|
机场惊魂 “嘿！你！站住！”一个站在我身边的男人冷漠地对我说。 我这时正走在美国芝加哥国际机场通往飞机舱门的廊桥上，离舱门只有十来步了。 我转过头来，上下打量着这个言语粗鲁的人。他身着美国边防安全检查的制服。 这个人接着问我：“谁和你同行？” 我向离我几步远的太太打招呼：“在前边。” 这个人对我太太挥了下手说：“站那别动。” 就在这么一会儿时间，又有七个边防安全检查人员围了上来。看来第一个拦住我的人是个头。 “我们是美国边防安全检查人员。”当头的指了一下他左臂上的标志。 “你们随身带了多少现金？”这个当头的开始了问话。 网络上看了不少国人携带大笔现金闯关的故事。我估摸这也就是抽查。心里估算了一下随身携带的现金后，答到：“大约四百美元吧。” “你知道随身可以带多少现金吗？” “我知道不能超过一万美元。”我答道。 “不是的。如果你有合适的文件的话，…”当头的纠正道。 当头的递给我一张表格，要求我填写随身携带的现金数额，并要求我签名。然后要求我把所有现金放在地上，他蹲在地上一一清点。清点完毕后，又问我太太：“你身上携带多少现金？” “大约两千人民币。”我太太回答道。 见我们没有违规携带现金后，这个当头站起来盯着我问：“你抽烟吗？” “不。” “你们携带大麻了吗？” “没有。” “那你身上为什么有烟味？”当头的步步紧逼。 这下我明白了。我当年插队落下了腰背疼的毛病。太太这次来美带了些艾草给我做艾灸。这烟味就是艾灸的味道。我试图给他们解释什么是艾草，艾灸是怎么回事。估摸人到这时才能体会到什么是：对牛弹琴。我的解释对他们来说毫无意义： “你知道我们为什么拦下你们吗？因为你身上有烟味。这个味和普通的烟草味道不同。你说的艾草里面不含大麻吗？” 我心里想：这下完了。艾草里真的一点都不含大麻的成分吗？我只好坚持这是中国草药。好在他们也没有继续追问这个问题。 当头的又要求我打开我的手提箱。看见上面的几本书都是医书，问：“你是医学博士吗？” “不是。但我是物理博士。”我想告诉他们我是做学问的。 接着这个当头的又翻到一本如何做折纸手工的书。在那里自言自语地问：“你还干这个？” 我没有接话。 我的手提箱被他翻了个底朝天。见没有找到任何违禁品，他们又转向我太太。 女边检员问：“你穿的是什么鞋？” 我太太答道：“一个美国UGG品牌的靴子。” 女边检员又打开我太太的手提箱。十分粗鲁地扯开我们事先用胶带封好的盒子。 “这是什么?”女边检员指着一个盒子里的人参。 我太太由于紧张，一时语结。 “Ginseng (人参)”我在旁边帮腔。 “这又是什么？” 女边检员指着另一个盒子里的灵芝。 我一时语塞。我不知道灵芝的英译是什么。其实我就是知道估摸也给他们解释不清。我只好告诉他们这是一种药用的特殊蘑菇。 他们把我们随身携带的所有东西都翻遍了也没有找到任何违禁品。但是他们还是不愿意放弃。一个边检员把我拉到一边说：“听着。我再问你一遍，你有没有…” 我打断他的话：“你们的问题我已经回答过了。” 这位边检员摇了摇头。然后说：“你能让我把话说完吗？” 这时我想起电影里美国联邦调查局审讯嫌疑犯的模式—反复问同样一个问题。看来，人在屋檐下，只好低头了。 “你，有没有携带违禁品？”他一字一顿地问。 “你说完了吗？”我反问道。 他点点头。 “没有！” “你太太是否携带违禁品？” “没有！” “你太太打包时你在场吗？” “在！” “如果你们携带了违禁品，现在还有机会说。如果我们查出来，即使是你太太的箱子里的，你也要坐牢的。” “你们查吧。”我平静地回答。 这个边检员转身走了。 大约五分钟后，他回来了。问：“你们的箱子是黑色的吗？” 飞机上几百件行李，五分钟怎么可能找到我们的箱子，并且做细致地检查。我告诉他：我和太太的箱子一个是蓝色的，另一个是红色的。 为了我们，整架飞机上的几百号人多等了40多分钟。我太太很生气。我安慰她，这不是一个很好的经历吗？多少人都遇不上这事。你什么时候想到自己如此重要以至于数百号人等着我们？这不，我们又有题材可写了。
Startle at Chicago Airport
"Hey!
