just trying to do their job

there was a letter to the editor of our little newspaper last week. it seems a canadian woman has made a point over the years of coming down and spending time (days? weeks?) at one of our shoreline places. she has always enjoyed doing that however her last trip across the border left her with ill-will. apparently one of the officers, as he was conversing about her reasons for coming to the states, said "don't they have beaches in canada?"

she was miffed about his question and the way he said it. my thought is: these guys have been working overtime (double-shifts) and are tired and probably sick of everyone's shit -- be glad their weapons are holstered. there are a LOT of people who try to bring drugs across the border -- do you have something illegal in your trunk? there are a LOT of people who think they have a right to come into the states and feel they shouldn't have to put up with a lot of questions -- a lot of people are jerks. there are a LOT of people who get tired of the long waiting lines at the border -- hmmm ... who's causing these long lines? those aren't american plates on those cars. and frankly, i think they teach them to ask questions like that -- at one of my crossings they asked me, "why don't you just go to the costco in bellingham?"

my experience with canadians (with one exception) is as follows: they are cranky and rude; they never smile; courtesy, manners, and pleasantness are lacking; they carry around an air of entitlement; seven out of every ten canadian cars i've seen in my last three trips on the interstate have been exceeding the speed limit, and not by just 5 mph; the long lines at the border are canadians coming to the states to speed.

i used to be all for multi-culturalism, sharing, universal love, etc. but anymore my thought is .... don't they have beaches in canada?