Re: Phil Z getting through customs
attila <attila@primenet.com> wrote:
answer the questions truthfully and they can not detain you???
Not true, I've been detained by Canadian customs for doing just that. Everything went reasonably smoothly thanks to the customs officials lack of knowledge of NAFTA. However, one of my travelling partners had trouble with customs due to ...hmmm... their lack of knowledge of NAFTA.
Rule 1: smile regardless of the adversity
That's a good rule for things other than customs dealings.
Rule 2: other than the three questions on the form, say nothing
I was asked if I had any eggs. I still don't know why.
Rule 3: never use LA or Dulles -pick an airport with humans.
Never use the airport in Ottawa, Ontario from out of the country. Fly to Detroit and get on a bus. Drive across the border to Windsor, Ont. Then, you can fly to Ottawa and not deal with customs at the airport. Later, Brad
On Mon, 15 Jan 1996, Brad Shantz wrote:
I was asked if I had any eggs. I still don't know why.
bad answer: No, I'm post-menopausal. Most countries strictly regulate the import of any kinds of produce. This is to try and prevent the introduction of new pests and diseases; the controls are even stricter for livestock, especially in the UK (which would like to remain rabies free). When I was a student and had long hair, I used to always get questioned when going throught customs. After graduating, and having normal length hair, I had a lot less trouble. Long serving customs officers develop models of characteristics that in the past have been indicative of smuggling or wrong doing. Given that most points of entry are under-staffed, there's not much else they can do. The strictest customs I've been through is at Lod (Tel Aviv); there the assumption is that everybody is going to try and bring in at least some sort of radio/fax machine to avoid the high taxes, so they check all baggage. They do have the best security team in general though, so it balances out. Simon
participants (2)
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Brad Shantz -
Simon Spero