The Vent - Part 2

[The_Dude 1,142]

Even though it was annoying, very responsible of you to change the battery ASAP! Many people take it out, don't replace it and if there's a fire, they're goners.

I had a friend in university who had all three of her fire alarms beeping for over a week. When I finally got annoyed and told her to go buy some batteries, her response was "OH, thats what that beeping sound is for? I thought it was because the neighbors cigarette smoke got in the apartment"

[MrsCat 6]

Even though it was annoying, very responsible of you to change the battery ASAP! Many people take it out, don't replace it and if there's a fire, they're goners.

I had a friend in university who had all three of her fire alarms beeping for over a week. When I finally got annoyed and told her to go buy some batteries, her response was "OH, thats what that beeping sound is for? I thought it was because the neighbors cigarette smoke got in the apartment"

Please tell me she failed out of university.

[The_Dude 1,142]

Even though it was annoying, very responsible of you to change the battery ASAP! Many people take it out, don't replace it and if there's a fire, they're goners.

I had a friend in university who had all three of her fire alarms beeping for over a week. When I finally got annoyed and told her to go buy some batteries, her response was "OH, thats what that beeping sound is for? I thought it was because the neighbors cigarette smoke got in the apartment"

Please tell me she failed out of university.

She got her masters degree in philosophy and a masters in economics. She was working on her doctoral degree last I spoke with her, but haven't kept in touch. She was insanely smart at all things academic, but when it came to common sense, it just evaded her.

[SpiritAlight 1]

Intelligence has nothing to do with education.

Degrees have nothing to do with being smart.

[Marilyn. 340]

yeah I have no degrees or anything but I think I am pretty smart .. I am no rocket scientist or anything though

[SpiritAlight 1]

I'd like to vent a recent history experience.

Why I didn't do this sooner, is anyone's guess, including mine.

Busy, indeed.

A few weeks ago:

When I drove to Montreal through the Port Huron/Sarnia border crossing, it was a pleasure.

The dude was funny and it went quickly.

My sweetie flew up to meet me the following week to hang out with family and friends for a few days with me, and do the drive back together.

The crossing back into the U.S. was anything but smooth.

Not only did we go into secondary (not because of him, obviously; he is a USC), they ransacked all our belongings in the car, destroying some Greek home-baked goods and rifled even through some organic coffee I was bringing back. Needless to say, the car was left a mess. All this after a loooooong wait at the border checkpoint and then an even longer wait inside, to be questioned (again), tap-tap-tap on their computer, fingerprinted all hands/fingers, photographed too. #######?!

I have a U.S. resident card (green card), and I had used it before on flights into the country with no over-the-top questioning, nor secondary, nor finger-printing, no searching my stuff.

It bugged me so much that I hardly slept that night, and got out of bed at about 4am after nightmares of border crossings.

Man, I must be traumatized...old and recent experience.

All this since I met my partner; hence being some kind of perceived risk...or something.

Before, life was grand at customs.

sigh....

This leads to two conclusions:

1.

Come in to the U.S. after having successfully completed an inordinate amount of work and fees paid to become "legal" and you get hassled.

Come in as a guest with any number of potentials (temporary, long-term, whatever), and sail on through.

Hmmmmmm...what do I agree with more?

No need to answer.

I hate (am allergic to) paper-work, and I am opposed to ridiculous, unaccountable rules.

I swear there are moments that I could leave this country ne'er to return.

May my people here come and find me somewhere else.

So there.

2.

A few years ago when driving in and out with a borrowed big BMW, I did not even have to show ID!

I swear...I was flabbergasted.

I looked at my friend as we drove through and turned to him and realized, "It's the car!"

And in the Summer, when I drove there and back with a newish GTO, again easy breezy; although I did show I.D. and my then "advanced parole" aka travel papers.

So conclusion two: have money (or perceived wealth)? Free pass. No questions asked.

I will be testing my second theory again on a smaller scale; as I had driven in an old Subaru wagon and the next time I will be going through in a newer vehicle.

(Stay tuned. Ha!)

