I don't need to go into all the details behind the decision to travel through Ontario on the way home from Boston with my daughter, other than to say we were moving her back to Wisconsin after her successful college experience. What is more important about this piece is the question posed to us while trying to enter Ontario, near Niagara Falls.
Our vehicle was packed completely full with my daughter's possessions. The Canadian border patrol agent took one look at us, after we delivered our passports, and said "you need to prove to me that you are just passing through and not intending to deposit your daughter and her belongings in Canada". The gentleman was very intense, twice shared he was not trying to be difficult, but insistent upon our proving we were passing through and not intending to stay. At one point he said "This is Canada. We do not have to let you into our country. And if you cannot prove to me that you are merely passing through I can assure you it is a very long walk around the lake."
I have to admit being intimidated, which is likely the effect the man was attempting to create. At one point I even had a brief thought of "how dare you...I'm from the U.S. Why would I want to live in Canada?". I didn't go there.
But it got me thinking about what I could do to demonstrate that I was just passing through. He used an analogy of what happens at the border of Mexico and the U.S. He posited that U.S. border patrol agents deal with carloads of people of Mexican descent claiming they are just wanting to come into the country for a visit and plan to go back.
While I did not like being put on the spot to such an intense degree, I admit that the task before us...and that of the border patrol agent...is rather significant. What proof is necessary to demonstrate that people are passing through? What would it take? It's not like I can bring a letter from home saying "my wife can vouch for me". Certainly I could have asked a Wisconsin congressman to write a letter on our behalf. I reckon a copy of my house mortgage would be some level of proof. My passport certainly was not enough.
In the end we gave the man my daughter's State of Wisconsin ID, and her college ID (it was expired). Having obtained what he needed, the border patrol agent said "just go".
I will live with this on my mind for a time. What can I do to prove I am not just passing through.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Saturday, August 2, 2008
you dope?
when i was a kid, dope was an alcohol-based substance applied to tissue paper covering a balsa wood frame. the frame could be an airplane wing, or fuselage. dope was highly toxic and flamable. my older brothers and i used to like the smell, though it wasn't best to use it in closed quarters. the tissue paper was first wet and, when dried, would be taut. dope was applied to seal the tissue paper. colored dope added distinction to the project. clear dope created a sense of depth in the finish. i can still remember the smell.
sometimes, when my third oldest brother thought i did something 'stupid', he would call me a dope.
as i got older, dope was slang for drugs...usually heroin or acid, sometimes marijuana. gossip about the 'burnouts' was comprised of how the erratic and problematic and confusing behavior of kids was a direct result of being on dope. i remember moving from michigan to wisconsin. we traveled back for my oldest brother's wedding. my second oldest brother hooked up with his childhood friends. one in particular...his name was stu...had gotten into the 'drug scene'. i remember my second oldest brother coming back after his visit with stu, and being upset because stu was "on dope". i recall having a thought that stu was a dope.
today, dope is primarly an athletic issue. no competitive sport is immune to the questions that are raised as to whether an athlete's performance was due to steroids, or some other substance.
i am ambivalent about the use of drugs...dope...when it comes to competitive sports. not that i am actually in favor of drugs, which i am not. the issue is the cut-off point for technology and human skill. takes the men's horizontal bar in gymnastics. incredible feats of skills and control of momentum occur on the horizontal bar. few of the technical elements could be completed if men were not allowed to wear special gloves that have a dowel sewn into the finger tips of the gloves, enabling the athlete to clamp on to the bar. resin, for that matter, is used to dry one's hands, useful for gymnastics and baseball. in the past, pitchers used dirt. now, resin is a must. in competitive air rifle shooting, special guns with balance bars, special glasses with depth gauge's and side-blinders enable accuracy. in swimming, special suites reduce drag in the water. whereas one used to shave legs to cut down on drag, now one relies upon the suit. are any of these, and the myriad other technical advancements, any better than dope? i think not...all are designed to provide a competitive edge for someone purportedly trying to demonstrate athletic superiority.
we have kids in tennis classes before they enter elementary school. little kids learn to ride on bikes that have shocks and gears and hand brakes. it is all about advantage.
dopes
sometimes, when my third oldest brother thought i did something 'stupid', he would call me a dope.
as i got older, dope was slang for drugs...usually heroin or acid, sometimes marijuana. gossip about the 'burnouts' was comprised of how the erratic and problematic and confusing behavior of kids was a direct result of being on dope. i remember moving from michigan to wisconsin. we traveled back for my oldest brother's wedding. my second oldest brother hooked up with his childhood friends. one in particular...his name was stu...had gotten into the 'drug scene'. i remember my second oldest brother coming back after his visit with stu, and being upset because stu was "on dope". i recall having a thought that stu was a dope.
today, dope is primarly an athletic issue. no competitive sport is immune to the questions that are raised as to whether an athlete's performance was due to steroids, or some other substance.
i am ambivalent about the use of drugs...dope...when it comes to competitive sports. not that i am actually in favor of drugs, which i am not. the issue is the cut-off point for technology and human skill. takes the men's horizontal bar in gymnastics. incredible feats of skills and control of momentum occur on the horizontal bar. few of the technical elements could be completed if men were not allowed to wear special gloves that have a dowel sewn into the finger tips of the gloves, enabling the athlete to clamp on to the bar. resin, for that matter, is used to dry one's hands, useful for gymnastics and baseball. in the past, pitchers used dirt. now, resin is a must. in competitive air rifle shooting, special guns with balance bars, special glasses with depth gauge's and side-blinders enable accuracy. in swimming, special suites reduce drag in the water. whereas one used to shave legs to cut down on drag, now one relies upon the suit. are any of these, and the myriad other technical advancements, any better than dope? i think not...all are designed to provide a competitive edge for someone purportedly trying to demonstrate athletic superiority.
we have kids in tennis classes before they enter elementary school. little kids learn to ride on bikes that have shocks and gears and hand brakes. it is all about advantage.
dopes
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
