Quote:

So how much clothing did they make you take off?

Preacher
1st time was the worst.  GF (now wife) and I were coming back late to Fargo from Winnipeg, probably around midnight at Pembina.  Heater core in my 80's Ford blew and spew antifreeze throughout the passenger compartment....about 6 PM on a sun evening in the Peg.  Spent 4 hours finding a successful afterhours patch...cut the hoses where they entered the firewall and spliced 'em.

....I'm sure I was filthy, tired a bit cranky...but those border guys were just plain mean.  Wife and I escorted under guard to seperate rooms in the main building.  Stripped to our underwear, clothes gone through, wallets and purses dumped, reclothed, questioned.  Left to sit in a locked room for near 1 hour.  About 1.5 hours later...we were released with nary an explanation.  Our car was pulled over to an inspection lane...every item in it and trunk including floor mats was laying haphazard on the ashphalt.

I objected several times through the process.  Was told rudely to "shutup" each time and pointed towards a sign on the wall.  Now I'm recalling this some 25+ years later....but it read something like this...

You are at an International Border crossing
You are between countries and attempting to enter the United States of America
The USA grants the US Border Patrol the right to hold you for 7 days...
(something along these lines)

After reading the signage I pretty much shut up.  Of course we were clean.  I never saw the GF until I was released.  As we drove off we compared notes and had nearly identical experiences.  Did the usualy outrage thing...about how we were going to call our congressman...blah, blah, blah.  Cooled off by GF and stopped around 3 AM or so for a hotel room.

I still think all these years later...they were just jerking our chain as I'm sure I was a bit of a smartass.  Also was a longhaired hippy looking type, filthy and in a broken-down vehicle.

You guys are making it sound like a wise investment to get the RABC.

jjcanoeguide wrote on Jul 16^th, 2010 at 2:18pm:


In fairness jj, we haven't had an issue since then.  I think it was the hair-cuts, age and intimidation factor, along with the issues of the day/year/month that the feds were "on guard" for.  We've been asked to "pull up under the canopy" with minimal delay a few times but never an interrogation like '94.

Last year, coming back the officer did ask us this; "When was the last time we hauled your ass downstairs?"  In unison, we replied; "1994".  He smiled and said; "have a nice day."

I've only had one other "incident" like that....at the border crossing into NW N Dak about 1979-1980.  And I can assure you I deserved that and much more.  Imagine 4 teens under some type of influence, come around the corner and there is the border with the guard staring at us 1 block away.  We took a 30 min detour through town...cleaned up ourselfs and the car.  Then proceeded back threough the border.  Gotta say we spent near 3 hours there.  But no contraband!

I always figured I might have been "flagged for life" after that incident.  But like PJ says, different time and values.  They didn't give a rip about teens back then drinkin, druggin....at least not like they do today.