In the following story, I will change the names (or not mention any at all) to protect the not so innocent. There were a few people that were to be taking a business trip of to detroit. While they were there, they decided to go accross the border into Canada to go to a casino. The decided to drive one of the people's vans to Canada. They went, and then made it back and everything was ok. On a little tangent, the reason why that sign is there is because they saw a sign much like this while they were in the great country of Canada. They said it was like a book, and it basically did not tell you anything that wasn't common sense. Ok..back to the story that was at hand. The next day, while two of the guys were loading up the van, they open up the back of the van and there is a case. It looks much like a gun case. They think to themselves "is that what I think it is?" They decide to open the case, and yep..inside is a gun. Ha..the owner of the van is not the one who drove accross the border and back. So he let another guy smuggle his gun in Canada and then out. Ok, maybe the story would be funnier for some of you if you had names. However, i don't want customs to read my blog, which I am sure they do, and come after them. I will just change the name of one individual and you can let your imagination go from there. The owner of the van, we will call him "my boss," was the owner of the gun who let his fellow employees almost get in trouble for smuggling weapons accross the border. He could have been a terrorist. Canada could all be in flames because they let him accross. America could be too because the U.S. customs let him back in. What a crazy world we live in. By the way, if you are still reading this incredibly random post, you can make your own custom sign (much like the one above at http://www.electromark.com/indexstock.asp. Make some signs..it could be fun..
13 comments:
Hmmmm. Well, let's set things straight, here. First of all, the owner of the van had forgotten the rifle was there. So it was not as if the person in question had intentionally set the driver up for a fall.
Secondly, it was only a .22. If one can cause wide spread terror and revolt in Canada with a .22, or friends to the north have bigger problems! Shooting someone with it would likely just piss them off rather than actually hurt them permanently!
However, I agree that there probably would have been a few awkward moments and maybe a jail cell involved had we been searched. I will have to talk to the owner of the van and make sure there is no weaponry involved next time.
All in all, it WAS one of the most fun business trips I have ever been on. We will laugh about that trip for a good long time because there were some other shenanigans and goings on as well.
JB
Too bad it wasn't a freakin'12 gauge..what the heck would you do in a situation like that?
http://www.collegehumor.com/news/2005-01-20.napoleon.php
OMG! I can see it all now! I spend a lot of time in the D, going through the tunnel, and dealing with the border guards. Is it just me or are the Canadian gaurds just the nicest bunch of people? The US guards, pricks, even to US citizens!
My first trip after 9-11 a bunch of us were visiting Cisco for a few days and went to Windsor for their world renowned ballet and some upscale accomodations, too bad none of us had our birth certificates. Pre 9-11 your drivers license was all you really needed to cross the border. So on the way back the US border guard (of course it was the yankee pig dog!) threatened to send us back into canada until we could get noterized copies of all of our birth certificates sent to us. We all laughed our heads off, the VP says to the guard "OK so we are going to call the office and tell them we are stuck in Canada for the rest of the week, if you need us we will be smoking cubans, drinking single malts, and enjoying all fine performances that there are in the fine city of Windsor."
It must have been the tone of triumph in his voice that worked under the skin of the border guard, he knew it was no joke and he had all the power do decide if we would be reporting to the office in a few minutes to have a dreary tuesday, followed by a dreary wednesday and so on, or if he was going to really teach us a lesson and make us go back into Windsor for a week of what the previous night consisted of.
-thom
BTW, I was eating a donought and drinking coffee in the Cisco office about 10 minutes later. All of us really wished that he had played that one by the books!
-thom
Thom:
You are not alone. I noticed the same thing about the Canadian officials versus the American ones.
The Canadian questions are like, "What is your favorite color?" and "Are you going to spend your money here, eh?" whereas I think that US customs picks the most bitter people they can find. They all seem to hate their jobs as well as hating all the tourists that actually get to have fun.
When I came back from Niagara, my first mistake was intruding upon the exclusion zone of the car in front of me. The guy came flying out of his kiosk with a look of disbelief mixed with hatred on his face. When I got up there he grilled me. I was expecting at any moment to have bamboo shoots shoved under my fingernails. He finally asked me how long I planned to stay in the area. I replied, "I was born in the US, I just want back in." He indicated that he had meant the local area. He finally let me back in, but I thought for a few minutes that I was going to have to floor it and bust through the barrier!
JB
Well, since he is prior Army, that tells me he did not do a pre-trip inspection of his vehicle before deployment on a mission. You slacker!
I don't know if you are proving a point here or not, but I do see the humor of trying to bail him out of a Canadian prison which I might add would be much nicer than a Mexican prison.
