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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8964
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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Crossing the border/driving while black
Is it just me, or does anyone else on this forum get hasseled for;
1. Not having a front license plate.
2. Driving a capable 4WD vehicle.
3. Being alone.
4. Driving an $expensive$ vehicle.
5. Having a passport that contains stamps from South America.
6. Being a minority.
7. Driving while Black.
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
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You mean they actually look at the stamps in your passport?
Ken...They hassle everybody. If you'll look, there's a lot of white people in secondary. The customs people, many of them, are just plain nasty.
It's sad to think that, for some visitors to the states, this is the first thing they see.
Edit for afterthoughts
[Edited on 9-14-2008 by DENNIS]
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8964
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DENNIS
You mean they actually look at the stamps in your passport? |
After they see the stamps that read 'Peru' and 'Colombia' the 1st question is..."...Exactly where did you take this vehicle?"
The next question is... "...Exactly, who owns this vehicle?"
For Mexican-Americans driving Chrysler 300s, its usually, "How can you afford to drive this vehicle?" I have seen 300s marked down to as low as
$16,000.00 recently. But, that's not the point.
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Dave
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6005
Registered: 11-5-2002
Member Is Offline
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Tried it once
| Quote: | Originally posted by Ken Cooke
7. Driving while Black. |
Wasn't good at it.
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Ken Cooke
The next question is... "...Exactly, who owns this vehicle?"
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That's their game. They don't care about the answer, but how you present it. If you seem nervous, they look a bit closer. I wish I had a Pacifico
for every time they've asked me, "Is this your vehicle?"
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8964
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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No, they run through their top-5 questions, and then they ask for the passport, and then they watch your eyeballs when you answer each question.
In Miami, they sent me to this special table in customs when I returned from Colombia in July. The officer wanted to know, "What is an American doing
in Colombia for 1 week alone???" They didn't like me saying, "Making new friends."
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Kell-Baja
Nomad
Posts: 360
Registered: 1-18-2003
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
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No worries next time just take me with you... Then they can ask what a black man and white women were doing in Columbia for a week or mexico or whereever else we are going. LOl
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8964
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Kell-Baja
No worries next time just take me with you... Then they can ask what a black man and white women were doing in Columbia for a week or mexico or whereever else we are going. LOl |
That sounds pretty cool. I can go for that anytime! CARAMBA!
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lizard lips
Super Nomad
Posts: 1469
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: EARTH
Member Is Offline
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The first three pages of my passport are stamped with Colombia stamps and I have never been questioned. I have also four inserts that needed to be
attached with my passport and stamps from all over the world including Russia, Pakistan, India and have never been questioned but they always ask me
if the car Im driving is mine.
The only time I have ever had a problem was when I flew into Kingston Jamaica probably because I wasn't black! I'm going there again tomorrow so I'll
see if I'm singled out again just for my color or my lack of dredlocks.
[Edited on 01/10/2007 by lizard lips]
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8964
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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They never said anything about my trips to the republic of aaland, estonia, or finland...WTF? 
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65300
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Ken, I always have our passports in my hand when I cruise up to the booth... they take it once they have entered my truck's license into the computer
(newest passports, passport cards and Sentris have a chip and that info will already be on their monitor).
Two weeks ago we were only asked one question... "bringing any fruits or veggies?" It is usually the question of 'what are we bringing back' and/ or
'how long were we in Mexico'. Almost no other questions, and almost never secondary...except once when a new guy didn't know limes were permitted
fruit and once more to take our excess (U.S. store bought) firewood bundle he saw in my truck.
Seriously for you, a front license plate is CALIF. law, so they may want to know why you are disobeying that... and have the passport out at the very
start so he/ she doesn't need to ask for it...
They are there for a long time and interviewing hundreds per day... people who can and do bring illegal items into the U.S on purpose or by accident.
They are there to keep America safe and free from contamination of bugs or protect California liquor stores from too much good Baja booze entering and
taking away sales!
Your skin has a darker tan than mine, but that isn't a reason they ask you more question IMO.
[Edited on 9-15-2008 by David K]
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8964
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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David, I plan on spending New Years in Barranquilla, Colombia. Wanna ride w/me? 
If you had a stamp on your passport that read 'COLOMBIA', you would get the 3rd degree. You better stay in Baja...
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Iflyfish
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3747
Registered: 10-17-2006
Member Is Offline
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Ken,
There is no racial prejudice in Mexico, the Carribean or the USofA for that matter. Take it from this weho (sp?). Pardon me mal Espanol.
