We all say stupid things when we're tired. I'm kind of an expert at it.

I was returning from Europe years ago and was very tired, having flown on a rickety tristar from a third rate airline. After what seemed an endless line at customs/immigration, it was my turn to answer the routine questions.

Customs Officer: Do you have any narcotics on you sir?

**Note: The correct answer is "No"**

Me: Are you kidding... do you know how much they cost over there?

Customs Officer: Step inside this room please sir.

An hour later I finally got out.

cv

After sending my suitcase through the scanner, I was suddenly surrounded by immigration officers. They aked me if I had anything illegal in my bags. I said no. They asked again. I said no again. Then they came right out and asked if I had any illegal friut in my bag. Now I am getting nervous because I had to fight with my wife to get her to throw out the fruit she had left over instead of packing it. I was thinking she tried to sneak it in the bags. I told them I don't think there is any friut in my bags. They proceeded to search my bags dumping clothes every where and found plastic fruit that my wife had bought in bangkok. They cut it open to check for any hidden drugs. They were all pissed off because they did not find anything. Told me to repack my bags and head out. Just a little bit rude, they were. I even declared the fruit on the customs form.

If I wasn't so tired from the flight I could have explain the plastic fruit and probably been on my way.

PKG

July 1968: Fourteen days in Mexico at the La Canta Reyna ranch, daylight till dark 350 head of horses, stale tortillas hot as fire sauces and tough as leather beef 3 times a day!

Horses finally loaded on the train to Texas; tired was not the word for it.

Into the pickup and head for the border, hot, traffic jam in Del Rio check point.

Customs officer: Brining anything back from Mexico?

I hope to h3ll not!

Pull over there sir, I get out and was taken to a park bench in the sun and handcuffed to the steel rail. Everything is taken out of the truck, at that time they had no dogs, wheels deflated, seats are removed for a while I thought they were going to remove the gas tank too.

Customs officer: Is this saddle yours? (I am thinking no a$$hole I stole it from a horse) Oh yes sir bought it Laredo ok, call this number they will remount your tires and air them up. Charge is $20 dollars; phone is over there it's free.

Oh yes sir thank you so much.

That’s all it took for me to have an astute respect for any customs officer to this day

Oh my god, the customs in america are b*sterds! so its ok to damage your property and throw your items on the floor and deflate your tyres? If they dont find anything illegal surely its up to them to reimburse you?

Oh my god, the customs in america are b*sterds!  so its ok to damage your property and throw your items on the floor and deflate your tyres?  If they dont find anything illegal surely its up to them to reimburse you?

Nope, and you'll find many countries are the same.

cv