Do we have fools guarding the borders or what?

[ravinraven]

A good friend of mine is a French teacher in Canada. She is also an artist painting in oils. That's her hobby and she does very well. Enters shows. Sells one once in a while. She's not in the art or manufacturing business.

Her husband lives and works in the US. He is a citizen here. He lives here and she lives there but on week ends she usually comes "home."

I was just talking to them at Happy Hour. They had just come across the line for the wekend. The guy at the border sees her artist material: easle, canvas, paints, etc. and says that she can't paint pictures here because she would be "manufacturing" art objects. It's supposedly illegal for her to even sit in her own backyard and paint the beautiful little pond they live on. Can't even do this for the fun of it.

Has anyone ever heard of such stupidity? Is the border guard an idiot? Have we got idiots in control? A terrorist can come in unimpeded and blow up people. An artist can't come across the border to her own home and paint a picture.

Obviously my friends are treating this stupidity with the same respect that all stupidity deserves, but what the hell would get that kind of stupidity on the books? Or is the guard misreading something?

Anyone ever heard of such a bunch of bovine exhaust?

ravinraven

 

[Double Naught Spy]

I don't know about the laws, but it sounds like her residence in in Canada and not here in the US. She is not coming "home" to paint as you suggest.

Your query-reasoning is absurd where where you question if the guard is an idiot, note that an artist can't come home and paint, and then imply the guards have let terrorists come across the border unimpeded to blow up people. If you are refering to 9/11 terrorists, they didn't carry their materials across the border. Our border guards did catch some coming from Canada with explosives when they tried to enter the US.

Hey, if you think you are not well enough protected, or the country is not, join the Border Patrol and go kick butt.

 

[Mark Tyson]

How asinine. You're supposed to use your discretion as an officer. Utterly stupid. Some people just like to push people around.

 

[WT]

Since she is a foreign national who is coming into the USA and selling goods, I fully agree with the position taken by the US Customs/INS people.

When I travel to Quebec my briefcase is usually inspected to insure I am not bringing in technology. I cannot leave business notes or engineering drawings in Canada. My name is in some Canadian registry as one to be looked at from a business point of view.

They do it - we do it.

 

[Dannyboy]

Since she is a foreign national who is coming into the USA and selling goods

Who said she was selling anything?

She is not coming "home" to paint as you suggest.

Why not? It's her house, regardless of whether she lives there full time. I'm sure her name is on the lease/mortgage or whatever.

This is one of the stupidest things I've heard in a while. I guess you can't bring cameras either, huh?

 

[Standing Wolf]

Is the border guard an idiot? Have we got idiots in control?

Borders? We're supposed to have borders somewhere? Are you sure about that?

 

[Sergeant Bob]

I traded (bartered in leiu of cash) a harbormaster some fish once for boat launching rights. Does that mean I can't go fishing in Canada and bring the fish back.....because I'm a "professional" fisherman?

 

[Chris Rhines]

A more perfect example of, "It may be the law, but it ain't right" I have rarely seen.

If you agree with this border guard (or the law that he uses to justify himself,) you're part of the problem.

- Chris

 

[Destructo6]

Well, it is against the law for foreigners to come here and work, unless they have a work visa. It's very common for people to come over on a tourist visa, then work because the work visa is more difficult to get.

However, unless there's more to the story, it does seem the interpretation of "work" was a bit extreme.

 

[WT]

2nd line says "SHE SELLS ONE ONCE IN A WHILE."

This comment led me to believe that she is conducting business in the USA, selling her paintings. Selling goods is considered doing business.

As a foreign national she is taking away business from US artists.

I have no sympathy for her.

 

[telomerase]

>When I travel to Quebec my briefcase is usually inspected to insure I am not bringing in technology. I cannot leave business notes or engineering drawings in Canada. My name is in some Canadian registry as one to be looked at from a business point of view.

>They do it - we do it.

The problem that the Canadian government damages its own economy but interfering with private trade between Canada and the US, is not mitigated by the fact that the US government is stupid enough to do the same thing