Well, here's an explanation of my lil' bit of hell I experienced just a couple weeks ago.

For a couple months now, I've had a 7-day vacation planned in Montreal. My childhood friend asked me
to join him at the VANS Warped Tour. He's good friends w/ one of the bands that's playing.

I was even gonna meet-up w/ some new MTL friends; we met through a fellow musician buddy in NYC.
These guys invited me to do a guest DJ spot + lay down some Flute tracks in the studio.

And of course I was gonna spend a couple days w/ my ex-girlfriend + her family (who I've never met in-person).

After getting all the proper I.D. + made Hotel arrangements, I take a 10-hour train all the way to the border.
Each & everyone's credentials are checked which took a long-ass time.

I was red-flagged & removed from the train; denied entrance to CANADA & turned away at the border!!!
Apparently, my DUI charge from 2004 is considered a BIG DEAL over there...
as is almost ANY type of offense greater than spitting on the sidewalk. It was pretty devastating,
mostly 'cuz I was caught completely off-guard & exhausted (I broke night on the eve before the train ride).
Besides, I've paid my debt for this mistake already --
yet I'm being punished again! I was told that this happens practically EVERYDAY out there, but that was little consolation.

It was really difficult to remain calm after hours & hours of bureaucratic nonsense & asshole attitude
(from the Border Patrol). The U.S. officers TOTALLY acted like dickheads! I had to wait hours
for a Charter Bus to allow me a seat back to NYC (another 8 hours). In the end, I've lost almost $1000 on the vacation + got "put to the test" emotionally speaking. I missed out on some great opportunities & some much needed R&R.

Yeah, it sux, & I'm not even eligible to approach the Canadian Consulate (in NYC) to see if they'll grant me
entrance until 2009. And it's possible that I won't be allowed into Canada until 2014 or later!!!

The rules of travel re: PASSPORTS (trust me... I did EXTENSIVE research on this subject!):

If traveling by Airplane, you must have a passport or at the very least have an application that has been approved for processing.
You must prove the status of your application with a certified document from the Official Passport Agency.
This law changes next year; in which you must possess a passport in order to travel by air outside of the Country.

If traveling by land, sea, or fresh water you're only required to provide a State-issued I.D. (Driver's license)
+ an original copy of your Official Birth Certificate. This law will most likely change next year as well;
Mandatory Passports for every type of travel.

Life will never be the same after 9/11 -- The problem is, I don't believe it happened the way the Bush administration says it did.

Outlawfully Yours, DM in da PM