A few years ago I was crossing the US/Canadian border heading home.A US border guard was trying to give me a hard time for some reason. He asked me where I lived and I said "Boston suburbs" then he asked me what I did and I told him I was a retired hospital administrator. I guess he didn't believe me so he asked where the Mayo Clinic was and I told him their main campus is in Rochester,Minnesota and they have satellite facilities in Florida and Arizona.
With that he let me pass through. God only knows what he had in mind...I wasn't smuggling anything.
it’s the reverse for me. The Canadian border guards are mostly assholes to me while the US guys treat me better.
then he asked me what I did
**************
Tell him that your employment informattion is subject to the Privacy Act and as such is between you and the IRS, and perhaps the Census Bureau which has very stringent safegurands against disclosing such personal data. If he’s not authorized to collect data for either agency he has no valid reason to ask you.
He may continue harassing you but keep asking what authority he has to collect such information. Then tell him you will be contacting your senator in Washington as soon as you get home. He’ll cease this line of questioning immediately because a letter will be sent from the senator to the congressional liason office in CBP causing the guard big time problems.
I gave the Border Guard my AZ. driver's license and explained the situation. He punched some info into his computer.
"How long at this address?"
"Five years"
"What was your previous address?"
I gave him my California address of 20 years.
"You want to guess again?"
"What?"
"You had a different residence after the California address"
"Oh, that? I don't know it. I know it was on Hayden. We only lived their 6 weeks while our house was being finished"
"OK. Go ahead and next time bring your passport."
That is just a minor example of how quickly they can find out anything they want about us.
Reminds me of the time my husband (then fiance’) crossed into Canada with our sons (both under 15) and my college roomie’s daughter and her boyfriend in a rented van... DL’s handed over: NY, 2 TX, OK. Birth certs for the boys - NY & TX. Canadian says: “How do you know each other?” LOL! I started explaining... he waived us thru.