[mkjessup]

I recall returning from a visit to Canada during the last year the abominable Trudeau was PM, and a U.S. Customs Officer asked me two questions, a.) Had I been to any Communist countries during my travels, and b.) Did I have anything to declare?

My answers?

a.) "I've been to Canada, does that count?"

b.) "Ah declare, it SURE is good to be back in the U.S.A.!"

He smiled and welcomed me home. :)

[ut1992]

I've had that experience as well. When I was in college in the '88 - '92 I was an exchange student at the University of Hannover (Germany) and we often drove to West Berlin on the weekends, and also throughout East Germany, Poland and Czechoslovakia (still one country at the time). My passport was full of "communist stamps". For years after those travels, and until my passport expired in 1998, I was constantly asked by customs officials at airports in the US, and surprisingly Frankfurt Airport, about my travels.

The US customs folks always had to do the "mysterious typing" on the computer when questioning me.

Now as an adult, I worked for several years in Amsterdam and when I flew to the U.S. During my time in A'dam I had to fly somewhere in the U.S. every 2-4 weeks on business. When I filled out my customs declaration form on every flight I had to indicate my current residence as A'dam. Well that caused my luggage to be searched probably 75% of the time. I guess the suit, briefcase (w/company logo) and suit bag didn't fool them....haha!