The Ugly American

by Sidney Sweeting, DDS

Most people are familiar with the book by that name written in 1958 by Eugene Burbick. It is basically a compilation of stories about the US diplomatic corps and while the stories were fictional the characterizations were true. It tells how Americans would look down on other countries and their people because they were not "like Americans."

Unfortunately we still see a lot of that today.

My office has two sterilizers which have to be sent to Virginia periodically for maintenance. We sent one about six weeks ago, which was registered with our local customs, packaged the way it has always been sent, with the same papers and was shipped via UPS. We received word that US Customs is holding it in Louisville, Kentucky. They will not tell UPS why they are holding it and no one from Customs has contacted us and we have been unable to contact them.

Countless phone calls have produced no result and we finally asked that it be sent back and we will send it to Canada where both Customs and Immigration apply the laws with a far greater measure of understanding and common sense. The latest word we got however, is that US Customs is trying to decide if they will even send it back.

Perhaps some great mind to the North can explain how they could let millions of toys into the US, each containing enough lead to poison a child or the tons of dog food with enough poison in it to kill the pets or, more recently, the tons of gypsum with enough sulphur in it that, when in contact with moisture can produce sulphuic acid to poison the people in their homes. But, a sterilizer which is to be serviced and returned - horror of horrors!

A friend told me that she was booked on a flight to Abaco a few years ago and a customs officer confiscated a pepper spray which she had on her key ring. While waiting for the flight she got engrossed in a book and missed the announcement so she missed the flight. She then went to the same customs officer and explained what had happened and asked for her spray. She was told that it had already "been taken care of" (read: put in her own bag).

Perhaps there is a market for used sterilizers in Louisville Kentucky.

So yes, the "Ugly American" is alive and well.