yep, no evil Canadian costumer can come over here and beat me over the head with a large plastic tube!!
you know, I for one have always lived in fear of such a thing happening to me


*looking around* How am I doing... anyone buying my terrified female thing?

_________________
"Chief Bartender for the Naughty Corner Bar"

Carpe Crustulum!! (seize the cookie!!)

I can understand a bit of apprehension upon the initial discovery because, DAMN! ... you did a great job making that thing. I have to say, it probably would have scared the crap out of me.

But to echo everyone on here and what we said in person, its most definitely wrong the way you were treated and once they figured out what was going on, they should have just said "damn that's awesome" and let it go. Everything about the investigation and search should have showed them you were telling the truth, or did they think you were going to bring down a jet liner wearing your Wrath of Khan ST outfit?

The only thing I can say in those guys defense is they really don't get a lot of flexibility to make a decision. Everyone is so afraid of how they can be second guessed, especially if something happens in the aftermath, that the knee jerk reaction is to abandon the logical explanation, call it related to terrorism or such, and every seems its justified. Then they wont get questioned about their performance or behavior.

I have the opportunity from time to time to see intel reports regarding seizures, border crossings, and alerts. I'm hoping this one pops up. I'm dying to see how it was reported, especially knowing the truth.

It is a serious incident in how he was treated but Kevin took it in stride, laughed about it, and moved on. While I may not be a bit dismayed at my brothers and sisters in law enforcement on the Canadian border, I'm pleased to know my neighbors to the north.

_________________
Mark
"Memento mori"
"Guess she don't like the cornbread either."

If you do come across anything I'd greatly appreciate knowning myself.




Thanks Mark. All you guys and gals are truly the one and only reason I didn't turn my car around and cut my trip short. The minute I started seeing everyone, I knew I had made the right decision to carry on!


Kevin

_________________
I told you I'd shoot, but you didn't believe me! WHY DIDN'T YOU BELIEVE ME!?!

That really bites Kevin.

But that's also the reason that I don't take my ghostbuster backpack across the border even on my drive to Fargo.

David

Kev,
Sorry for that whole ordeal. DHS employees are not trained to think, they are trained to follow strick proceedure and protocols. Trust me, I am very familiar with the brainwashing they attempted on me. The TSA is 100 times worse. However, it is the supervisors that are responsible for the ignorance and stupidity. That guard was following orders like the robot he was trained to be. But anywhoo, it is what it is. If you want, you can e-mail me your full name, DOB and address. I can look into this as well. Now was this 'investigation' conducted by the US Border Patrol (green shirts) or US Customs (blue shirts)? Sometimes you have no idea what bureaucratic agency will go 'paranoia' on people.
I concur, you should rebuild the PIG better then ever! Ship it in down in parts, and perhaps unpainted. Let someone paint it for you. Just a coat of OD green right? You can always finish the details down in Atlanta. And I'm very glad you didn't turn back. If you ever, and I mean EVER, get jammed up again at the border, feel free to call me and I will do anything I can to help you. Be sure to do that before ever considering to turn back. If anything, if the nazis up there worked the southern border half as hard, we wouldnt be having this problem with illegal mexicans. Maybe I should request their bosses to transfer them to San Diego for their 'outstanding' vigilance at the Canadian border. I will also send them a complimentary copy of the movie 'Aliens' to give them some education on sci-fi military costumes and props. And perhaps, they will see that there is a difference between reality and Hollywood make believe.

Take care and you did awesome! You are a true marine!

Salute--
Tony (Spud)

_________________
Cowards hide behind keyboards



"Even a man that has nothing, can still give his life."

DHS
NYANG, MAJ Ret.

OH HELL YEAH!! ALL FOR THOSE TRANSFERS!!

_________________
If you can't eat it, drink it, smoke it or jump it....RUN!!!

It was US Customs- midnight blue shirts.

Thanks again for the support Tony! Very appreciated!

Kevin

_________________
I told you I'd shoot, but you didn't believe me! WHY DIDN'T YOU BELIEVE ME!?!

I'd like to see these douchebags assigned to the most rugged, dangerous, rattlesnake infested stretch of the US-Mexican border and patrol it on small incontinent donkeys with mange. If they are customs then I would like to see them assigned to cavity searches of same incontinent donkeys.

Enzo

_________________
If you can't eat it, drink it, smoke it or jump it....RUN!!!

I would bet large sums of money that your PIG is sitting on the wall at one of those douchebags homes. It and the game doohickey were the only things confiscated, and anyone with "military" training should have been able to tell that they weren't real. No, I am positive they realized it was in their "authority" to take it, so they did, and now it sits in their garage.

