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I got caught at the border


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Springsummer

I ordered a cellphone at the walmart in US and drove 60 miles to pick it up.

 

So I threw away all the package and put my sim card in it. When I across the border, I lied to the officer that I went sight seeing and didn't declare the cellphone. I thought how the hell they are going to find out.

 

holy man, what a mistake.

 

the officer couldn't believe me ( I should have bought something at walmart and declare them instead). Apparently sighseeing is a hard to believe thing for them. and sent me inside the office.

 

holy smoke, the female officer took over, and searched my handbag and someone called and my phone rang and she took my phone, she was very angry and yelling at me and said she is going to exam the phone.

 

So, I sat there for a long while and then she went outside to search my car. then she came back very angry and asked my for my car ownership at the same time screaming at me to show her what's inside of my cloth and scream at me "why are you going to the US"?

 

then there, I lost...I mumbled I bought something in the walmart. she finally had this slight smile and pressing : 'what did you buy'? I lost it and deluge.

 

so I paid the tax and got put in the record of infraction.

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Springsummer

If I had my composure and didn't say anything when she 'scream' at me. I guess she couldn't figure out in the end.

 

I am not really sorry that I lied. I mean why do I have to pay double tax?

 

Yes, I should be a bigger person by just being honest, but I am more sorry that I got buckled under pressure and got over powered and that I am weak and that I can't keep my mouth shut. I only sorry that I didn't camouflage by buying something else.

 

most of all, I unhappy with myself for being stupid and weak. I was over powered and got scared and was frightened and lost it.

Edited by Springsummer
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Springsummer

Any opinion about me and the situation is welcome. I just want to put things in perspective.

 

This morning 3am I awoke from bad chasing dreams. So, called the city distress hotline. The volunteer was very nice. I told her the whole thing and she didn't think less of me and told me everyone makes mistake and it's not a big deal. I thanked her very much for the great relief I needed.

 

but now I am still thinking about it and how stupid I am and that I can't keep a straight lie...

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GorillaTheater
and that I can't keep a straight lie...

 

 

That's not a bad problem to have. It might be a worse problem to be a very proficient liar.

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Springsummer
That's not a bad problem to have. It might be a worse problem to be a very proficient liar.

 

oh, this perspective...um...

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GunslingerRoland

You must be Canadian eh? I love our border patrol... they have a great way of treating average people like despicable criminals instead of focusing on the real ones.

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Springsummer
You must be Canadian eh? I love our border patrol... they have a great way of treating average people like despicable criminals instead of focusing on the real ones.

 

oh, you 'love' them too? great. so I am not the only one.

 

oh, yes, she was treating me like a despicable criminal. she disdained, yelled, screamed at me and practically wanted to do a body search and demand my ownership of my car and threatened to seize my car twice.

 

and after she put me in record, she said I should thank her for not seized my car.

 

Holy smoke! I wasn't used to be treated like that, so I was so scared and frightened and just totally lost my mind.

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You're not despicable, but you are technically a criminal - you did break the law, after all. Having lived in Canada and having seen my parents bring things back - undeclared - I know it's very, very common. And seldom worth the minor savings ...

 

I also worked several summers (while in college) as a customs officer on the Canadian border, so I've experienced "smugglers." lol Most just paid the duties or fines, unless there were drugs or firearms involved, in which case the RCMP were called to deal with the perps.

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Springsummer
You're not despicable, but you are technically a criminal - you did break the law, after all. Having lived in Canada and having seen my parents bring things back - undeclared - I know it's very, very common. And seldom worth the minor savings ...

 

I also worked several summers (while in college) as a customs officer on the Canadian border, so I've experienced "smugglers." lol Most just paid the duties or fines, unless there were drugs or firearms involved, in which case the RCMP were called to deal with the perps.

 

So, your parents are criminals and smugglers too? theoretically, only difference is they can keep the lies and didn't get caught.

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I don't get why you're so pissed off. You took a gamble, knowing full well that what you were doing was against the law and you got caught.

 

Fair cop as far as I can see.

 

I got caught doing 34 in a 30 mph zone a while back. Cost me £100 and 3 points on my then clean licence. Sure, it sucked but I did break the speed limit so I am liable for the punishment. Same as you in this instance.

 

You gambled, you lost.

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GorillaTheater

The most important question to ask is how has this incident soured you on men/relationships/marriage?

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SincereOnlineGuy

The "most important question" may well be:

 

 

Just what insignificant amount of money do you think was worth taking such a chance for???

 

 

(you buy a cell phone for $199 U.S.... and how much is the duty?)

 

 

(in Cdn $$$ it could be six million... but I doubt it)

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My mom and I spent the day in Mexico a couple of months ago.

 

The weather was bad—it was raining—so we literally did nothing but drive down the coast for a few hours and then drove back. When we finally got to the border, the guy asked what we were doing, and I literally said, "just driving around," 'cause that was the honest truth. He did a major double take, gave us both the stank eye, but let us pass.

 

A few days later, when my mom went through LAX security to go back to Oregon, she was pulled aside and searched, the whole nine yards, and she has TSA pre-check. So he must've flagged her in the system or something.

 

All this to say, A) it's hard to believe what they can ascertain from just a few words, a tone of voice, or a look in the eye, and B) how guilty did you sound when you said you went sight-seeing?

 

OP, honestly, don't beat yourself up over this. I personally don't think it's worth it. My brother got a DUI years ago—he can't even go to Canada anymore because of it—and while he's learned from it, he doesn't let it cloud his opinion of himself. These things happen to people all the time. Just don't do it again. You're not weak, maybe you're just too honest.

