anyone ever have to bypass the border/customs search?

[mitchtv]

let me say this was outside the limits of current statutes, many years ago. It was scary, but I was in love. We dressed our boy up in blue jeans and told him to answer "L.A." when questioned about birthplaces. It worked. Migra was convinced that they had us for drug search, they rushed us into customs, who gave us a search, got nothing, and passed us through. it was a good day!\

PS we had just traveled by land from Argentina, and were at the Calexico gate.

[Warpy]

1. No, back in the good old days before the narco war

and when a driver's license could get you back into the US, I'd go down to Juarez for a lot of my drugs, especially inhalers, maybe twice a year.

Coming back into the US, they'd ask me if I'd bought anything to declare. I'd wave the paper bag at them and say "drugs." They never looked. It was most disappointing.

You were lucky. I know INDN people here who have gotten harassed to the max at the border. It doesn't matter that their ancestors have been here for thousands of years, if they're brown, they're automatically Mexicans and subject to heavy handed searches.

It's doubly hilarious because I know quite a few blonde, blue eyed Mexicans.

[mitchtv]

2. oh, they were sure something was hinky

unfortunately for them, they hunched wrong.( drugs was a good guess, but... didn't pan out) luckiy also the 2 girls we met on the train had their car parked on the Mex side and we drove through. He was a very handsome fellow, and people liked helping him.

[mitchtv]

3. When we got back to Calif..

It took a year or two to pay the lawyer to arrange the documents. just one or two more steps..
By this time I was out of the picture. he never finished the plan, caught Aids, and lost his shot at a green card.