Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Nothing to Declare

Customs House~Laredo Texas


With increased security guidelines buzzing about the Internet the last few weeks it was a little strange to head to the border with a new car for registration & driving into Mexico. The Government of Mexico has deployed military troops in various parts of the country especially the border crossings. Military checkpoints have drastically increased in border areas since New Years. (or so say our consulate bulletins) U.S. citizens are advised to cooperate with official checkpoints when traveling on Mexican highways. Blah,blah....one could grow old & gray reading all of the advice given. Part of the security measures are common sense and additional 9/11 Homeland Security measures. But all said & done the crossing this time was no different than it was over a year ago when we brought our first vehicle into Mexico. I do however think we are becoming rather cynical to the whole South of the Border policy & registration for car tags. While we registered our car & provided our mountain of paperwork I noticed a really "skeezie" looking local guy registering a car to bring into the country. He hauled out a wad of cash that I am sure was misbegotten of some nature. There husband & I were, dotting our I's & crossing our T's...Picture if you will an image fitting an FBI's most wanted poster! (ie: Skeezie guy in line next to us!)
It's all okay though! I just wait for people like that to get stuck at the border & have a full on vehicle search. (while I snicker) It totally happens! Of this I am certain. It's called "Karma" Baby!!!

6 comments:

Nancy Durant said...

What, are you hiding in your suitcase?

Dee said...

That's my laptop! ha,ha!

Hornsfan said...

what was skeezy guy driving?

Dee said...

I have no idea what he was driving~he was with a whole crew of creepy looking guys all who were driving cars they had mysteriously showed up to register~I don't doubt that they had recieved either $ or vehicles illegally. They paid with a wad of cash ~ Skeezie was making my skin crawl!

Chef E said...

My house is so aware of the security stuff, my husband just happens to be a software engineer that works on government stuff that involves security projects for this country...and I am the chef that makes sure he shows up to work happy!
Yes, why are you hiding...some goodies or food in there you do not want to share???

Dee said...

Chef e~yes, yes! I hear you on that one. I can agree with most of the security on our side of the border but on the Mexican side it can be so selective & like shifting sand. There is always $$$ involved & generally a degree of uneducated mentality which is dealing out the "security". It is a broken system & the best efforts seem to run parallel to the affects of the drug wars. We deal but at times it is uneven scales which are not balanced favorably.