I was passing through US customs the other day and started to have a friendly chat with the officer as there was no one else in line and I was stuck on a 3 hour layover.

I walked up and said hello followed by a quick ‘How is your day going?’. He responded ‘A nutty day and I am tired’. I responded ‘Know what you mean, just got off the plane and am exhausted’.

Instantly, his eyes twinkled and there was a rush of testosterone as he sensed a challenge ‘Oh yah? How long have you been up?’ I could sense it, he thought he had me and he was thinking ‘Yah, whatever Mr. just got out of business class after your 4 hour flight and custom served meal’.

HA! (I thought to myself).

‘Well, lets see, in your time? I would have got up at about …. (calculating with my fingers) .. 1AM your time’ (It was 3PM at that point).

Clearly dejected he responded ‘Oh, that is early. I was up at 3AM’. (SUCKER, said my inside voice doing a dance of victory).

I decided to throw the poor guy a bone ‘3AM? That is brutal and one heck of a long shift – after all, I was just sitting on my butt for 11 hours, you were working! I hope you are off soon’

Perking up, getting back some sense of a win ‘Yah, it was crazy and I am not off for another 4 hours, overtime’.

OK, I am a little curious, ‘Why was it crazy, it is a Monday?’

He explains ‘Because the illegals try to get back in after thanksgiving’ . Interesting. When I think illegal alien, I am thinking European or South American, so I ask ‘What is your most exotic location that someone was from today?’

He thinks for a minute and of course asks a clarifying question, ‘Most exotic?’ .. ‘Yep, where is the most exotic location someone came from trying to get in?’

Now at this point I am curious, will he mention Libya or Sri Lanka or Mexico or Brazil, or something. After all, it was a CRAZY day. He continues to think, the suspense builds and finally he hits me with it ….

TORONTO.

I look at him. Laughed. Then say good-bye.