> Yes..... firing a 12G in Denver, CO will get you a visit from the "We are=
 here to help you" people.

Apropos of which.

These helpful folks seem to be able to be found all over.

Genuine.
Sign in railway station, Qingdao, China.
Not verbatim (although I will have a photo of it).
Close enough to get the point:
This was during the bird flu scare a few years back:

" Dear traveller - If you are feeling unwell or have a cough or cold
or a temperature or require medical assistance please visit the office
at platform xxx and our trained staff will be pleased to assist"

                      China national quarantine service.

When travelling in Asia I never have a cough, cold, sore throat,
temperature or feel sick in any way. By definition.

Genuine:
We met a couple in China who were in good health and had been
throughout. On a hot summers day when leaving (they thought) Vietnam
he carried her pack as well as his as they entered the border customs
checkpoint. This was a very very bad idea. Two weeks in an isolated
6th world hospital while they conducted numerous tests and were
quarantined. She stayed with him throughout but was not tested or
checked in any way. Complete nonsensical brain dead bureaucratic make
work of the very worst kind. Basic checking would have taken perhaps
an hour. Logic was carefully avoided. Totally destroyed the end of a
holiday and cost them substantial money. No apology or comment on
release. It happened to be Vietnam but you can have conceptually
similar things happen a hemisphere away.

Genuine:
Then there was the American who tried to re-enter China on a day trip
after his 6 month visa had been upgraded to a one day one without his
knowledge ...:-). ...

Another time / probably told before: I entered China during the Summer
Olympics, and arrived in an Olympic city (yachting). With a very very
very complete electronics workshop in my baggage. My bag turned up on
the carousel only after almost all others had got theirs and left.
This did not strike me as strange, at the time.  Customs: Excuse me
sir ... . And we were off :-) ...



R
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