Tomorrow, I’ll be back at 6:00 AM. The screens will hum. The cargo doors will open. And I’ll stand on the invisible line between the global economy and the rule of law.
Let me take you behind the screen.
She cried. I felt awful. But African Swine Fever doesn't care about your feelings. The sausage stayed with us. That is the cruelty of the frontline: you are paid to be polite, but you are trained to be ruthless about biology and law. customs frontline
Last week, a grandmother came through. Sweetest person you’d ever meet. Her suitcase x-ray showed a dense, organic block. My heart sank. But when we opened the bag, it wasn't drugs. It was 40 pounds of homemade sausage—pork, unrefrigerated, wrapped in banana leaves. Tomorrow, I’ll be back at 6:00 AM
Wish me luck. And please—just declare the sausages. Have you ever had a surprising experience at Customs? Share your story in the comments below, but maybe leave out the part about the sausages. And I’ll stand on the invisible line between