brent
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2008
Posts: 1,316
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Post by brent on Jan 25, 2012 11:05:48 GMT -5
Anyone who was in Q will have heard about my attempt to cross into the U.S. with rocks bound for the Pow Wow in Quartzsite.
For those who weren't there, here is what happened. I got told by homeland security that Canadians can't enter the States to sell anything. I relayed this to one of the people at the Pow Wow and she called the border crossing. She was told that they can't just let rocks in without knowing how they are made. I was told by the Canadian border guards that there would be a broker available at the U.S. crossing if needed.
After being denied entry, I returned to Canada and contacted a broker. After a day of faxing paperwork to and frow at a cost of over $50, I had all my clearences in place and was ready to go. I called back to the crossing to see if the clearences were there. The supervisor that was there told me that there was no way I was going across with me rocks and if I tried it again I would be banned for five years.
I left everything behind and went to Quartzsite to see how everyone else from around the world got to enter and sell in the States. They couldn't figure out why I was even asking. They just came in and sold there rocks.
It was a very dissapointing outcome after all the work I did to make sure everything was in place to get across.
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Jan 25, 2012 11:19:22 GMT -5
That's a bummer, Brent!
Our security theater is dumbfounding. How were the rocks made? "Well, there's something called the rock cycle that explains how igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks are produced in geologic processes...."
Are they afraid you're bringing in yellow cake? Are there any government representatives you can appeal to?
Chuck
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Post by jakesrocks on Jan 25, 2012 11:32:06 GMT -5
How they were made What a load of crap ! Tell them they were made the same way the oil they want to send down here was made. By mother nature over millions of years. I guess I won't be going to Canada any time soon to collect rocks. It would piss me off to have spent my time collecting nice specimens, only to have to leave them behind. So much for free trade agreements. Don
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Don
Cave Dweller
He wants you too, Malachi.
Member since December 2009
Posts: 2,616
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Post by Don on Jan 25, 2012 11:38:38 GMT -5
This is very discouraging Brent, sorry you had to go through it. I never imagined a pile of rocks would pose such a threat to our national security. We won't let a bucket of rocks through our northern border but we'll turn a blind eye to the millions of foreign nationals pouring in through our southern border....how absurd is that?
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Post by texaswoodie on Jan 25, 2012 11:50:33 GMT -5
That's our government "protecting" us. We are the most protected species in the world. Unless of course it's from our south like dlc says.
Curt
Don't eat salt, don't eat sugar, wear a helmet, wear seatbelts, and whatever you do, don't let rocks across the northern border. I'm sick of it.
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brent
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2008
Posts: 1,316
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Post by brent on Jan 25, 2012 12:08:50 GMT -5
According to U.S. customs, I shouldn't have had any trouble. What the supervisor told me was I was taking jobs away from Americans. I could deliver them to people who buy them, and only take samples to show and get sales, but the samples would need to be made unsaleable or unusable. According to customs, I don't need a work visa because I am not working for an american company.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,711
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Post by Fossilman on Jan 25, 2012 12:09:35 GMT -5
Sounds about right!!! I lived in Antler,ND for years....Its right next to the Canada border...I have a buddy up there that had some antlers off a moose,that I wanted.. Postage wasn't an option(to expensive)....He got all the export paperwork done,I got ahold of the Border Patrol....I knew them all by name on the Antler border(nice guys)... You won't believe what I had to do to get those antlers across the border.... He couldn't have them in his trk coming across the border,but I could walk across the border,get the antlers,walk them back across the border,put them in my trk and leave........ Stupid or what,the laws are crazy and do need some changing....... I think I would start checking the different border crossings.........I do know a couple crossings that the Patrols are rock collectors.....Alot of these Patrols think they are God,but a few will work with you......Good luck next time!
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Post by Toad on Jan 25, 2012 12:20:57 GMT -5
Thank God someone is protecting us from the evil Canadians...
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chassroc
Cave Dweller
Rocks are abundant when you have rocktumblinghobby pals
Member since January 2005
Posts: 3,586
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Post by chassroc on Jan 25, 2012 12:35:16 GMT -5
Homeland Security is a joke
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grayfingers
Cave Dweller
Member since November 2007
Posts: 4,575
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Post by grayfingers on Jan 25, 2012 14:15:42 GMT -5
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Jan 25, 2012 16:00:52 GMT -5
Taking jobs from Americans, eh? What about all the Canadians working the Dakota oil boom? And they don't have to bring anything but their bodies!
(BTW: I'm not knocking those oil workers. Just a stupid thing for the supervisor to say.)
Chuck
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brent
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2008
Posts: 1,316
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Post by brent on Jan 25, 2012 20:19:46 GMT -5
Thanx Bill, I will look into that. Did I fail to mention that the first stop at the crossing they took my finger prints and picture? The they sent me back to Canada.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,711
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Post by Fossilman on Jan 25, 2012 22:20:30 GMT -5
Where are you crossing at? Ever try Portal?
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brent
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2008
Posts: 1,316
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Post by brent on Jan 27, 2012 9:03:57 GMT -5
Portal was where I was. I was told to go there by the Canadian side. They said if I needed a broker there would be one there. Portal handles alot of truck traffic. I might have had a better experience at a smaller crossing.
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