Iflyfish
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65300
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Ken Cooke
David, I plan on spending New Years in Barranquilla, Colombia. Wanna ride w/me?
If you had a stamp on your passport that read 'COLOMBIA', you would get the 3rd degree. You better stay in Baja... |
That's okay Ken... I found my Baja Angel right here in America... Now we travel together and are seeing many new places... and returning to the great
old ones, too...
That's my point... if I have Colombia visa stamps I would expect a 3rd degree search or question... black or beige skin color doesn't matter.
Please be careful!!
[Edited on 9-15-2008 by David K]
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8964
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
| Quote: | Originally posted by Ken CookeThat's my point... if I have Columbia visa stamps I would expect a 3rd degree search or question... black or
beige skin color doesn't matter.
Please be careful!! |
David, you have spelled 'Colombia' incorrectly 8 times on this forum. You need to be aware there is not a 'u' in that country's name.
The only bad thing that happened in Barranquilla was the armed holdup of the hotel's restaurant while I ate dinner the 1st night that I arrived there.
No worries, the robber wasn't really armed - I almost kicked his butt for stealing the cook's purse.
I'll be careful, though... |
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8964
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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Blanca cooked my meals. Restaurants in Colombia are cheaper than Mexico - about half price. When the armed robber made off with Blanca's money and
ID, I compensated her w/a tip - $5, but in Colombia that's big money.
Blanca & Ken - Nuevos Amigos!
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65300
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Ken Cooke
| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
| Quote: | Originally posted by Ken CookeThat's my point... if I have Colombia visa stamps I would expect a 3rd degree search or question... black or
beige skin color doesn't matter.
Please be careful!! |
David, you have spelled 'Colombia' incorrectly 8 times on this forum. You need to be aware there is not a 'u' in that country's name.
The only bad thing that happened in Barranquilla was the armed holdup of the hotel's restaurant while I ate dinner the 1st night that I arrived there.
No worries, the robber wasn't really armed - I almost kicked his butt for stealing the cook's purse.
I'll be careful, though... |
Thanks Ken, I really did mess up with COLOMBIA (and have corrected it)... but only saw it used once... I will search for the other 7 errors! Good
thing Colombia isn't in Baja, otherwise Baja Spell Checker would be all over me for that!!! LOL |
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8964
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
| Quote: | Originally posted by Ken Cooke
| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
| Quote: | Originally posted by Ken CookeThat's my point... if I have Colombia visa stamps I would expect a 3rd degree search or question... black or
beige skin color doesn't matter.
Please be careful!! |
David, you have spelled 'Colombia' incorrectly 8 times on this forum. You need to be aware there is not a 'u' in that country's name.
The only bad thing that happened in Barranquilla was the armed holdup of the hotel's restaurant while I ate dinner the 1st night that I arrived there.
No worries, the robber wasn't really armed - I almost kicked his butt for stealing the cook's purse.
I'll be careful, though... |
Thanks Ken, I really did mess up with COLOMBIA (and have corrected it)... but only saw it used once... I will search for the other 7 errors! Good
thing Colombia isn't in Baja, otherwise Baja Spell Checker would be all over me for that!!! LOL |
Baja Spell Checker, BabbleFish, etc. You spend more time in Baja than me, and you never bothered to learn Spanish. That is the true Baja irony being
exposed on the Nomad board. |
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Wiles
Nomad
Posts: 337
Registered: 10-1-2006
Member Is Offline
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For several years my middle name was 'secondary'. Was sent there on every single crossing. San Luis was the only exception.
BTW - I'm white.
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8964
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Wiles
For several years my middle name was 'secondary'. Was sent there on every single crossing. San Luis was the only exception.
BTW - I'm white. |
I volunteered for Secondary in Calexico when the pickup I was driving at the time was filled with small, white flies that had gathered around the
grapes which had become rotten after camping at Shell Island for 3 nights in mid-August several years ago.
I told the border officer, "Sir, I have flies inside the cab of my pickup truck which look like those QUARANTINED FRUIT FLIES ON THAT POSTER. The
officer sent me to 2ndary. The 2ndary officer told me, "Please remain calm." I told him, "Officer, my truck is infested with MEDITERRANIAN FRUIT
FLIES!" He took the bag, and scolded me by saying, "What are you trying to do? POLLUTE OUR COUNTRY?"
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