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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by pseudoname on May 26, 2006, at 15:06:47
This was on a psychiatrist's blog (Shrink Rap). She was posting about her trip to the convention:
> Funniest moment: leaving the country, I handed my passport and boarding pass to the Immigration officer. He asked why I was in Canada and Was I a Psychiatrist. When I said I was, he moaned and said, "At least your not as disorganized as the rest of them."
Babblers on the trip heard about my experience with customs. I drove in from the United States. The Canadian customs officer asked me why I was coming.
Me: To visit some friends.
CO: Where are you meeting them?
Me: At Baroote's restaurant on King Street.
CO: Where do you know them from?
Me: From an online group.
CO: You've never met any of them in person before?
Me: Nope.
CO: Pull over to the office.The ticket he gave me to hand to the other officer said on it: “Meeting online friends he's never met before.”
CO: What's the name of this online group?
Me: Psycho-Babble.
CO: What's it about?
Me: Psychology and stuff.
CO: So this is work-related?
Me: No, no. Just personal. You know.
CO: You've never met any of these people before?
Me: Nope.
CO: Are you going to be meeting them very often?
Me: No.So they searched my car, my luggage, my dirty laundry (which I had brought with me). They went through all my papers and read the list of screen names & cell phone numbers.
CO: How long have you been in this group?
Me: About 5 years.
CO: Is it pretty much the same people in it all that time?
Me: Pretty much.
CO: Nobody really new?
Me: Not really.
CO: Have a nice day.I didn't know then that CanadaGirl has only been on Babble for about 3 months. Whew! ;-)
Posted by Deneb on May 26, 2006, at 17:06:42
In reply to The customs in Canada, posted by pseudoname on May 26, 2006, at 15:06:47
I'm amazed at just how truthful you were. Maybe a little too truthful. LOL
I'm glad you made it through all right!
Deneb*
Posted by Tabitha on May 27, 2006, at 0:18:23
In reply to The customs in Canada, posted by pseudoname on May 26, 2006, at 15:06:47
> CO: What's it about?
> Me: Psychology and stuff.Good answer. I hate to think what they'd have done if you'd said it's a support group for psychiatric patients.
Posted by ed_uk on May 28, 2006, at 14:45:23
In reply to The customs in Canada, posted by pseudoname on May 26, 2006, at 15:06:47
Sounds like you coped well with the intrusions PN :)
Ed
Posted by pseudoname on May 29, 2006, at 10:37:40
In reply to The customs in Canada, posted by pseudoname on May 26, 2006, at 15:06:47
The point where I drove across is a toll bridge. On the way into Canada, you pay at the U.S. toll booths, which are part of the same buidling as the U.S. Customs booths.
On my way back into the U.S., I thought it was funny that the U.S. officer didn't ask me HOW LONG I'd been in Canada, just WHERE I'd been. But then I noticed all the cameras that were positioned in the lines for the toll booths.
They probably filmed by license plate and my picture as I paid my toll on Friday. Then on Monday, the customs officer just had to type in my license plate number (also visible on his cameras) to see when I went over and what I looked like and that I was alone, etc.
That, more than anything, may be why I didn't have any trouble at customs coming back into the U.S.
Posted by Larry Hoover on May 29, 2006, at 10:48:37
In reply to cameras, posted by pseudoname on May 29, 2006, at 10:37:40
> They probably filmed by license plate and my picture as I paid my toll on Friday.
It is not probable. It is certain.
> Then on Monday, the customs officer just had to type in my license plate number (also visible on his cameras) to see when I went over and what I looked like and that I was alone, etc.
Don't lie to the Customs guy. That's all there is to that.
Lar
This is the end of the thread.
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