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dreamingoftigers
oh, great. a stupid $199 cellphone makes me a smuggler:(

 

I once smuggled a couch across the border for a friend.

 

Yes, that's right. I drive up to the border crossing with A BRAND NEW COUCH in the back of my van and said I has nothing to declare.

 

Enh. I don't regret it.

 

Too bad you didn't just stick with whatever story you had.

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dreamingoftigers
oh, you 'love' them too? great. so I am not the only one.

 

oh, yes, she was treating me like a despicable criminal. she disdained, yelled, screamed at me and practically wanted to do a body search and demand my ownership of my car and threatened to seize my car twice.

 

and after she put me in record, she said I should thank her for not seized my car.

 

Holy smoke! I wasn't used to be treated like that, so I was so scared and frightened and just totally lost my mind.

 

Yeah, you got a crappy one. I used to cross the border every month or so.

 

One time on the CDN side they let me back in without seeing my ID because I couldn't remember what bag I packed it in.

 

Often when we cross over to the American side we have to sit and wait in the little room first. My husband has long hair and a full beard. I've come to expect it. When he cut his hair and shaved they didn't even look twice.

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Springsummer

Too bad you didn't just stick with whatever story you had.

 

Yes, that's what really bothers me and makes me hate myself besides the record.

 

 

I can't believe myself that I lost my mind, that I buckled under pressure, and that I am stupid and weak.

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GorillaTheater
Yes, that's what really bothers me and makes me hate myself besides the record.

 

 

I can't believe myself that I lost my mind, that I buckled under pressure, and that I am stupid and weak.

 

 

Spring, I poke fun at you a bit over this sort of thing sometimes, but it seems to be a fact that you tend to over react, and you're over reacting about this.

 

 

It's a pretty minor thing, the fodder for a funny story to tell friends and family and nothing more. It's really okay, cut yourself some slack.

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Springsummer

OP, honestly, don't beat yourself up over this. I personally don't think it's worth it. My brother got a DUI years ago—he can't even go to Canada anymore because of it—and while he's learned from it, he doesn't let it cloud his opinion of himself. These things happen to people all the time. Just don't do it again. You're not weak, maybe you're just too honest.

 

Yes, I beat myself up over this. I just couldn't believe myself.

 

You are very right that I shouldn't let it cloud my opinion of myself. I thought very bad about myself because of this. you know what really bothers me. So thank you very much for telling me what I need to know.

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dreamingoftigers
Yes, that's what really bothers me and makes me hate myself besides the record.

 

 

I can't believe myself that I lost my mind, that I buckled under pressure, and that I am stupid and weak.

 

Whoa whoa whoa, you are being REALLY hard on yourself here.

 

This was a new situation and stressful.

 

She also sounds like a stressful person to deal with. You might not have a ton of experience dealing with really aggressive people and the average person does cave. That's why aggressive people are aggressive.

 

My Dad is (ridiculously) aggressive. He would even deal with their being a sellers realtor on the other side of a real estate transaction. It made NO SENSE at all. It didn't even effect him but he spent days going apesht over it.

 

This makes me sound worse than I actually am, but I have very little issue dealing with Border Crossings, Police Officers, Bylaw, rude Doctors etc. Largely because my Dad is a total nut, and I haven't met anyone quite so nuts to deal with. My father acts just like Donald Trump actually. Same verbiage, inflection etc. Spouts off about stuff he knows nothing about. Fires people left and right, good reason or not. Etc etc etc.

 

Part of going into a situation like this is making sure you have a solid back story, and if things don't work, accepting that you got busted and that's life.

 

It doesn't make you wear a special label of "stupid, weak, stinky-face" or whatever.

 

Just be aware that aggressive people try to grind you down. I just don't let them. In my mind sometimes I feel like a cement wall at a lake with the gentle waves crashing against it. Try to find your "inner cement wall" when dealing with aggression. It's almost like a muscle you have to build up over time.

 

I'm not trying to encourage you to be "the best liar you can be." But you had decided on goal and then an aggressive person wore you down. That's where I'm aiming my advice on because you are beating yourself up.

 

None of the great fighters won every match....and you were in her home-town arena.......just remember that.

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dreamingoftigers
Yes, I beat myself up over this. I just couldn't believe myself.

 

You are very right that I shouldn't let it cloud my opinion of myself. I thought very bad about myself because of this. you know what really bothers me. So thank you very much for telling me what I need to know.

 

You can always call me if you need to get a couch into Montana...... Or out of Montana.....

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There are several border patrol checks where I live. I can pass for Hispanic, Middle Eastern, Spanish, Pacific Islander, etc. I've gotten yelled at by them and given the 9th degree too asking where I've been, where am I going, why I am driving around there, etc. Even with a kid in the backseat they have yelled and screamed at me. This is NOT at the border. In the end I'm a citizen and I never crossed the border so they can't really get me for anything but they can be quite mean and demeaning sometimes.

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TintedChrome

Doesn't sound so bad. I wouldn't buy an American cell phone though because there may be non-reprogrammable aspects to it that make it incompatible with Canadian providers. I don't know not really my professional area.

 

I've driven back several times with a dozen quarts of weed killer in the trunk. Never declared it. Never been searched. But when I go, I stay over at least 1 night, buy some cheap touristy stuff and declare that. The CBSA just waves me through.

 

Your problem was you were vague and hesitant in your answers. And your cargo was a telecommunications device often used by real smugglers.

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Springsummer
You can always call me if you need to get a couch into Montana...... Or out of Montana.....

 

wow, you are so good at it. Thanks! but I am on the eastern side of the country. :)

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