[R-390] What Constitutes "The Type"?

[Michael Crestohl]

   On    Wed,    19    Mar    2008    10:06:05    -0700   Richard   Loken
   <richardlo at admin.athabascau.ca> wrote:

     The customs officer looked under the tarp, shook his head, and sent
     me  on  my way.  Could have had 60lb of cocaine hidden in that mess
     but maybe I didn't look the type.

   What  does  "The  Type"  look  like?   I  have  heard  of  75 year-old
   grandmothers  being caught smuggling drugs and other bad stuff.  A few
   years  ago an 80+ year old woman entering the US on a Greyhound bus at
   Champlain  NY  was  found to have over $100,000 in cash with her.  Any
   amounts   over   $10,000   must  be  declared.   Yes,  the  money  was
   confiscated.
   Customs officers are pretty well trained to detect when people are not
   telling   the   truth.    The  legend  is  that  female  officers  are
   particularly good at it.
   Once  you  have been caught lying to them your name is entered in "the
   computer"  and  from  then  on  you  will find yourself referred for a
   "secondary  inspection"  every time.   One of my buddies, VE2SG "Uncle
   Chickie"  (SK)  was  caught  in  the  early  80s  with  some  computer
   motherboards under his seat and every time he crossed the border after
   that they hauled him inside for questioning.
   It's a lot cheaper in the long run to pay the duties and taxes than it
   will  cost  you if you are caught smuggling.  I believe $200.00 is the
   magic number in Canada.  If the value of the goods seized exceeds this
   figure you are in big trouble.
   I  don't know what the "magic number" is into the USA and I don't want
   to find out.
   I  have  crossed  the border literally hundreds of time over the years
   and  generally  it  goes  pretty quickly.  Once in a while I have been
   referred  for  a  "secondary  inspection"  but it was always a fishing
   expedition  and  they  caught nothing because I was telling the truth.
   Other  times  I  was  summarily  waved  through  without even stopping
   because  the  officer was on the telephone or literally admitted after
   stopping for 30 seconds.  You never know.
   These  folks  are  also  pretty  good at finding out what something is
   worth so under-valuing things isn't a great idea either.  Rumor has it
   that they can check eBay on the spot to get an idea.
   Often  if  you are straight with them and tell them what you have they
   will  send you on your way without collecting any money as the cost to
   process collecting it exceeds the amount they will collect.
   Sometimes  they have the ability to understand the situation.  I heard
   the  story  of one guy who bought an ex-cop car at an auction.  He was
   stopped  at  the  border and they found a Baggie of pot under the back
   seat.   He  told  them  he  had  recently bought the car.  The pot was
   tested and found to be old and stale.  They let him go.  His story was
   plausible.  That is the key.
   The   old   axiom  holds  especially  true  today:   "Don't  volunteer
   information and don't lie".
   One of the good things about living in the "States" is I don't have to
   deal  with  Canada  Customs  any  longer when bringing stuff home from
   hamfests .
   73,
   Michael, W1RC/VE2XZ