The Games People Play

My business requires me to cross the border twice a week to mail orders out in the U.S. I do this as the product doesn't get hung up in customs and it's more economical and faster for my clients. I've been doing this for the past 18 years or so.

I've been crossing the current border for 8 years, with nary a problem, returning via the commercial lanes, as I go down commercially. Most times I don't have any commercial goods returning, occasionally I have personal items, but I'd been told if I went down commercially, I had to return that way. Then other border guards told me different things. I just do what I've always done. One border guard told me I could cherry pick the line and do whatever I wanted. So I do. All the border guards are pleasant and professional, and when it comes time for a car search (usually about once every one or two years), they're always great about it.

A year ago, a new border guard joined the commercial crossing, and from the very first time he saw me, he had a burr up his arse about it. I haven no idea why, but the first time I was in the commercial lane, he was rude and demanded to see a receipt for a $22.00 item. Well, I couldn't find it, wouldn't you know, even on my phone, not being familiar with how my phone worked, and he finally let me go, but was in a major snit. He'd asked me why I was in the commercial lane and I told him I'd been told to use it as I went down commercially.

For the past year, he's been a jerk every time I've crossed and he's on. The gate arms to let us out have been broken, so they had the border guards operate the gates from their booth. So Mr. Miserable has played games with the gate arms, slamming them as soon as I got to the gate, following someone else out, and then making me wait until he processed the truck behind me before letting me out. He's done all kinds of things to delay me going through.

A few months later, another new guy told me I could use the personal lanes. I said to him 'why would I do that when the lineup is halfway through town and I've been down 10 minutes?' He didn't have an answer, but he too, started the same delay tactics with the gate arms.

At first I did nothing. Just let them have their jollies. After it didn't stop, I asked Mr. Miserable for his badge number and name, and he asked if there was a problem. I told him yes there was, he was rude and I was tired of his passive aggressive games with the gate. That didn't stop him - in fact, it increased. So one day, when he pulled that same garbage, I parked my car in front of the gate and went inside to complain. The supervisor had an excuse for him. The games didn't stop, but were tandem, with the other guy.

Then, I had Mr. Miserable process me through, there was no one behind me at the booth, and between leaving the booth and getting to the gate, the other guy took over the booth. Despite me honking my horn three separate times, he refused to turn around and open the gate. So, again, I parked my car and went in to complain. I was surprised to see Mr. Miserable inside, and he smirked that he'd gaslighted me, kind of like I was making things up. He said to me, so you stop our whole operation for this? I ignored him. I didn't stop their operation - THEY did.

So now the gate arms are left up, until they're repaired. Now that they don't have the gate arms to delay me, they upped the ante and started searching my car. The first time, the tall guy was in the booth, and Mr. Miserable searched my car, the tall guy smirking the whole time. I just shrugged. Fill your boots.

Last week, I had commercial goods to declare. One box of sprayers - taxes due - $7.18. Mr. Miserable ensured he took my paperwork and then demanded to see my purse, went through my wallet, my purse, and then went out through my car again. He delayed me the better part of an hour. Usually, when I'm in the office, I'm in and out in about 10 minutes.

So as Mr. Miserable was still taking his time -

cont..