Saturday, November 10, 2012

Customs

After all the trouble my Blogging friend Kelsi had at the border, I should report on our crossing.

Crossing by ferry is a little different than by land. On the Victoria end US Customs scans our passports into the computer and gives us a cursory inspection, asking where we are going and for how long. They then put a color coded tag under the wiper, I guess to let their friends in Port Angeles know how trustworthy we seemed. We got a red tag with "2" printed on it. Whatever that means. One motorhome behind us driven by a single man with a big dog got a yellow tag.

As we drove off the ferry in Port Angeles, we went through a portable X-Ray machine just like the ones in Mexico and then up to the booth. One inspector looks at your window tag and directs you into one of two lines. I guess red tags meant low risk yesterday because we were asked the same questions as on the Victoria side and after giving the same answers, we were waved through.

There were not even any drug sniffing dogs in evidence yesterday. I wonder if that is because Washington just voted to legalize pot? Maybe.

Piece of cake!

9 comments:

  1. I guess you two didn't look suspicious. Customs also track your travels and because you are returnees - aka: snowbirds - they pretty much leave you alone. We have seldom had issues when crossing into the USA. You're well on your way.

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  2. I think Kelsi said that their issues were due to their ages, or their youth and how they were going to support themselves for the winter.
    That would not be an issue for you and Norma so you wouldn't wave any red flags for them.
    Just my guess.

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    1. Yes, of course it was their young age that raised the eyebrows! Those two are living the perfect life!

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  3. Not the perfect life, but darn close. And we know how lucky we are.
    We've been snowbirding since 2007 and this was the first year we were held up at the US border. The agent was just doing his job, but I was still pretty shocked that he thought we were lying.
    Anyway, as a result of the hassle this year I've been trying to stress My Fella out a bit each day to speed up the greying at his temples. Should not only help us at the border, but it will make it easier to sneak into 55+ parks. (just doing my part :)

    Glad to hear it's been a smooth trip so far, mexiCroft. Have you picked up your first brick of Tillamook cheese?

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    1. We bought our Tillamook Medium Cheddar the day we arrived!

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  4. Hehe, I read the comment about looking young---then read "snowbirding since 2007" as SNOWBOARDING. Then I thought, "Them youngins---no wonder they got hassled." :)

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    1. You are young yourself Doug but Kelsi and her "Fella" are YOUNG!

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  5. Kelsi: Tilamook cheese---- now that is just a mean comment lol, considering how hard it is to get any kind of cheddar here. I love when I can even find Kraft cheddar lol lol

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  6. Wait till I come thru with my radiation come the 15th!! Should be interesting.



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