[78-L] ARSC

Wed May 4 19:32:16 PDT 2011

From: "DanKj" <MLK402 at verizon.net>
> I should be joining you at those, except that: a) I always work until at 
> least 1pm on Sundays,  and b) I am not allowed
> back into my own country of birth, because I haven't shelled-out for a 
> passport or "enhanced" driver license. Odd that the
> government doesn't trust its OWN identification process and license, but 
> an extra $30 or $130 somehow means that I am not a
> terrorist - if I'm on the ground. In a plane, now I need a passport.  I 
> still don't know what they do with Americans who had
> the nerve to go to Canada for lunch (which we used to do, all the time) 
> and then try to get across the bridge again.   Last
> time I went, I took a pocketful of cash for Jeff Healey but had forgotten 
> my wallet ... on the home crossing, the border guy
> at Buffalo just looked up my Social Security number & license plate on his 
> 'puter, scolded me about having no ID, and waived
> me through.
>
> ps - Do Canucks need a passport?  I thought we had treaties which said 
> Merricans and Canucks don't need passports to cross
>
I', an American living in Canada ("landed immigrant:) and have been since
early in 1977. At some point soon, now that I can afford it, I shall be
applying for Canadian citizen (they didn't used to have dual citizenship,
so I would have had to give up my US citizenship...and I thought then
that I might want to play blues in the US, which I never did...!).

When I was moving up here, I bought a 1962 Chevy half-ton and built
wooden "sides" for its bed...I brought up a very full truckload, plus a
12' U-Haul trailer on each of four "moving" trips. I had already provided
Canada Customs with a list of the goods I would be importing, and
they had given me a form including my list...I had to show them this
form each time I entered Canada. The truck cost ne $250 at a farm auction.

The old truck finally expired on the return leg of trip four, about 300
miles from my Bloomington Ill's. home. It had burned virtually all its
oil, and I burned out the rod bearings. I drove that last 300 miles
home with the bearings knocking if I went over 45 mph...!
However, it limped home...and I was able to see its remains for
$75 to a friend who had wrecked his Chevy pickup...he had
a good motor in a wrecked body...while I had a fairly good
body with a dead motor...deal worked out for both of us...!