You cannot be serious

[Mancha]

Sympathies...indignation...embarassment at being an American, etc., etc.  But (he wonders with tentative excitement), what does this "new line of figures" foretell?  This sounds a little more momentous than the addition of news reporters.

[Darkoath]

What terrible news...   

[CompanyB]

I was one of the ones waiting for Bob at Enfilade...and wondered aloud with the cons organizers if something like this had happened to him.

To be clear. The main issue with customs is that you cannot enter this country to sell product direct to customers without a work visa.

The way around this is to either:

Hire local help to sell for you and run your booth, while you "volunteer" to work the booth, but not handle any transactions.

Sell orders for delivery later, but not actual product.

Have a buddy sell the product at their booth under your banner.  Again, you can work the booth as long as you do not actually accept money yourself or hand over product yourself.

In all three scenarios, you can still get paid.  It's the actual transaction of cash for product by a no US citizen that is the deal killer.

in the same token, if I hauled a load of product up to Canada, I'd be hit with tax on the entire inventory, and then would have to subtract the tax from unsold product on the way back down.  A mere trifle though compared to the humiliation that Bob suffered.

Also, for what it's worth, I never cross at that border station on trips.  It's a bit in the backwoods, and they hassle everyone, especially couples and families who are of mixed ethnic backgrounds (my wife being half Chinese American...I'd be pulled over for smuggling people (yes...this has happened to family members...)

Now, it sounds as if the border agents were a bit to eager to do their job here.  And He was also given clearly the wrong information from the get go, since you do need a work permit to handle transactions here.  These border guys clearly overstepped their bounds and seemed to be using their authority to intimidate someone on an otherwise boring day.

[Hammers]

In this respect I am quite happy with the European Union. Free movment of goods and labor.

[Plynkes]

But I miss those friendly border posts, with their SMG-toting guards, and reassuring Baader-Meinhof wanted posters with all those bad haircuts on them.


Still, since Al-Qaeda hit town, at least we have regained a taste of the good old days at the Channel ports.

[carlos marighela]

I don't think the Canadians are the ones rushing across the border to get "our" jobs.  Must be nice to work the chushy jobs on that border rather than the hard one.  Looks like Bob ran into a Super Trooper.  Too bad because I don't know who in America makes U.S. Marines from between the wars........ 

Brigade Games do and they are in the US aren't they?

[meanderthal]

Not surprising when you consider the hysteria that is constantly being stirred by the administration of our country.  (I was going to say something about looking at the moron who runs the place, but felt I'd restrain myself )

[Aaron]

A truly sad day for fans of Bob. I hope this does not mess up any plans he had for Historicon. I'd bet he would have no shortage of volunteer temporary employees to man the booth for him in exchange for lead currency.

It's frustrating to live in a country where it is fine for super-rich corporate CEOs to send thousands of jobs overseas to slightly increase profit margins, but it somehow criminal for a small one-man operation to try to make a living.

[Operator5]

A truly sad day for fans of Bob. I hope this does not mess up any plans he had for Historicon.

Bob was not going to be at Historicon this year (the cost of travelling was not worth it). He is going to have RLBPS selling his stuff though.

[Aaron]

Thanks for the info. Now I know where to send my designated shopper since I can't make it either!

[pixelgeek]

A truly sad day for fans of Bob. I hope this does not mess up any plans he had for Historicon.

I suspect that those will require some reworking if he is even allowed over the border

[Aaron]

On the plus side, perhaps we will soon see a pack of nefarious international criminals and smugglers with one based on Mr. Murch himself. 

[Troll]

What total crap!  I would love to go on a political rant but this case speakes for itself.

Man, I feel much safer knowing that US Customs is preventing Pulp Figures from "stealing jobs".

I will be ordering many Pulp Figures in the future provided they also are not seized at the border.

Cheers,
Troll

[Arlequín]

I take it that having once been branded as 'attempting to enter the US illegally' future visits will also come under close scrutiny, presuming they are even allowed?

If so, that is really awful... one a**hole with an attitude shouldn't be able to affect people's lives and livelihoods like this.

Still 'Enemy of the State' is a nice moniker to bandy around, just not much consolation.

[Gallowglass]

I take it that having once been branded as 'attempting to enter the US illegally' future visits will also come under close scrutiny, presuming they are even allowed?
Still 'Enemy of the State' is a nice moniker to bandy around, just not much consolation.

Can keep you out for three years, I believe, although that may only be the case if you overstay a visa...in this case he didn't actually enter the US, so....

A year ago, a friend of mine went on vacation to the US for two weeks. The immigration official never took the I94 (green slip) out of his passport when he left. He was refused entry last month because according to their records, "he'd never left and was in the country illegally....."

Because of the "length of time" he'd "been there", he now has a 10 year ban....