US Customs Decals -- buy them in advance

I bought a sticker just yesterday when returning from Canada to the
Sandusky, OH airport.I called ahead to make sure that they sold stickers.
I did not purchase one early because I wasn't sure which airplane I was
flying. The sticker is not transferable to a different airplane.


john smith wrote in news:6WTWc.1783$0J6.1640
@fe1.columbus.rr.com:

wrote:
Acquiring the user fee decal in advance has been a requirement for
years.

I'm not so sure about that.

It's a post-911 thing.
In 1990 I acquired one when I came back from Canada.
Prior to departing for Canada in October 1991,because of all the press
about new entry requirements, I spoke with US Customs and was informed
that they no longer sold the decals at that Airport of Entry. I was
advised to purchase the decal prior to departure.
I think that if you are landing at a US Customs base of operations
airport, you should be able to purchase a sticker on the spot, as long
as it is during normal office hours. Just a guess.
It also used to be that Customs and Border Patrol would alternate months
serving the remote Airports of Entry. Post 911 and now that they are
combined under the same agency, you get two "agents" greeting you, one
in each uniform.

john smith wrote in message ...
wrote:
Acquiring the user fee decal in advance has been a requirement for
years.

I'm not so sure about that.

It's a post-911 thing.
In 1990 I acquired one when I came back from Canada.
Prior to departing for Canada in October 1991,because of all the press
about new entry requirements, I spoke with US Customs and was informed
that they no longer sold the decals at that Airport of Entry. I was
advised to purchase the decal prior to departure.
I think that if you are landing at a US Customs base of operations
airport, you should be able to purchase a sticker on the spot, as long
as it is during normal office hours. Just a guess.
It also used to be that Customs and Border Patrol would alternate months
serving the remote Airports of Entry. Post 911 and now that they are
combined under the same agency, you get two "agents" greeting you, one
in each uniform.


I"ve never seen "Boarder Patrol" when crossing from either Canada or
Mexico. I've crossed about a dozen times since 9/11. I've also never
had a customs sticker when I've crossed (I throw them away after
buying them because I don't want to damage the paint on my Mooney).
I've always just given the Customs guy a check for $25. Several weeks
later the sticker arrives. I've crossed via 1/2 dozen different
locations in CA, AZ, WA.

-Robert

"Brien K. Meehan" wrote in message ...
Jay Somerset wrote:

He was just being lazy. You do not have to get the sticker in
advance.

You're just being lazy by offering this blatantly incorrect piece of
misinformation without even thinking about checking it.

Acquiring the user fee decal in advance has been a requirement for
years.


That hasn't been the case for at least the last 5 years I've been
crossing Mexico and Canada. You only have to PAY for the decal at the
customs office when you reenter the U.S. The decal shows up several
weeks later by mail. There is no reason to buy it ahead of time.

-Robert

From the answers being posted here, the local fifedoms have survived
the bureaucratic restructuring.
Here on the North Coast, the Border Patrol do not really have a border
they can patrol as they do in the West and Southwest, so they have to
find something else for them to do.
Although there was an article in the newspaper earlier this week that
told of Homeland Security money being spent to purchase three speedboats
for Lake Erie patrols. I guess they need to work on their tans...

john smith wrote in message ...
From the answers being posted here, the local fifedoms have survived
the bureaucratic restructuring.
Here on the North Coast, the Border Patrol do not really have a border
they can patrol as they do in the West and Southwest, so they have to
find something else for them to do.
Although there was an article in the newspaper earlier this week that
told of Homeland Security money being spent to purchase three speedboats
for Lake Erie patrols. I guess they need to work on their tans...

A couple weeks ago I crossing in from Canada at Friday Harbor. There
was an office that said "Homeland Security" on it and a desk with a
big logo on it. The office looked deserted. I'm not sure if they were
moving in or moving out.

-Robert

john smith wrote in message ...
From the answers being posted here, the local fifedoms have survived
the bureaucratic restructuring.
Here on the North Coast, the Border Patrol do not really have a border
they can patrol as they do in the West and Southwest, so they have to
find something else for them to do.
Although there was an article in the newspaper earlier this week that
told of Homeland Security money being spent to purchase three speedboats
for Lake Erie patrols. I guess they need to work on their tans...

BTW: It looks like the officals in Canada are pretty busying watching
what's coming across their boarder. Too bad they're spending their
time looking for DVDs and not terrorists.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive...41canada1.html

Robert M. Gary wrote:
john smith wrote in message ...

From the answers being posted here, the local fifedoms have survived
the bureaucratic restructuring.
Here on the North Coast, the Border Patrol do not really have a border
they can patrol as they do in the West and Southwest, so they have to
find something else for them to do.
Although there was an article in the newspaper earlier this week that
told of Homeland Security money being spent to purchase three speedboats
for Lake Erie patrols. I guess they need to work on their tans...


BTW: It looks like the officals in Canada are pretty busying watching
what's coming across their boarder. Too bad they're spending their
time looking for DVDs and not terrorists.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive...41canada1.html

Must be really frustrating...
"Ottawa-based agents detailed to the Prohibited Importations Unit are
charged with enforcing the country's Customs Act and, as such, spend
their day reviewing books, videos, comics, and other material to
determine which titles should be allowed into the country."

Funny that Canada has about 10 XXX porn channels including gay porn on their
Bell Express VU satellite system.


"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
om...
john smith wrote in message
...
From the answers being posted here, the local fifedoms have survived
the bureaucratic restructuring.
Here on the North Coast, the Border Patrol do not really have a border
they can patrol as they do in the West and Southwest, so they have to
find something else for them to do.
Although there was an article in the newspaper earlier this week that
told of Homeland Security money being spent to purchase three speedboats
for Lake Erie patrols. I guess they need to work on their tans...

BTW: It looks like the officals in Canada are pretty busying watching
what's coming across their boarder. Too bad they're spending their
time looking for DVDs and not terrorists.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive...41canada1.html