AlanAndreasen Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 I was on an Emerald Knights (Iowa) bus as we crossed the border back into the US. The customs/immigration dude asks "You're all US citizens, right?" I swear the whole dang bus turns and stares at me. Everyone was dead silent. How the heck the guy didn't think that something was suspicious I'll never know. Oh, yes by the way, I'm British. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDale Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 (edited) It didn't take Jack Bevins long to figure it all out. Being from SoCal, he usually had a couple of illegal aliens on board.He told me that on tour, when a border crossing was upcoming, the VK would intentionally be the last to leave the contest site and housing. The first corps across the border would have their whole entourage searched. That was a full workload for the border patrol, so they would wave through the rest of the groups. [Truth be told - Jack wasn't that worried about having a few marchers detained. He just didn't want his stash of American beer confiscated.] I remember getting ripped apart in '85. Go figure. Our busses were OK, but the staff bus.... You just did not want to take apart a Kiltie bus either. Edited February 2, 2010 by BigDale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrunchyTenor Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 I remember getting ripped apart in '85. Go figure.Our bussed were OK, but the staff bus.... See? The year after I leave and everything goes in the dumper! Garry in Vegas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDale Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 (edited) See? The year after I leave and everything goes in the dumper!Garry in Vegas No, 9th at DCI East, Lancers made finals, Troopers took 12 and Star of Indihoohoo did not make it. I thought, in my little heart, we could have just stopped there! So wrong was I. Edited February 2, 2010 by BigDale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flugelswerebugels Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 DCI Canada used to be a great show in the early 1980's. But I do remember lots of corps not bringing their souvie trucks over the border due to the difficulties involved with the product, sales etc. Is it true that the reason there is no video of 1981 finals is because PBS was not allowed to bring their cameras into Canada, due to some kind of import restriction or outrageous tariff? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
byline Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 Is it true that the reason there is no video of 1981 finals is because PBS was not allowed to bring their cameras into Canada, due to some kind of import restriction or outrageous tariff? My understanding is that DCI didn't nail down all the legal issues involved with filming and broadcasting finals from Canada, and so the finals telecast didn't happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commander71 Posted February 5, 2010 Share Posted February 5, 2010 (edited) Is it true that the reason there is no video of 1981 finals is because PBS was not allowed to bring their cameras into Canada, due to some kind of import restriction or outrageous tariff? I am unsure about that particular story...I do know that the local TV station, CHCH in Hamilton did a full broadcast of the DCI Canada regional shows held there including Steve Rondinaro guest hosting with the Mohawk College jazz program coordinator (they had a wonderful program back then) and one of the local TV personalities...it was as well done as the PBS version in my opinion. I have a couple video tapes of it still. The jazz program guy was ecstatic over Spirit of Atlanta's show ("That Cat is High", "Sweet Georgia Brown" and the old time revival meeting portion of the show). Edited February 5, 2010 by Commander71 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legolaus Posted February 6, 2010 Share Posted February 6, 2010 As a corps director (and formerly Canadian) I had a fairly lengthy speech developed each year I would give to the (American) corps the night before crossing the border. It was strongly worded and included "these border guards have no sense of humor and don't want to be exposed to yours!" I was very clear about what I expected and that this was not the moment to be a smart ###. Over ten years of my group crossing the border we never once got checked and not one of the members choose that moment to try out their new comedy routine. Earlier in my life, when I moved from Canada to the States to continue my drum corps career I was stopped at the border while trying to move to the States permanently. I had loaded up my car with everything I owned including my TV. The guard pretty much knew what I was up to immediately I think. They went through my car and found letters from my American girlfriend stating how excited she was that I was moving to Madison. That pretty much sunk my battle ship. They turned me away at the border. I drove up north about three hours, found a dumpster and threw most of my stuff in (including my TV and the letters from my girlfriend!). I drove east about five hours to the next border crossing and crossed no problem. Five years later I had my American citizenship and lived happily ever after. True story.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnZ Posted February 6, 2010 Share Posted February 6, 2010 the already established corps director's pleads/warnings/threats as noted before, one late night crossing for us went something like this: Border guard steps on the bus: "Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Is everyone here a citizen of the US?" From somewhere in the back:.........'si'........... guard: "Everyone off the bus!" Director: "####!" Guard: "you're first" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 (edited) Yeah, better not bring any of those government de-stabilizing Cuban cigars into the US. We sometimes had to dump our lunch when crossing to a St. Joe's practice if we had beef products in the cooler. Beer was OK, but no beef! LOL, the end of our one and only cruise had a last night de-brief that included the words "If you're Canadian enjoy your Cubans when you get home. If you're American the last chance to puff 'em will be right after this talk. Yep, you can buy 'em, smoke 'em and enjoy 'em.... just don't take 'em home". No corps stories, just my American citizen aunt who lived in England for 35+ years (resident alien) getting stopped at Buffalo on her way to see her kid in Toronto. Guard asks one by one for citizenship and the last one os my aunt who responds in a clipped Brit accent "Yes I'm an American citizen too". But she had the passport to prove it. Personally my wife (girlfriend at the time) were coming back from Toronto mid 1980s to see my cousin and spent a few days at Niagara Falls. Never bothered to pack the crap we bought, we just threw it in the back of the car with the sleeping bags and dirty clothes. Went across the crossing a few times but sure as Hades the last time the guard had a problem with the car ahead of us. By the time he gets to us he's PO'ed and gets hard ###ed on us. Sees the crap in the back and takes my license and says "Pull over there (security building)". I ask when do I get my license back and he repeats the order <repeat our talk twice>. Finally I say "I'm not moving until you tell me when I get my license back". I get "you'll get it THERE and empty your car". We walk in carying a bunch of souvie bags and a guy motions us over. He asks what's going on and we say we were playing tourist for a few days and have a bunch of crap for the people at home on the back seat. Plus we're way under the customs limit and gave him a ballpark of how much we bought in Canada. This guy rolls his eyes and tells the guy next to him "Can you believe they got pulled over for this ####!". Then he tells us "Sorry man, you can go". I was kind of hoping they'd pull a check on us, at the time I had a high security clearance. Edited February 8, 2010 by JimF-3rdBari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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