke. This is what they are trained to think - and they do it with fanatical zeal and in the whitewashed morality of serving their country. In other words, they have been convinced in training that by violating the rights of people - they are protecting them. Depending on the agency, this has been done by a light form of brainwashing.
The borders are where we have a glimpse of the reality that is coming.
For myself, I answer no questions other than those I am legally obligated to answer. I do not volunteer any information. I do not try to help. I do not give them any papers (passport, ID) unless I am explicitly asked for it. I look them in the eyes. I do not smile. This is not to say that I'm not polite - I am. But don't think that being polite means that you need to help them find a reason to delay or arrest you.
You can handle it however you like. But I would highly recommend you read up on your civil liberties. Somewhere like the ACLU is a good place to do this.
These link might be helpful:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8z7NC5sgik
Colin, I think you pretty much hit the nail on the head. I am always slightly relieved when I finally am able to SEE the agent at the border because generally it takes about one look for me to determine if this particular agent is going to be on a power trip or not (thankfully on this last trip I got 2 "nice" agents).
ReplyDeleteI'm moving my stuff back over the border in about 3 weeks and slightly nervous about it. Getting into the U.S. is much harder than getting in Canada... so I"m a bit concerned about them confiscating some of my stuff or just making the whole process excruciatingly difficult.
Your comments about not talking to the police made me think of my late professor at SOU. He started one of our classes by telling us that there was one important acronym that we needed to keep in mind, KYMS, when dealing with the officials. KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT. =)
**On a side note, while reminiscing about this particular prof., he also told us that the best way to avoid contact with the police was not to do "bad things", and if we did find ourselves in trouble to hire the best lawyer we could and not defend on a public attorney. He told us that if we could find a way to afford college, we could find a way to afford proper defense.
Yes, KYMS is a great rule. In England, you have less protections against this. Remember our honours 10 (I think) lessons on Sir thomas Moore? This is generally still the rule here that if you are being quiet when accused, you are most likely guilty.
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