[Milsurplus] Border Crossing: Sumas, WA

[Kd6b at aol.com]

I really hate to add to this thread, but.

I went to cross the border on a Sunday the first week of June 2002 at Sumas, 
WA to pick up some mil radios from a friend, Tom. When my wife and I got to 
the booth we got the usual questions (little threat from an old Toyota Camray 
and no radios!) about booze etc. The officer was of Middle Eastern descent and 
very very anti-American and nasty in his demeanor. He kept pressing on the 
issues of booze and guns. When asked how long I was going to be in Canada I 
truthfully answered "about one hour". I was motioned off the side and told to go 
inside. After a long wait, about a half hour that seemed more like an hour, we 
were met by a customs officer of European ancestry. He was pleasant but 
immediately pronounced "oh, you are the gun smuggler! and I will have to search your 
car". He was a nice enough fellow and went about his business but was convinced 
of my guilt. In the trunk was my brief case .... "ah ha!! Guns!!" I opened it 
at his command and he was disappointed to find only a bunch of technical 
papers including one I was going to give the following week at the microwave 
conference in Seattle. He looked at my paper and actually had some good questions 
about its application in wireless systems. With a smile he let us go and I met 
Tom on the North end of town and got my radios (ARC-58 stuff). Tom 
thoughtfully supplied a receipt and copy of a page from Fair Radio as background. Back 
through US customs was a breeze when I explained that the gear was for ham radio.
What really angered me was the Middle Eastern guy who really had it in for 
Americans! The other agent was pleasant and did not take his job personal but 
nonetheless had prejudged me guilty as an arms smuggler.
73
Ken




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