2017-08-05

Let's Do This

Was away visiting the Outer Banks in North Carolina (my middle finger to all the virtue signalling assholes about transgender bathrooms) and wasn't as diligent at posting as I've been in the past while vacationing. There wasn't as much down time as we were there only for a few days. Regardless, it was our first time visiting the Outer Banks and enjoyed it very much. The beaches are nice and not too crowded, great food, and interesting attractions. Taking in The Wright Brothers museum and the grounds of The Lost Colony was a high point. This in addition having stopped off in Berlin, Maryland. Talk about, erm, interesting. Haunting but lovely at the same time. We even stayed at The Atlantic hotel where ghostly sightings have been reported.

The start of the vacation get off, I must say, to a rocky start when we bumped into a rude, unprofessional and aggressive smart alec border agent. We're still rather perplexed by the behaviour given there was, at worst, a miscommunication. Seems like U.S. customs are cracking down on sandwich and food declarations - something that is a default position and par for the course given how many times we cross the border.

You know the routine. It goes something like, 'you have anything to declare?' Except on this occasion the agent decided to make a mess of things unnecessarily in my view. I was clearly in the process of declaring we had food but the agent interjected while I was speaking, 'Do you have anything to declare...' and goes straight to 'alcohol, firearms' etc. to which I shift and answer 'No'. I figured this is his play ground so go along.

He gets out of his station and looks into my truck (I always put the windows down because I have nothing to hide) and says, 'what's the cooler for? Pjamas?'

Funny guy.

At this point we're thrown off the usual cadence and routine and don't know how to behave as he has us by the balls. He curtly says, '$1000 cash or credit?' I ask for what and he says it's because I didn't declare the food. I plead my case that I was in the process of telling him but he had (unprofessionally) cut me off and he responded angrily, '$1000 cash of credit?' He might of repeated that rudely five or six times.

And on it went with us not budging remaining calm but firm. Finally, he 'graciously' let us go through.

I've been through that border many, many times. Other than one other over-aggressive agent barking orders for no reason, this guy was by the far the worst I've come across. The silver lensed glasses meant to intimidate is a shtick best for the Mexican border I reckon.

I digress.

I think North Americans are well aware that we have rules to respect but there is no excuse, in my view, for border agents on either side to speak (and threaten) citizens of our two nations in this way.  We have friends and family, we trade with one another, we're as closely (and peacefully) linked as any two nations on earth and yet we still have to put up with this?

Other than that, out of decorum, I will stop here lest I go too far.

Oh well. Now I'm back.

And still the same.





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