12:41 p.m. - 2007-01-10
border crossing rant
i cross the border between the US and Canada on a regular basis. when I say "regular basis" I actually mean up to 3-4 times a week.
so i know how the routine goes.
i know the rules.
on monday i had to cross the border from Canada into the US. i crossed in a different location than usual because the weather was bad. i crossed from Woodstock into Houlton because i wanted to drive home on US 1 instead of the TCH. there was a pretty wicked snow/freezing rain storm happening.
the guy at the border was a complete ass. i was so mad it took me 20 miles to calm down after crossing.
after the usual questions the guy started badgering me. i just knew from looking at his sneering beady eyes and his wry grin that he was bored and wanted to give me a hard time. what a pathetic jerk on a mini power trip.
this man was condescending and tried to intimidate me and gave me a difficult time because i wasn't carrying my naturalization certificate on me. i have been told numerous times to NOT carry it; that it is difficult to replace and i would be better off not carrying it. when i told him this, he proceeded to question whether a border officer really told me that or whether i was making it up. implying that i was LYING to him.
jerk.
then he went off on this tirade of "how do I know you're a US Citizen?" and i just looked him in the eye and said that i assumed that they would have to look it up.
he was such a jerk. he acted all put out that he might actually have to do his job or something. he kept telling me that he could make me go inside, and i certainly didn't want to have to go through that, did i? that it would take a long time and it was difficult and scary.
whatever. i was within my legal rights to be there, i am an american and have rights in this country, and i certainly don't mind going inside while you do your job to make sure that i am who i say i am, and that i am not a terrorist. i had the required picture ID and i had it in my hand as i pulled up to the window.
drop the attitude, jerk. there's no need of it and it just makes you look bad.
i'm still ticked and might write a letter to the dept of homeland security. INS had a bad rep and DHS is trying to be a friendlier, more service oriented organization, even though they have an important security function. i got a staff member of the maine department of revenue in trouble last year for him being a pretentious jerk to me and trying to intimidate me and misrepresent his authority. this was in regard to a minor error by my tax preparer on my tax return. i was only calling to check the status of my return - not to get into an argument and be put in a defensive position.
all it takes is a well-written complaint documenting the facts and a logical argument in my favor. take that, you impotent DHS jerk.
