My Mk1 importing days may be on hold... :(

[mardak at cogeco.ca (Mark)]

I got burned for being a nice guy, and being honest...  Again...

I guess most people get more cynical with age, but today didn't help...

I was denied entry into the U.S. today on my way to help out Rhett and 
Tarra by towing her Mk2 from Daun's in Ohio to Iowa "on my way" to 
picking up a 75 track car I bought in Chicago.

My biggest mistake was telling the border guard in the booth that I was 
"delivering a car for a friend" on my way to picking up my own car.  I 
should have just said I was picking up a car I bought on the internet - 
like I've done a bunch of times this year.  She immediately started 
thinking I was operating a towing business, and didn't want to hear 
anything about me basically doing it for fuel and hotel costs - more as 
a favor to a fellow Scirocco fan than as a money making enterprise.

So off to the immigration office I went.  After four (yes four!) hours 
standing (yes standing!) in a tiny, VERY crowed and smelly waiting area 
I was "helped" by a customs official.  After explaining the story to her 
she asked what I did for a living - to which I replied that I was self 
employed.  Then she asked if I owned a house - to which I said that I 
rented an apartment.  She then concluded that I had no "ties" to Canada, 
and why should she believe me that I won't just stay in the U.S.  I 
pointed out that I've already imported six vehicles this year alone, and 
this trip was no different - I even gave her the fax confirmation of the 
title I faxed to customs so I could import the car to Canada, and a copy 
of the title itself signed over to me!

It was very hard to remain calm, as her accusations got more and more 
obsurd as I answered her questions.  The last thing I needed was an even 
bigger "X" beside my name so I kept my cool...

Needless to say, I was turned around and basically not told anything 
about what I can do or bring next time I were to try and cross...  So, 
now I don't know what to do...  I have a car in Chicago bought and paid 
for, a deposit on another car, and Tarra's Mk2 still sitting in Ohio...

I'm actually still dumbfounded...

I think I'll try again after the long weekend and bring some 
documentation/receipts of jobs I've done recently, rent receipts, and 
receipts for a couple cars that I've sold.  Maybe I'll get an official 
with a bit more grey matter upstairs...  (Judging by the supervisor I 
spoke to that's highly unlikely though).

Later,

Mark - "perturbed"
75
75 - trapped in the windy city
80 S
81 S  x3
81 Caddy