Date:         Wed, 10 Jul 1996 23:16:05 -0500
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         dave <aircoold@indiana.net>
Subject:      Re: Firearms..(too)long, not much VW content, exactly..

At 12:36 AM 7/10/96 -0500, you wrote:
>VanBondo is not going on the Inuvik trip but had a random thought go off.
>
>Let's suppose "someone" wanted to pack while on the Alaskan Hwy. Let's also
>suppose that it's illegal to carry firearms into Canada. How does "someone"
>get the weapons (protectors of the ass) into Alaska? What are the applicable
>laws? What permits are required?
>I personally have as many weapons as I have skateboards...
>-ellis\

Hmmm... Without getting into a debate on gun control, I would like to offer
a couple of stories about going into Canada. (1) When a previous wife & I
were on a vacation trip that involved a circumnavigation of Lake Superior &
we were about to enter Canada, I noticed that the Canadian border inspectors
all seemed to have like, no sense of humor -at all! He pulled back the
floormat on my '76 Datsun (this was before I was reborn as a VW fan) & found
a bunch of postcards that had fallen off the back of the parcel shelf. They
were invitation cards for a home wicker(baskets & such)-selling party
business that wife #2 was into at the time. "What are these!?" he sez. (as
though they were some form of contraband) "Wickerware postcards!" she said,
"want one?" (with a laugh) "No." (heh) A few minutes later, he noticed that
a guy a few vehicles behind us had gotten out of his truck & was standing
talking to another guy, both of them were towing fishing boats & they looked
as though they probably knew each other. "SIR! Which vehicle are you
with?!!" the inspector said. The guy pointed to his truck. "PLEASE REMAIN IN
YOUR VEHICLE!" #2 & I just looked at each other. I'm glad I had just gotten
a haircut before the trip. I had a beard & jeans & a flannel shirt on- I
thought I just looked outdoorsy, maybe he thought I was a hippie? He did a
VERY thorough inspection of our camping supplies- just short of checking the
inside of our hubcaps. 

        (2) {I hope you don't mind, this is getting to be a rather long
message.} A good friend of mine- a geologist- took a trip one summer to
Alaska with his father. His dad had purchased a big 'ol GMC Suburban (2WD)&
they drove it all the way up on the Alcan highway. Bob, (the dad) was
thinking of trying to sell the vehicle in Alaska & flying back. Dave (the
son, my friend) had to fly back anyway because of the time element. Bob knew
that he couldn't sell the truck in Canada because of red tape, but for some
reason, he just happened to say "Hmm.. I know I can't sell this truck in
Canada!" out loud while waiting to cross the border. That was all it took.
They kept them at the checkpoint for about 3 or 4 hours while they filed &
notarized (or whatever they do to documents in Canada) affadavits (spelling?)
& called back and forth to the provincial capitol & whatever else it took to
convince the guards that Bob was definitely NOT going to try to sell the GMC 
in Canada. 

        Like I said, "No sense o' humor, a-tall!"  I guess the point of all
this is: I sure wouldn't want to be caught trying to sneak a GUN across the
border! 

                                        Later.   Dave Newport