Today on my way to the Web 2.0 conference, I had a horrible flash back at the border at the Vancouver Airport.

First let me explain. I've never had a great experience crossing the border to the USA. Pre-911, I was styling a post-grunge-long-hair-hangover. So naturally, I was pulled aside almost every time I flew to the USA for questioning and a search of my bags. Once I even got denied access because I had a video camera on they way to attend a conference in San Francoisco no less. I was going to post some clips from the conference to the Web - not unlike a video blog. This was evidently taking a job away from someone in the USA, since the video clips would be posted to my company's Website. This was clearly commercial use. I was told I needed to hire an American to do the work, or apply for a work permit. I missed the conference. That is the truth! I may be prone to exaggeration but not with that story.

Any way my border troubles ended post-911. Drug-dealer-chic was no longer on the top of the list of profiles, but there is a new requirement that Canadians have passports to cross the border. Well I didn't have one today. Actually, I do have a passport, but my overly organized wife, Mandy, has filed it somewhere. unfortunately we cannot figure out her filing system. So, I went with all the ID I could shove into my wallet.

At the border, I presented my drivers license and credit card (Heck those are good enough for a bank). The guard asks me for my birth certificate. BIRTH CERTIFICATE! I forgot my birth certificate! I immediately threw all of my ID on the table: BC healthcare, debit card, blue cross, Blockbuster, Safeway, Aeroplan, old student ID (why was that in there it's 20 years old?), my Flying Slice pizza affinity card (it's good pizza), and a bunch of old receipts. The border guard looks up, "I need your birth certificate." Oh crap. I'm not going to get in. I know the drill from this point on. But then.....

He asks, "where you going?"
I say, "San Francisco".
He says "what you doing there?"
"Attending the Web 2.0 conference."

"ok, I'll let you in, this time."

Wow! This must be some conference I thought. ;)