T R A V E L   L O G tj|ca|st
T R A V E L   L O G
tj|ca|st

R O A D   T R I P   T O   S P O K A N E ,   W A

Monday, July 19th 2004

Tension mounts as I near the US Custom's front doorstep.

I practice putting on my game face, these customs guys aren't going to push me around, no way!

It's game on! I'm not afraid. Come on custom boy, bring it on!

Ummmmm... The game face doesn't help. Seems I've broken a cardinal rule, I don't have a passport or birth certificate to prove I'm me, just had an Oregon License. And the license has me pictured with a full head of hair and a mustache.

I swear, I went to Mexico early this spring and US Customs could have cared less, they just asked for my citizenship, that's all. And prior to leaving on this trip I checked the US Custom's website and it said since I was born in the US I wouldn't need anything more than a drivers license to prove I'm me.

So guess what? I get to have my van searched courtesy of US Customs.

So I park it and head inside. All in all the experience is just as good as my experience with Canadian Customs. The folks are really nice and professional. I worked with Agent Sim (short for Simon?) and he is great. He takes only 10 minutes to do whatever he does in searching the van and is back with a good report. Before leaving the office I ask him about how much stuff they find at this border crossing and he says lots. He says the crime in Vancouver is pretty bad, the prostitution, the rapes, the thefts. He sees 10 or more cars a day cross into the US with broken windows, mostly broken by thieves looking for expensive electronics like computers or cameras.


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