On Mar 10, 2009, at 18:31, Thurlow Weed wrote:
The Customs agent, however, was quite prepared to confiscate the rum
and write up some official-looking paperwork, and probably have us all
detained for attempting the smuggled contraband rum into the U.S.
Ah, customs officers... dumber than the Polack cops :)
Coming back with my mother to Poland from Hungary one year, we had a
suitcase full of plain white ceramic tiles. The purpose was to enclose
the huge, free-standing bathub in our apartment. Both countries were
"democratic", like Sue's Cuba (translates into "poor"), but each had
different things that were lacking and/or available (from what I've
heard, USSR was the exception -- it was lacking *everythng*). In
Poland, ceramic tiles were in short supply; in Hungary, they were
easily available, so we availed ourselves of some (especially since
Hungary had plenty of suitcases, too) and were lugging them home.
The train hits the Czech/Polish border, the (Polish) customs officer
comes on board, is eyes bug-out at the suitcase (which we dutifully
declared) and he starts searching through his book -- as thick as a
large city phone book -- to find out what we owe in customs duty...
Half an hour later.... *no ceramic tiles!*, no matter how dilligently
he searches. So, he writes: "stove; disassembled" and finds out there's
no duty on such...
I was only 13 at the time, but was already working hard at developing
my twisted sense of humour and my appreciation of the absurd. Had to
leave the compartment and hide in the bathroom to have my laugh in
peace and quiet, without drawing the wrath of the very red-faced and
irate official.
Good days, good days...
--
Tamara P Duvall http://t-n-lace.net/
Lexington, Virginia, USA (Formerly of Warsaw, Poland)
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