With several bottles of rum lined up on the counter, my
laptop sitting naked beside them under the glaring fluorescent lights, and the
time coming up to 2 a.m. my body decided to do a hot flash—which normally, and
in the time zone to which I’d become accustomed, would’ve been my usual 4 a.m.
night sweat...in bed.
One cannot do anything discretely when being searched for
illicit drugs so I just whipped off the poncho I had on which sent my hat and hair
clips flying. I imagine sweating profusely isn’t the most innocent gesture one
can make, but I had no control over that. I scrambled around on the floor gathering up my barrettes and for
lack of anywhere else to put them, shoved them in the back pocket of my
jeans...
Throughout this ordeal, the officers were swabbing items and
running with the swabs and sometimes the entire item to some lab (not the
Chocolate Lab, the other kind of lab), in the back. About this time, one officer
returned from behind the closed doors with a pair of my shorts.
“Why,” he demanded, “Are the back pockets in these sewn
half-shut in the middle?”
What I wanted to say: They’re women’s pants, idiot. I’m
lucky I even have pockets. Besides, what woman ever puts anything in their back
pockets—that would make your butt look even bigger than it is!”
What I actually said: I have no idea. I didn’t know they
were.
“Do you have anything in your pockets?”
“Only my hair clips...that I just put there.”
He stares at me and I realize he wants to see these hair
clips so I dutifully lay the plastic golden clips on his counter. What else to
do?
We were asked if we had phones on us. I said there was one
in my luggage but I had none on me. (When I got home I discovered I’d taken the
phone from my luggage and put it in my purse in anticipation of having to call
for a shuttle bus to our hotel when we reached Edmonton. Ooops!)
When one more bottle of rum was unwrapped in the final
suitcase and placed beside the others, it became painfully obvious that not
only had we been negligent in properly declaring my ring—we hadn’t properly
declared our Jamaican rum. Since the officers hadn’t found any drugs, would
they justify their existence and the search by hitting on these two facts?
“This customs declaration form is a legal document,” he
said, flicking his finger at the paperwork full of errors on which we had
marked the maximum limits for both of us. “We need exact figures.”
What I wanted to say: While in Jamaica we learned that financial
help from the Canadian Government, among other huge investments, had built the water treatment facility in
Jamaica that allowed that country safe drinking water—to the point that even
Caribbean cruise ships fill in their ports. Does it not make sense that that
same Government allow Canadian tourists to further support this developing
nation by purchasing a tad more than a mere $800.00 CDN during a two-week
visit? Tourism, we learned, is Jamaica’s number one industry. Tourists enjoy
re-distributing the world’s wealth by purchasing items such as rum, Red Stripe,
rings, beach bags and dresses for the granddaughters. These purchases might
cost the government a bit in taxes and the Canadian economy might take a
miniscule hit, but overall is it not better than having all Canadian taxpayers,
travellers or not, shell out money in the form of grants and donations? This
way, the country is working for the money, the dollars spent are stimulating
its economy, and everyone wins.
What I actually said: I see
“We understand that you are dealing with Jamaican dollars,
American dollars and Canadian currency and exchange rates, but we need an
estimate.”
What I wanted to say: Make up your mind—do you need exact
figures or an estimate? Perhaps an exact estimate?
What I actually said: I see.
As they finished checking the last bag he ran his eyes over
the rum purchases and pointed out that not only had we gone over our liquor
limit, we had not included the price of the rum in our declaration. Nor the
proper price of the ring and if we added in the beach bag, the T-shirts, the
hats...
“We’re not concerned with what you did in Jamaica,” the
other officer interrupted. “We’re only interested that you didn’t bring
anything illegal back. If you smoked marijuana down there, we don’t care.”
What I wanted to say: Yeah, right. We already told you we
don’t use. If we change our minds now will you come after us for lying? Or, perhaps, sir, you are wanting to justify the actions of your demonic
Chocolate Lab. If we say we smoked marijuana, you can write a little note that it
was the suspects’ own marijuana use that set your dog off.
What I actually said: We didn’t use marijuana. Never have,
never will.
Back to the official who has counted up our rum and
expenditures—the one who read all our receipts. “You are over your limits and
we can do one of three things. We can make you pay duties and customs on all
your purchases or, we can confiscate everything and it becomes the property of
the crown or, we can let you go and use this opportunity to educate you."
What I wanted to say: I suggest it is your dog that need
educating
What I actually said: nothing
“So, tonight we are letting you go.”
It was left to us to repack our bags, so much for me
carefully laying out my pj’s for tonight and a clean set of clothes for
tomorrow’s journey home to St. Paul. So much for knowing exactly where our
morning drugs (the prescription ones) were. I heaved a sigh of relief, probably
audible, when he slipped my laptop into its case.
It was wonderful to discover our
friends had waited for us, eager perhaps, to hear our stories. Good stories
that will be repeated time and again around the campfire as we sip Jamaican
rum cream and roast marshmallows while savouring the colours of an ammolite
ring flashing brilliantly in the firelight.
________________________________
The legalities:
Canadian and US Customs and border officials do not need
search warrants, do not have to prove to anyone just cause for a search.
They can access all your digital devices without your
permission, even insisting you give them your passowords
You do not have the right to contact and lawyer or have a
lawyer present.
 |
| A Kinder Surprise is a large egg-shaped chocolate that contains a plastic yoke with a small toy inside.Why the yoke of one was one in my suitcase is anybody's guess. |
Where my fictional
drug smuggler will hide his joint: in the yoke of a Kinder Surprise.
The Drug Dog and I - Part III
is brought to you by
FIREWALLS
Mystery, Murder, Mayhem and Drug Dealin'
