I don't understand the customs officers at the
Canada/
USA border. But that's okay, cause I don't think they understand the
Internet nor do they understand the concept of a
global marketplace.
On Tuesday morning I got dropped off at the Calgary airport, checked in and proceeded to go through US Customs, since I was flying to the US. All I was doing was going down to visit with a US customer in Sacramento and try and get some more work from them. Maybe visit San Francisco while I was at it. No problem, right? Wrong.
The customs officer proceed to ask me a million questions. Then he told me to go over to the side and talk with another customs officer, mumbling something about me needing a work visa. Huh? I am the president of an incorporated company which employees seven people and I'm visiting an already existing client. The second customs officer told me in no uncertain terms that no work was to be done for money. Huh? How is doing work for them down in Sacramento different from me staying up in Calgary and doing the work for them remotely, which had already been done? And how is them paying me any different from US or Canadian citizens buying a product from the other country. The US Government didn't seem to mind me giving a the US office of FHM $20 (in US currency) last week to provide me with a year's subscription to their magazine. How is consulting or programming different?
Anyway, they finally let me through after I told them I wouldn't do any work while I was down here... which may or may not turn out to be the case. And if I do decide to do any work, I'll do it for free... until I get home to Canada, at least. :)
Wake up and see the global marketplace... Jeez...