I would STRONGLY reccomend keeping an eye out on e-bay and other sites for it. Get it back, then report the seller. Nothing says "don't fuck with tourists" like a stint in leavenworth for abuse of power.

What point of entry was this and is this where you usually enter the US? I'm wondering if these guys are the regularly assigned personnel or do they rotate them? Is there a way to check to see if there are any other complaints?

Enzo

_________________
If you can't eat it, drink it, smoke it or jump it....RUN!!!

For the time being I'd like to just let this go. Like I've said I know much some of you are furious over the way I was treated.

The real problem lies in what Mark was talking a bit about- that the Borders guards have a blanket clause in which anything remotely scary looking can be determined as a possible terrorist threat. Yes I was going to a costume convention but they don't know this for a fact and with it being around 9/11 the "paranoia level" was probably high.

But what I can't understand is that I cannot find anything on the US Customs/Border Patrol website about replica weapons/props etc. Canada has clear guidelines in that anything gun-like or weapon like is not allowed. For all I know I may not have been allowed to cross back into Canada with the PIG.

I know that some of you are trying to "fight the good fight" for me. I can't stress enough how much I appreciate the lengths you are willing to go to over this.

Unfortunately I can't see a favourable outcome of this- we are talking about a National agency given a very arbitrary power of inspection and seizure. If nothing else they could say they were insuring that the PIG would not be used to cause a panic.

I would please ask that no one attempts to contact either the US CBP or especially any Canadian agency to complain on my behalf. However Anyone willing to look into whether or not I have been put on a "watch list" of any kind is greatly appreciated.

I am more concerned about further consequences than the simple loss of the PIG. Please appreciate that I am not a US citizen so it isn't like I can call up my local congressman to file a complaint that my rights have been violated. Calling a Canadian agency doesn't sound like a good idea either as I can envision the conversation being something like "You tried to enter the United States with what?" As benign as my intentions were it just doesn't "look good" taken out of context regardless of how I might try to explain that I am an adult who likes to go to a costume convention in September with a trunk full of Rambo gear.

As much as our two Nations are alike- we are still separate countries and I am still a foreign visitor. I would much rather play by the rules (as ridiculous as they might seem) than rock the boat.

Please let this go guys. Don't make me beg.

Kevin

_________________
I told you I'd shoot, but you didn't believe me! WHY DIDN'T YOU BELIEVE ME!?!

Shocked and upset for you Kev, the worst thing is it tarnished the start of your holiday.

Karyn and I were really glad you decided to press on to Dragoncon, it wouldn't have been the same without you.

I guess it's one to put down to experience and you are now more prepared/informed than you were before the 'incident'.

Take care,

Andy

_________________
A72/TQ6.6.95356E8





"I plan to live forever.........or die trying!"

At your request sir consider it dropped.

Still pissed though....

Enzo

_________________
If you can't eat it, drink it, smoke it or jump it....RUN!!!

Kevin,

I understand what you've been through. I've been surounded by customs more than once for carrying Airsoft parts in my luggage where the magazines and barrels look like real steel on x-ray machines. This has happened to me, in front of my parents and 3 year old daughter at the time, in Taipei, where there were 8 of them waiting for me when I stepped up to the check out line, and they were ready to take me down too. It happened to me again in Hawaii, though there were only two Customs officers who kept arguing an Airsoft mag holder was a modified receiver part. In both cases after a lot of explaining, they let me through.

Your situation was quite a bit more serious because of the detention and the pad down .. that's never a good feeling.

Having said -- to be honest with you, while some have suggested there is action you could take. Sure, you could take action so to speak and start a complaint formally. I seriously doubt that you or anyone else for that matter who is not in the State Department, HSD, ATF, or FBI would be able help you much. Even then it would take a high ranking official to be able to get your complaint beyond the bureaucratic black hole that would swallow any complaint in writing, by phone, or in person up. The chances are you'd never hear back from anyone, beyond a standard automated letter that your complaint is "in process". So, your position to decline enthusiastic help is the best course of action.

Afraid the same might go for your "status". That kind of info. I'm certain is also a matter of national security to the US, and anyone who is able to look that up would be risking their jobs by revealing it to you.

The only way to tell that is if you go through the border again. I know the last time I went through the Canadian/US border from B.C. was pre-911, all we had to do was to show our U.S. passports (my brother-in-law had a Canadian passport) and they didn't even scan them. I'm sure those procedures are tighten up nowadays. But let say you were to cross into the U.S. at an international airport, and you were in line to pass immigration .. you'd know within a minute of them scanning your passport whether you may have been put on a list of some sort.