You! Stop!" A man standing beside me said to me in a cold tone. When I was walking along the covered bridge at
Chicago International Airport, and was about only ten steps away from the
aircraft door.
I turned
around and looked up and down this rude man dressed in the uniforms of the U.S.
border security.
This person
asked me: "Who is with you?"
I pointed at
my wife a few steps away from me: "There."
This person
waved to my wife and said: "Stop there."
At such a
moment of time, seven more border security inspectors surrounded us. It seems
the first one, who stopped me, is their header.
"We are
the United States border security personnel." He fingered at the badge on
his left arm.
"Do you
carry cash?" He began his question.
I read quite
a few stories on internet about the Chinese carried large sums of cash through
checkpoints. I reckoned this is only a spot checks. I estimated how much money
I had and answered: "About 400 dollars."
"Do you
know how much cash one can carry?"
"I know
we cannot carry more than ten thousand U.S. dollars," I replied.
"Not
exact. If you have the appropriate documents ..." He corrected.
The header
handed me a form and asked me to fill in the amount of cash I carried, and
asked me to sign. He asked me to put all the cash on the ground, and then he
squatted on the ground to count carefully. After completing his counting, he
asked my wife: "How much cash do you carry?"
"About
two thousand Yuan." My wife replied.
They found
no trace in violation of carrying cash. The header stood up, stared at me, and
asked: "Do you smoke?"
"No."
"Do you
carry marijuana?"
"No."
"Why
can I smell smoke on your clothes?" The header would like to apply more
stress on me.
Now I
understood the reason why we were stopped. I got the pain on my back when
working in the mountain area after graduated from high school. My wife tried to
heal my back-pain with wormwood. This smoke is from the moxibustion of
wormwood. I tried to explain what wormwood is, and how the moxibustion heals
the back-pain in vain. I believe that people may have a better understanding of
the meaning of playing lute to a cow at this time. My explanation is
meaningless to them:
"Do you
know why we stopped you? We could smell the smoke from you, and the taste and smell
are different from tobacco. Are you sure wormwood does not contain
marijuana?"
I thought I
would have some troubles. How do I know wormwood absolutely does not contain any
ingredients of marijuana? I had no other choice but insisted that this be only
Chinese herb. Fortunately, they did not continue to ask this question.
The header
asked me to open my suitcase. He saw a few medical books on the top, and asked:
"Are you a doctor?
"I am
not a medical doctor, but I am a Ph.D. in physics." I wanted to tell them
I hold a high degree.
Then the
header found a book about origami. He murmured: "Do you also do this?"
I did not
answer him.
My suitcase
was turned upside down. They could not find any contraband. Then, they turned
to my wife.
A female
border staff asked: "what shoes you're wearing?"
My wife
replied: "A pair of U.S. brand UGG boots."
She opened
my wife's suitcase, rudely tore our boxes we prior sealed box with tape.
"What
is it?" The female border security staff asked, pointing at a box of
ginseng.
My wife had
momentary language junction due to nervousness.
"Ginseng"
I helped.
"What
is it?" The female border staff asked again, pointing at another box of
ganoderma.
I do not
know what to say. I did not know what the word of ganoderma at that time. In
fact, I guessed it would be very hard for me to make it clear. I had to tell
them that this is a kind of special mushrooms for medical treatments.
Although
they thoroughly searched our suitcases and could not find any contraband, they
still do not want to give up. A border staff pulled me aside and said:
"Listen, I ask you again, do you have ..."
I
interrupted him: "I have answered this question already."
The staff
shook his head. And then said: "Would you let me finish?"
Then I
remembered that the FBI interrogation of suspects in movies - they repeatedly
asked the same question to make people crazy. It seems that the people had to
bow under the eaves.
"Do you
have carry any contraband?" He asked, stressing each syllable.
"Are
you done?" I asked back.
He nodded.
"No!"
"Does
your wife carry any contraband?" "No!" "Were
you there when your wife packed?"
"Yes!"
"If you
carry any contraband, you still have the chance to confess. If we found out,
even if it were in your wife's baggage, you would have to be in jail."
"Then,
go ahead and check please."I replied calmly.
The staff
turned away.
After about
five minutes, he came back and asked: "Is your luggage black?"
One aircraft
had hundreds of pieces of luggage. How could he find ours and made complete
checks within five minutes. I told him: One of luggage is blue, the other is
red. Several hundred people on the aircraft waited for us over 40 minutes. My wife was very angry. I comforted her: Is this not a piece of good experience? Have you ever thought you are so important that hundreds of people waited for you? Not many do people have such experience. You see, we have a subject to write.
|
|
|