I can't blame the border patrols either. Since 9-11 everyone has put these poor folks on the news and exploited every weakness there has been to cross the border. I would like to tell those folks to go home and watch Mission Impossible. These folks would be a lot nicer in their day to day jobs if people like us who make fun of them also did not turn them in for "look I smuggled a gun in and out of the country and could have assasinated someone" attitude. I think you should pray for these folks and ask for blessings to be bestowed upon these folks for the fact that it is a thankless job.
God Bless America for letting us be free hippocrates about our freedoms.
WOW, now THAT is what I call sensationalism!
Sure they have a thankless job, just like the rest of us. What makes them special? Really, please explain to me why I should feel sorry for them.
Canadian jails can't be compared to the US or Mexican jails, not even close. (BTW JB, if you ever need bail in Windsor give me a call)
Also the rifle is no big deal, below is a snippet from the Canadian Imagration website.
"Visitors may only import non-restricted firearms for legitimate purposes such as:
sporting or hunting use during hunting season;
use in competitions;
in-transit movement (i.e., moving in the most direct route possible from Point A to Point B) through Canada; or
personal protection against wildlife in remote areas of Canada, as long as the customs officer is satisfied that the circumstances warrant the firearm being imported."
-thom
Hypocrisy = Patriot Act
WOW, now THAT is what I call sensationalism!
Sure they have a thankless job, just like the rest of us. What makes them special? Really, please explain to me why I should feel sorry for them.
Canadian jails can't be compared to the US or Mexican jails, not even close. (BTW JB, if you ever need bail in Windsor give me a call)
Also the rifle is no big deal, below is a snippet from the Canadian Imagration website.
"Visitors may only import non-restricted firearms for legitimate purposes such as:
sporting or hunting use during hunting season;
use in competitions;
in-transit movement (i.e., moving in the most direct route possible from Point A to Point B) through Canada; or
personal protection against wildlife in remote areas of Canada, as long as the customs officer is satisfied that the circumstances warrant the firearm being imported."
-thom
Hypocrisy = Patriot Act
Alright, now you have irritated me. Yes, I am poking fun at customs, just as I poke fun at myself. I would suggest that anyone who wishes to attack me and my pre trip inspection handicap should at least have the balls to sign their name. Customs has a thankless job?? Who gives a shit? No-one thanks me everyday for all the systems working. But let a T1 go down, and the excrement hits the air occilator. Wow! That is life. Who cares? So, no-one thanks the customs agents? "O Mister agent your cavity search was EXQUISITE!!!" I mean really!! Come ON!! I am now going to make fun of Mr. Anonymous. His grasp of logic seems tenuous at best. Hippocrite about my freedom? At least I put a name to my opinion. SCAREDYCAT! As he said, I am prior Army. Therefore, I don't need a .22 to assassinate anyone. I simply would have used my brutish training to kill whomever with my bare hands 17 different ways before they hit the ground. Not to mention that there was no ammunition!! I guess I could've clubbed someone with it.
Woaaaah! Let me dial it back a bit. It is a FUNNY story. FUNNY. That is the key word. Life is too short to take everything so seriously.
Thom - thanks for the post. It almost brought a tear to my eye that you'd bail me out of a Canadian Prison! I would do the same for you pal.
Take care,
JB
WAIT A SECOND!! I never mentioned that I was prior Army! That must be someone I know yanking my chain. Hmmmm...... Maybe I should not have been so vociferous, but I just read it while I was in the wrong emotional state for joking around.
Well, I guess one of my friends is offended now!! Oops. I perceive I have been bitten by a Wolfe! Sorry, man, if it is you. But if it was you, I know you were absolutely yanking my chain just to get a rise out of me. I guess it worked. lol.
(I still think one should sign one's name)
JB
ha..JB said shit..I do prefer it also when anon wolfe's sign their name ;)
Haha.... JB, Only I can get your blood boiling and then get you to laugh about it.....
Yeah... I forgot to sign my name... Yeah I always stick up for the low man on the totem pole who will be nationally embarressed for actions we so dearly hold them to. Six o'clock news "Guard picking nose let 2 men cross boarder with gun to help Alqueda. Two men stole van with rifle in it. Owner is still missing!" And it would all be a ruse! I remember sticking up for the guy who works weekends and countless late night hours and paid him accordingly and gave comp time as well. I thank everyone. Everyone has a job to do, you just have to understand what they do and why we have them their. There is a reason for everything.
I do want to say, I am glad you had a nice trip and enjoyed your time away from the office. Well deserved.
I could not help but to pull your leg.. sorry.
Wolfe
what a funny diatribe. and jb said shit. hardcore. i dug it.
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