/rant

[JillA 2]

Spirit, that's awful. I know customs holds every "right" to do what they want and pilfer through one's personal belongings, but without good reason it just doesn't seem fair. I have a fear of customs, every time I came here to visit I felt like I was having a heart attack and when I activated my K-1, I felt like I was dying of nerves. Even though it did go fine. And soon I will be using my AP, and I am already a nervous wreck. I have visions of not being let in and stranded in Canada.

[Flames9_RN 358]

sorry that happend Spirit!! I think they randomly just pick people at times, and they sure can make a mess, and they dont have to cleanup after......hmmmmmmmmm maybe that would be a greaty job,lol Hope u feel better

[JillA 2]

sorry that happend Spirit!! I think they randomly just pick people at times, and they sure can make a mess, and they dont have to cleanup after......hmmmmmmmmm maybe that would be a greaty job,lol Hope u feel better

The worst is if they ever cut your seats open or tear the dash apart looking for bad things, and then if they find nothing they leave you stranded with no car!

[Kathryn41 3,205]

sorry that happend Spirit!! I think they randomly just pick people at times, and they sure can make a mess, and they dont have to cleanup after......hmmmmmmmmm maybe that would be a greaty job,lol Hope u feel better

The worst is if they ever cut your seats open or tear the dash apart looking for bad things, and then if they find nothing they leave you stranded with no car!

Sure hope that isn't the voice of experience speaking, Jill. Yuck!

[JillA 2]

sorry that happend Spirit!! I think they randomly just pick people at times, and they sure can make a mess, and they dont have to cleanup after......hmmmmmmmmm maybe that would be a greaty job,lol Hope u feel better

The worst is if they ever cut your seats open or tear the dash apart looking for bad things, and then if they find nothing they leave you stranded with no car!

Sure hope that isn't the voice of experience speaking, Jill. Yuck!

Oh goodness no!! But I've seen it on homeland security USA, so awful! I think they need really strong evidence you're hiding something for them to rip your car apart.

[Sprailenes 47]

Intelligence has nothing to do with education.

Degrees have nothing to do with being smart.

I very much agree. I've met a lot of stupid people who have a degree. A peice of paper doesn't make you smart. Life experiences and humility does. In my humble opinion.

I am sorry you got treated like that at customs. Its unfair and it can be very traumatizing.

I think its unfair that they go through your stuff, wreck some of your belongings and treat you the way they do. Its so stupid how scared we get, when we have done absolutley nothing wrong, yet every time we go through, we always get nervous. It sucks that if one of them is having a bad day it can be taken out on you, if you don't answer a question quick enough they seem to think you're up to something bad.

And while they were sifting through your belongings, a drug dealer probably passed right on through.

[Autumnchik 6]

Okay, so before we can apply to remove conditions on my husband's green card, we need to get certified court records from a stupid DUI he got in the early 80's when he was 20 or something. So, we sent a faxed request to the court several weeks ago and have not received anything. So my husband called today to follow up, and apparently the court had to send out for it (I am assuming since the records are so old, they are housed elsewhere or something) and the court has not yet received the documents. They promised they would notify us as soon as they receive the records, but they also added that the court system is very short staffed and backlogged .... which freaks me out, as I wanted to get this application in ASAP. His green card expires in June and I wanted to have this application in the mail by now. Argh!!!

[Sprailenes 47]

I really don't care if I am 30 years old and a grown woman but...

I really miss my mom. I have been crying silently off and on since she left. Everything just feels better when I have both her and Mike together in one place, I hate this distance. Doesn't matter where I go, I'll end up hurting someone.

The grass is also always greener on the other side.

[Carlawarla 1]

Okay, so before we can apply to remove conditions on my husband's green card, we need to get certified court records from a stupid DUI he got in the early 80's when he was 20 or something. So, we sent a faxed request to the court several weeks ago and have not received anything. So my husband called today to follow up, and apparently the court had to send out for it (I am assuming since the records are so old, they are housed elsewhere or something) and the court has not yet received the documents. They promised they would notify us as soon as they receive the records, but they also added that the court system is very short staffed and backlogged .... which freaks me out, as I wanted to get this application in ASAP. His green card expires in June and I wanted to have this application in the mail by now. Argh!!!

He didn't need a copy of this when he was going through the visa process? Could you not just use of copy of what you had then? Just a thought...