CBP Romance detectors and relationship wreckers
May 29, 2015, 11:38 pm
#91
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 38,410
May 29, 2015, 11:40 pm
#92
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 38,410
My all time favorite came after I moved back to Ann Arbor from Albuquerque. I went over to Windsor with friends from Detroit for dinner. On my way back, I was asked about my car, how long I owned it, proof of residence, and after 15 minutes asked why I was driving a German car, with a Mexican license plate from Canada to the US.
After I explained to him that the car was purchased in Ann Arbor, the license plate was New Mexico and pointed out it even said New Mexico USA on it, he asked me (a fair haired American of German ancestry) if I was Mexican. The registration listed my former Albuquerque address, and he insisted that New Mexico was part of Mexico. When I arrived at secondary the inspector took one look at my car, license plate, shook his head and said, sorry, welcome home.
After I explained to him that the car was purchased in Ann Arbor, the license plate was New Mexico and pointed out it even said New Mexico USA on it, he asked me (a fair haired American of German ancestry) if I was Mexican. The registration listed my former Albuquerque address, and he insisted that New Mexico was part of Mexico. When I arrived at secondary the inspector took one look at my car, license plate, shook his head and said, sorry, welcome home.
May 30, 2015, 1:37 pm
#93
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: DFW
Posts: 28,112
I would agree that travel was likely not a priority at certain times for these people but throwing out labels like "bum" doesn't really describe the person or their potential.
May 30, 2015, 2:54 pm
#94
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 38,410
Some well know people have been broke, living in vehicles, shelters, and on the streets. William Shatner, Kelsey Grammer, Halle Berry, and David Letterman being a few examples.
I would agree that travel was likely not a priority at certain times for these people but throwing out labels like "bum" doesn't really describe the person or their potential.
I would agree that travel was likely not a priority at certain times for these people but throwing out labels like "bum" doesn't really describe the person or their potential.
May 30, 2015, 3:23 pm
#95
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 1999
Programs: FB Silver going for Gold
Posts: 21,805
Family friend of my wife's actually was stranded there during WW-II (she was from Germany) and made a career teaching German in Mexico before joining family in Canada after retiring.
An Argentinean friend of mine living in Mexico told me of the time he crossed from Tijuana to the U.S. by foot with a German passport. He was grilled by the agent and then the German-speaking supervisor found that he did speak German. A 3rd generation German Argentinean all of whom went to German school in Argentina (some 86 certified by the German education ministry, I am told) and then university in Germany.
May 30, 2015, 3:24 pm
#96
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
May 30, 2015, 3:30 pm
#97
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
My all time favorite came after I moved back to Ann Arbor from Albuquerque. I went over to Windsor with friends from Detroit for dinner. On my way back, I was asked about my car, how long I owned it, proof of residence, and after 15 minutes asked why I was driving a German car, with a Mexican license plate from Canada to the US.
After I explained to him that the car was purchased in Ann Arbor, the license plate was New Mexico and pointed out it even said New Mexico USA on it, he asked me (a fair haired American of German ancestry) if I was Mexican. The registration listed my former Albuquerque address, and he insisted that New Mexico was part of Mexico. When I arrived at secondary the inspector took one look at my car, license plate, shook his head and said, sorry, welcome home.
After I explained to him that the car was purchased in Ann Arbor, the license plate was New Mexico and pointed out it even said New Mexico USA on it, he asked me (a fair haired American of German ancestry) if I was Mexican. The registration listed my former Albuquerque address, and he insisted that New Mexico was part of Mexico. When I arrived at secondary the inspector took one look at my car, license plate, shook his head and said, sorry, welcome home.
May 31, 2015, 2:51 pm
#99
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 38,410
And it's the latter that's going to keep them from getting a TT card. The sort of person prone to coming here and working under the table won't be able to meet the means of paying for travel test.
May 31, 2015, 4:54 pm
#100
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
I'm not so sure about that. Plenty of people live off other people, and there are such people who have visited the US using only money given to them by the government or family/friends for purposes of income/lifestyle/housing support.