Sunday, September 1, 2013

PUT YOUR HANDS ABOVE YOUR HEAD

No, I’m not talking about the children’s game, “Simon Says.” To understand what follows you should read my last blog entitled; “Disappointment.” My wife and I were not allowed to transport the remainder of our furniture from storage in Ontario to the house we had purchased last year in Florida. We drove to the border crossing between Windsor and Detroit and were told we were allowed to proceed to Florida but not our furniture. We returned to the Canadian side of the border and proceeded to our daughter’s home where we stayed the night. The following day with the help of my son-in-law we unloaded the truck at a storage facility in Chatham... Now Jill and I were ready to try once again crossing the border but this time in an empty U-haul truck! Some may be wondering why would we drive an empty truck to Florida. The answer is quite simple! After phoning U-haul we were told that we had a contract to deliver the truck to Florida. If we failed to deliver the truck there would be no reimbursement of payment and in fact we would be charged extra because we had already driven too many miles. Figure that one out!

We pointed the truck in the direction of Windsor. It wasn’t long before the bridge came in sight. Crossing over the bridge I made certain this time to stay in the car lane. When it came our turn to drive up to the custom booth I said to Jill; “say a prayer.” “Where are you heading for,” I was asked? “We are heading to Florida,” I replied. “So what do you have in back,” he asked. “Nothing but two suitcases and I explained to him how the day before we were turned back with our furniture.” “Can I see your truck documents and your passports please?” Finally we are getting somewhere I thought as I handed him the papers. He accepted the documents and stepped briefly outside of his little booth. It was then that ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE! I heard a lot of shouting and glanced at the rearview mirror. “It’s the police,” I said to Jill, “and they have their guns drawn.” I thought to myself, “Who are they after?” I was soon to find out! I heard a voice yell; “Hey, you in the truck put your hands above your head.” They meant me! Immediately my hands shot up in the air as I waited the next command. “Now, put your hand out the window and open the truck door.” This was beginning to sound a lot like one of my favorite TV programs Cops, only I was the one being ordered to put my hands up. Carefully I opened the door and stepped outside the truck. Once again I was ordered to keep my hands high above my head and to walk backwards towards the sound of their voice. I had caught out of the corner of my eye a number of officers all of whom had their weapons drawn and aimed directly at me! Ever so slowly I walked backwards while praying silently to myself; “Lord keep me on my feet I don’t want to trip and fall.” I thought that if I fall they might think that I was going for a weapon and some trigger happy officer might fire! As I walked backwards I really wasn’t frightened that much as I knew that I hadn’t been guilty of any crime. What seemed like a long time was over when an officer said; “OK, you can stop.” I was ordered to lower my hands and to put them behind my back at which time cuffs were slapped on me. “Do you have any weapons,” I was asked. “No,” I replied. “What’s your name?” I replied, “John Fraser.” I was then told that they had just received a report of a John Fraser who was coming through and that he was armed and dangerous. The officer who put the cuffs on me said; “If you aren’t that John Fraser which is a pretty common name then you have a twin who looks exactly like you.” He turned me around and guided me towards their office. I asked him; “What about my wife she’s in the truck.” I was told that she would be in the office waiting for me. The officers were nice enough as they lead me to the detention center telling me to be careful of my steps and watch for the spikes on the roadway. Once I was led inside I was asked again if I had any weapons. I replied, “No, and this is the first time that I have ever had cuffs on.” They led me into a cell which had bars on the door, a toilet in the center of the room plus a chair and table. Once the cuffs were removed I was ordered to put my hands high on the wall while they did a body search. I was then informed that there had been what they called “a miss-match.” With arms still behind my back I was led to the main office where they said Jill would be waiting. On the way to the office I was also told that one of the officers would speak to me and inform me how this could be avoided in the future. Once in the main waiting room they released their hold on my arm and I was free to sit with my wife. Apparently as I stepped out of the truck, Jill proceeded to get out her door. She was ordered to remain in the truck. A female officer approached the truck and asked if she had any weapons. Jill replied no and was then told to get out of the truck. “What is your husband’s name,” she was asked and Jill replied; “John.” “What is your last name,” and Jill replied, “Fraser.” She was then taken in to the general waiting area where I finally caught up with her.

Jill and I waited for a half an hour before our name was called up. For the next 45 minutes we were asked question after question. “Where are you going?” “How long are you going to be there?” “Where do you live?” “What do you do for a living?” I replied that I was a minister of a Presbyterian Church in Bermuda. The officer didn’t crack a smile but the female officer next to him managed a grin. “How long will you be staying in Florida;” I was asked? “We plan to be there three weeks and then fly back to Bermuda.” I was then asked if I had any proof of our travel arrangements out of the States to Bermuda. I explained that our travel documents were in the truck. “Go to the truck and retrieve them.” When I left the office I met two officers outside. Not wanting to take any chances I asked them; “Is it all right if I go to my truck to retrieve travel documents.” “Yes of course,” they replied, “just be careful of the traffic in the parking lot.” I said to myself that it wasn’t the traffic in the parking lot that concerned me but rather officers and their guns. The truck had been moved, opened and searched. I quickly recovered the travel documents and returned to the office. The officer scanned them and then said; “this says you are flying to Hamilton (thinking Ontario).” I explained to him that the Hamilton on my documents refers to Hamilton Bermuda not Hamilton Ontario. He excused himself on a number of occasions while Jill and I waited at the counter. Finally, he returned and asked me for my Canadian Driver’s License which he made a photo-copy of. He also looked through all my other documents carried in my wallet. He then asked; “Are you the one they brought here in cuffs.” I replied yes and refrained from saying, “and also at gunpoint.” He nodded his head gave me my documents and said “sorry, we hope that someday you will be able to settle in your Florida home.” That was it! No further explanation why we were detained for so long. No explanation of what a “miss-match” was and NO advice (as I had been told) was given how to avoid a miss-match in the future. We were free to go to Florida. I shook the officer’s hand and Jill and I headed for the door, the parking lot, the truck and three days later Florida!

“Put Your Hand Above Your Head,” was not an experience that I would wish on anyone unless of course they were guilty of some crime. God was good we arrived safely in Florida and enjoyed three beautiful weeks in our house. Upon returning home I have contacted the US Department of Homeland Security and asked them for an explanation. I have received word that an investigation has begun and that they will be in touch with me!

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