Finally in Ontario!
Interesting thing happened crossing the border into Canada. Adam Hayes (co owner of Frank Jones Corner) was driving and I was in the passengers seat. When we drove up to the booth and handed our passports, Adam referred to himself as “driver/bodyguard”…..
” Why don’t you pull your car into this area so we can search it!”!?!?!?!?
“What are these?”
“Those are CD’s. I picked those up in North Carolina for my friend in Toronto. He had them pressed in North Carolina , and asked me if I would bring them up.”
“I see 50 per box , 8 boxes. That’s 400 CD’s They are packaged for sell and not promotion. So we’re gonna figure he’s going to sell them. If we figure $5.00 each x 13% sales tax. That’s a little over $200.00 . If you go into the next room she’ll figure it up and take the money.”
“Are you saying I have to pay $200.00?”
“Someone at the desk will tell you exactly how much.”
“Sir, these are not mine, and I’d be happy to leave them here. First, let me call my friend to tell him I’m leaving his CD’s at the border.” But I didn’t have his #!!! However, I was supposed to play at the Orangeville Blues Festival in 4 hours. The organizer of the festival, Larry Kurtz, was good friends with Brian Blain, owner of the CDs. I did have his #, (sort of)
So, this is the picture…..
Brian has a new CD, and I’m entering the country with 400 old issue, overrun CD’s that he doesn’t expect to sell. The Canadian Customs wants ME to pay $200 tax on them. I’ve called the organizer of the festival (hundreds of people, 30 bands, 5 stages) and left a message with a Canadian Customs call back # asking him if he’s seen Brian. I didn’t expect it to work, but what on earth was I going to do?!?!?! I could see no solution Wait!!! Maybe I’ll leave half of them here, just pay $100, collect it from Brian and say “Sorry”. Besides, time was wasting I was suppose to be performing North of Toronto in 4 hours!!!
Before I could execute my ” leave half behind” plan, the cashier pecked on some buttons and said “$57.00″ God Loves Me!!!!
I handed her $60.00.
“Oh, I’m sorry Mr Dillon I made a mistake.”( Oh, no! Does that mean God kinda loves me?”
In US money, that’s $64.00. I gave her another $5, kept all the CD’s, knew God really loves me and got the hell out of Dodge.
Add comment June 8th, 2011