4 chapters across the catalog
Dame Kicking and Screaming shares a harrowing story of being detained and strip-searched by U.S. Customs while driving a used Ford Transit from Mexico to Waco, Texas. A drug-sniffing dog alerted to the vehicle, leading to a full search that uncovered a wad of cash under $10,000 but no drugs. She donated a portion of the "dirty drug dollars" to the show to cleanse the money's karma.
Post-Travel Logistics, Customs Food Import Rules
The travelers returned to a month's worth of mail and a notice to vacate their premises in a few weeks, prompting a search for a new residence. The conversation shifts to advice regarding customs declarations, suggesting that food items should always be declared for "personal use" rather than as "gifts" to avoid immediate confiscation by border patrol.
US Customs and Border Protection, Spanish Grammar Booklet
A practical Spanish grammar booklet issued by the US Customs and Border Protection Agency is deconstructed. The manual focuses almost exclusively on authoritative commands such as "show me your hands" and "tell me the truth" rather than conversational language. The hosts characterize the document as a tool for intimidation and a sign of a burgeoning police state.
A resident of California received a surprise "use tax" bill for 9.7% of the value of art shipped from the Netherlands for an expo. The tax applies to items purchased over the internet or from out-of-state sources, functioning similarly to a sales tax. The recipient describes the difficulty of fighting the bill even after the unsold items were shipped back to the artist.
