Frontline Link - Customs

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.

We are the last line before the street, and the first line for the nation. customs frontline

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. Tomorrow, I’ll be back at 6:00 AM

I’ve been yelled at. Threatened. Someone offered me a bribe last Tuesday ($500 to "forget" the extra carton of cigarettes). I've had to tell a bride that her wedding dress (made of endangered moth cocoons) is illegal to import. And I’ll stand on the invisible line between

There is a moment right before the cargo bay doors open, or just before the first passenger steps up to the booth, where the world goes quiet.

The most dangerous part of my job isn't the passengers. It's the cargo terminal at 3:00 AM.