I got refused from the border today because I -- in a bout of stupidity and incompetence -- forgot my documents at my friend's house. I realized this as the icy hand of death clutched my heart ten minutes away from the border. I was in the undesirable position of heading into certain doom without the means to stop it. Basically I knew customs was going to eat me up, considering how bitchy they are even when I have all my documents in order.
When we got to our guard we passed all the student paperwork for my carmates and then we passed my driver license up for myself.
"Who's this?" he asked, holding up my card.
"That's me."
"Where were you born?"
"Canada." I lied because I thought that it would just simplify things. Anyone from Vietnam would surely be a terrorist.
"Speak up, I can't hear you." I really did say it quietly though. I was shitting in terror.
"C-c-c-anada."
"Where are you guys going?"
". We go once a week and rez there."
He did that whole I can't hear you act a few times before he said, "Pull into customs two."
When we got to customs two we were drilled again. This time by a lady. She was so laid back that I thought things were going to be okay. They pulled my school file on their computers. I thought I was safe, but her indifference was just a red herring.
They asked for the driver and split us to check his car. After he came back they questioned him then sat him to dry. A different guy then questioned my friend and I and he sent her on her way.
"You need your I-20. You can't go in without it," he said to me.
"What if we called someone at the school to confirm?"
"You need your I-20. You can't go in without it," he repeated, slightly disturbed that I was still even considering a loop hole.
"So do people like me happen a lot?"
"All the time." He let out this long breath of air, like it extraordinarily taxing to tell me that.
He then proceeded to take my fingerprints and took a picture of me like I was some kind of criminal. I was wondering why they had to do this and simply not just turn me away. I was thinking I probably have the right to refuse unless they were going to charge me with something, but I decided that 1. I'm a chicken-shit and 2. what's the harm in them having my finger prints? I tried to give it one last shot and play the pity angle: "I can't make my friends drive back home then here for four hours (it was 1 am already), I'm going to have to get a hotel room here while they go to school and they can pick me up when they're done two days from now."
"Aren't you going to miss a lot of classes?"
He seemed a little concerned. I should have milked it and told him I just might fail a course, but then my penchant for telling the truth got to me: "No, I'm really on top of things. I should be fine." He finished his work and told me, "Just remember to bring your I-20. You have to." He seemed nicer when he repeated it this time.
Finally after that they wouldn't give me driver's license back. They did hand me this. We then had to be escorted -- them on foot, us in the car -- to the border, going at 10 kmph. We had to pay $3.50 toll and then on the other side of the border they handed me back my driver's license.
