Lablady2
Enthusiast
Reged: 05/05/04
Posts: 283
Loc: New York City
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Would be interested in hearing any experience or hopefully NON-experiences of anyone who has traveled out of the country after having received a seizure letter. Have only received one last summer and now only deal with an IOP that has a domestic option - so no more of these.
However, will be traveling out of country and have to clear Customs in Spain and of course Customs coming back into this country. Has anyone had any "issues" with them after a receipt of a seizure notice?
Thanks to one and all who respond.......
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t_oshan2003
Board Addict
Reged: 10/17/03
Posts: 337
Loc: East
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none at all. I wouldn't worry at all. Those letters are standard forms and are sent to tons of people. Don't worry, unless you have racked up like 10 letters in a few months I wouldn't worry at all.
Have fun in spain!
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TexasBear
Newbie
Reged: 11/17/04
Posts: 31
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However.....do not screw around in Spain. They have very draconian drug laws and are not particularly fond of Americans. I travel to Madrid and Valencia to see family a couple of times a year, and they looked twice at the pocket bottle of Advil I was carrying. DO NOT try to get anything past Spanish customs - if you are engaged in what THEY see as "drug trafficking" and are convicted, it is an automtic life sentence without parole. Europe is genreally a LOT more strict about drugs in general, and especially towards Americans, whom they largely blame for the drug problem existing in the first place. Be careful with the SPanish authorities and thier customs !
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leap
Member
Reged: 11/19/03
Posts: 101
Loc: blue state
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They looked twice at an advil bottle? So lablady, I guess my PM'd advice about customs may not be valid for Spain. Why not do a paid consult with one of the US OP's and then you'll have your legal scripted bottle for your trip. Sounds like it may be worth the money to stay out of trouble.
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"I want to believe." - Fox Mulder
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t_oshan2003
Board Addict
Reged: 10/17/03
Posts: 337
Loc: East
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even if they did look at you're advil bottle with a frown, is it illegal their to bring in hydro if you have a valid script for it ? Say you are only bringing in enough for you're trip, say 10, would that be a crime ?
I didn't realize spain was so tough.
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madstjude
Stranger
Reged: 09/13/02
Posts: 2
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i never had a problem w/customs after a package was seized. i bet that a record of past seizures is available to any customs agent, but i wouldnt worry about it. it ll just be another flag. i know that searches are recorded. my friend's car was searched once when we crossed into the states from canada. then, about 5 yrs later, a customs agent asked about that incident at chicago o'hare airport.
be very careful crossing borders. be certain you arent accidentally carrying any kind of contraband. it s easier for the authorities to bust a small time smuggler; i doubt they d even hesitate.
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Listvoer
Old Hand
Reged: 01/14/04
Posts: 417
Loc: New America
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I've travelled abroad quite a lot over the years, and have had a handful of loveletters over the past decade or so, and have never had them even look at me funny when i've passed thru coming back (you don't really "go thru" customs itself when leaving the USA, you just get on an airplane like any other time (ie full body search, luggage x-ray, dilithyium ion crystal cromatogrophy, and the rest, not much..!) so leaving isn't really a worry at all. And returning thru customs, assuming you haven't been to Columbia or somewhere particularly strange or controversial like Iran, normally all they want from or about you is minimal. They may run your luggage thru 100 different machines and walk it past a dozen dogs, but as far as you are concerned unless you're a "wanted man" or some such thing, they rarely keep you out. Even then, unless you were bringing in a whole suitcase of codeine or something else suspicious then they just want to move you along so they can get to the 10000 other irritated folks in line behind you. Customs is just basically a nerve-testing experience IME, even when you have absolutely nothing to hide or worry about. Just knowing that a low-paid gov't worker in a boring job had the power to have me cavity searched makes me nervous, which makes me think they'll see i'm nervous which makes me more nervous... point being, best thing is to just not think about it and blow on through like any other tired, irritable, and in a hurry traveller and you'll be fine IME.
To get back to the point, I don't think they even keep records of seizures, much less have them in a database accessable to even the "lowly" custom agent. I could be wrong, but we ARE talking about the gov't that still uses many computers that are 20-30 years old in some cases....
L
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Due to PM spam I rarely check mine so if you send me one, make sure to let me know...
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FatWang
Journeyman
Reged: 10/31/04
Posts: 72
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I went to Taiwan weeks after receiving a love letter with no problems leaving or months later when I returned home.
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Lablady2
Enthusiast
Reged: 05/05/04
Posts: 283
Loc: New York City
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Thanks for the above two posts - will maybe relax a little now...........
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