I think that may have been something you could have asked those guys when they decided to confiscate your prop, but as you said all you wanted to do was to get out of there right away. And no one can blame you for it.

I know what it's like .. I have an uncle who had an U.S. greencard through my folks who was transiting thru Honolulu and the immigration gave him the third degree such that he gave up his greencard swearing he'd never set foot in the States again. After 9-11 when I was boarding, the Hawaiian Customs decided that they had jurisdiction to check people at the boarding gate, and a local kine officer gave me the third degree with 20 questions and was flipping through my carry on items .. until he saw that I had a bible .. then he eased off. He then asked me "what's da matta ? Haven't you been through Customs before ?" I told him .. yeah, I have .. but never before boarding a plane, and I told him that I hope he realizes that I'd rather not be talking to him about anything, but to be on my plane with my shoes off and a drink in my hand. Aloha !

I saw the same officer at least 4 times coming through and each time he tried not to look at me so to not remind me of his un-Aloha previously.

_________________

Ah-ha! So that's why those Gideons books are left in hotel drawers! I knew it! Let's all steal those before we journey home for safe passage! Next hotel I'm in Kevin I'll mail you one out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9hLi3Q4ttE
Start at 1min 30secs

It's true .. in this case -- the U.S. Customs crew there was at least 3 of them, and this was shortly after 9-11 about a month or two at most, suddenly showed up at the boarding gate right before boarding. As most know -- that's non standard procedure, as those guys you'd most likely run into after passing immigration in-bound. The guy made a bee line towards me, I guess becuz I looked the most intimidating out of everyone else, just started asking every question .. what were you doing in Hawaii -- I live here, man! Why are you traveling to Taiwan ? I was born there. On business ? Yeah. And visting family. Mind if I look through your bag ? No, but could you hurry as they are boarding everyone now .. Then he find's the bible, and became almost apologetic.

_________________

yea though I walk thru the gauntlet of customs, I shall fear no evil, for the gideons are with me....

Enzo

_________________
If you can't eat it, drink it, smoke it or jump it....RUN!!!

Kevin I am sorry to hear what happened with you with Customs on your way to DCon. Credit to you for still continuing after such an ordeal too.
As for the guards, moreso the excited (I`m Military) one`s, Damn don`t they look stupid. Your P.I.G. Looks Nothing like a AT4 so no idea how they can claim that, let alone an RPG (thought that is a broader term really).
I hope you ARE NOT on the US or Canadian Watch lists mate. Also hope that somewhere along the lines it can be sorted out though doubt alas you`ll see the P.I.G. again

I`ve met British Police who have similar Hysterical attitudes to stuff they don`t understand or in the broadest way see as Military. Thankfully I`d like to think they are the exception (or is that Hope they are).

Anyway Kevin, Sorry to hear about this mate & hope everything is safe for you moreso from a Paranoid State.

Jason

_________________
What ya gonna do when I TECKNO HUG Youuuuu!!



Pvt.
STEAD,J "TECKNO VIKING"
A06/TQ1.0.22140E1

Skype: ulthur1

Thanks Jason. Good to have you back!

Whether you know it or not- the gang at D-Con took up a collection to reimburse me for the loss of the PIG. It was a testament to the closeness of this on-line family.

She will live again!


Kevin

_________________
I told you I'd shoot, but you didn't believe me! WHY DIDN'T YOU BELIEVE ME!?!

Sorry for what you went thru. Would of posted earlier but trying to play catch up for the last 4 months and this is the first I have heard of it. I know how careful you are about these things and could only imagine what you went thru. I will be sending you a package at the end of this week. Pics by PM later tonight.

Thanks!

Greg

_________________
CPL A08/TQ0.0.12146E1
Newell, Greg A aka Gman
Illinois - USA
UKCM
Shoot first, think never.
Good? Bad? I'm the guy with the gun.
SMMFD
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he doesn't exist.

Wow Kevin, That was really Great of them doing that (I didn`t know) collection for you. Looks like your in the same boat as UKCM going to DCon. Borrow weapons in the US.
Just doesn`t figure how hysterical "so-called" professionals can get over none real weaponry. Maybe your NEXT P.I.G. should be PINK called "Oink" & then that should work :p

Still I guess it could have been a LOT worse & thankfully it wasn`t.
Jason

_________________
What ya gonna do when I TECKNO HUG Youuuuu!!



Pvt.
STEAD,J "TECKNO VIKING"
A06/TQ1.0.22140E1

Skype: ulthur1