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I, having had a bad bout of stomach flu, hope to be excused this ramble. First post for eight days. Perhaps it does shed some light on how things have changed. I was hitchhiking/bussing my way to Western Canada from Toronto, no Trans-Canada highway existed. I elected to go via Detroit. At Souix Falls SD. I bought a ticket to Winnipeg, Canada. It stopped at Fargo ND, and would depart at 630am next day. I spent overnight at the Salvation Army Hotel. I missed that bus.

I hitchhiked as far as the border town of Pembina ND. I went into a convenience store for a can of pop. Suddenly I heard the whoo whoo of sirens. Dick Tracy stuff, I thought. A border patrol car pulled up beside me and a voice rasped "get in". A small officer wearing a large Stetson, then got on his radio and said "we got'im, we got'im".

He grilled me for what seemed like an eternity. His eyes bored right through me. I showed him my bus ticket from Jack Rabbit Lines Transport to Winnipeg. Reluctantly he let me go, but drove me to within sight of the Canadian customs.

Sometime later, I learned that Canadians were crossing that border to work without permits. It was lower down in ND. I realized the man was just doing his job.

That highway north of Duluth, is very pleasant and there is a nice little town of the way to Canada. Having a car and identity, proving my transient intent, I was welcomed years later, to that part of the USA.