What's the most unlikely way you crossed an international border?

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

Me: in a taxi, from Irun (Spain) to Hendaye (France). It's the same city in practice, but south of the river it's Spain, and north of it it's France.



Edit: typo and map

[grannylib]

1. In a canoe, probably...in the Boundary Waters between MN and Canada

[Superfly]

2. What's the most obscure question you've heard on DU?

I nominate this one...

:evilgrin:

[VelmaD]

3. Hand-pulled ferry

At Los Ebanos - border crossing between the US and Mexico down on the Texas border. You literally drive your car onto the ferry (or walk on) and then everyone heaves to on a rope and you pull yourself across. It was really neat. Someone recently told me that they had closed that crossing which is sad if true. It was a fun way to cross the border and it was the only hand-pulled ferry crossing on a US border.

[TrogL]

4. On a sailboat in Lake Ontario

I was fishing and caught this "thing". It was big and fish-shaped, but it had what looked like an extra head and there was an eye in its stomach.

We pulled up a customs and they didn't want to let me bring it ashore. One of the customs officers starting waving garlic around.

[salinen]

5. Hiking south in the desert

near Ocatillo, California you can straddle the border at will. But only do it in the Winter.

[LosinIt]

10. Me Too!!

Where did you go? We went to Wapoos (spelling?) and then Kingston, and then to the 1000 Islands. The crossing over was pretty exciting, my first season ever sailing and we had 10 ft waves out in the middle. That's when he decided he better marry me, cause I didn't freak.

Where do you sail from. We are at the Sodus Bay Yacht Club.

[Kellanved]

6. pretty much the usual

-car : check
-boat: check
-ship: check
-foot: check
-plane: check
-bike: check
-bus: check
-train: check



The only "unusual" story I know is from a friend:
Germany in the 70s; he and a fellow student decided that a used (former?) hearse would be the ideal car to get around Europe. They left the curtains and everything, just fitted a mattress in the back, thus creating a usable motor bedroom.
To get from one location to another they took shifts, one drove while the other slept in the back...

The problem arose at the German/Swiss border, when asked for his papers the driver gave the customs officer two passports with the words "Here: mine and the passport of the guy in the back". The custom officers went into overdrive, calling for backup while explaining that a passport is insufficient documentation to transport a corpse.
The riot awakened the sleeper, who opened back door the to see what's up - much to the surprise of the Swiss officers.
The story ends with the car (and the occupants ) subjected to a search that GDR officers would have been proud off.

[On the Road]

7. Bulgarian-Turkish Border

2AM on a night in April with crowds of farmers and other locals.

Didn't have a visa. Thought they wouldn't let me through until they showed me where I could buy one.

The train was drafty and the weather was absolutely freezing. Horrible night, but very memorable.

[KCDem]

8. this is a little risque

While crossing the Kaliningrad (Russia)/Poland border, I was hooking up with a Cypriot on a stack of suitcases in the back of the bus. Very international experience. :evilgrin:

:spank:

My husband already knows this story. ;)

[XNASA]

9. Logging Road between Quebec and Maine.

There was an unmanned border crossing shack and we just drove right on through.

I was quite surprised that it was so easy. This was in '78 I think.

[cosmicdot]

11. that strikes me as being an interesting crossing area

did you consider crossing through Andorra - I had heard a long time ago that one of its main businesses was smuggling


just normal things for me ... the first time I arrived in the UK to catch a flight to Paris, I arrived with soiled traveler cheques ... what a bummer ... it took a few days to get replacements ...

while at Gatwick, I submitted one to be converted ... it came back in the tray ... no can do .... on to France to deal with it there ... these were days when the phones were metered ... and had to be fed coins ... I think I know how Lucy and Ethel felt in some of their spots ...

[Zorba607]

12. in handcuffs

[GumboYaYa]

13. Hiking around Chamonix.

You can go from Switzerland to France to Italy and back on the same day hike.

[booradleyjr]

14. bicycle

I rode across the bridge at Niagra Falls to see what was on the Canadian side. I had to stop for customs both ways.

[Insider]

15. thru east german checkpoints

into berlin, rocking rap music in cousin's bmw. we were stationed in west germany, driving to see other cousin stationed in berlin. it was snowing and the border guards were the most beautiful young white men i have ever seen. it must be the best of the best get picked for that assignment. the instructions told us to not misbehave, no joking around, no stopping, etc.

and it was snowing. most memorable.