US Citizen has hard time getting back into US

USA Border Guards Stop Woman for “Sketch”

Keene Valley resident Jerilea Zempel was detained at the U.S. border this summer because she had a drawing of a sport-utility vehicle in her sketchbook.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers told Zempel they suspected her of copyright infringement.

This is pretty crazy. Reading this story makes you realize how vulnerable you are to the claims of some nutcase bureaucrat.

Be afraid, people.

Be very afraid.

:shk:



[edit on 8-10-2008 by loam]

Zempel's passport showed she'd been to Africa, Australia, Central and South America, Mexico, Turkey and Europe in the last nine years.

"U.S. citizens who've traveled to the places I've been need to be looked at.

As an Aussie I take offence to this statement! Since when have we become a place that is suspect to travel to?

Originally posted by Kryties
...As an Aussie I take offence to this statement! Since when have we become a place that is suspect to travel to?

Yeah, I have to agree with you there. I'm in the U.S., and everyone I know pretty much has a good opinion of Australia. I don't think I've ever heard anyone have a genuine dislike of the place either.

Since when have we become a place that is suspect to travel to?

Maybe it's not suspicious to go there but to willingly come back? Take it as a compliment!

The sketch she drew wasn't very good... at all... I doubt it was supposed to be. So how can a terrible, crosshatched sketch be considered copyright infringement? I certainly can't identify what car that was supposed to be. It was just a border agent with a stick up her ... having a bad day.

Originally posted by Kryties

Zempel's passport showed she'd been to Africa, Australia, Central and South America, Mexico, Turkey and Europe in the last nine years.

"U.S. citizens who've traveled to the places I've been need to be looked at.

As an Aussie I take offence to this statement! Since when have we become a place that is suspect to travel to?

Hey Aussieman.

At least you don't live in Canada, EVERYTHING that goes wrong in the US is blamed on Canada.