Feature: James Owens / Norman Magowan BORDER CROSSING BLUES
Border Crossings
Double Trouble
Travel, quite possibly the most wonderful thing that anyone can do, no matter the mode of transport. I love doing it by motorbike myself and I’ll love it till the day I die. Near or far and quick or slow there is such a rich deep experience to be had. There is of course always a pain in the arse and that comes in the form of border crossings. Often there is no issue and you could be forgiven for thinking that the issues spawn from third world corruption!
I’ve not found that to be the case and I’ve noted two distinct issues with border crossing: Government lead complications of control and the issue of the uninformed wanker having a bad day. When the two combine it can test the patience of even the most sedate of travellers.
My wanker in uniform has happened many times but the one that sticks in my memory most was going from Ukraine to Poland – simple enough one may think and I had the same assumption. Ukranian customs was polite and swift even with a lack of spoken English. The border was empty, not a car, van or bike in sight.
Freezing at the Ukraine / Poland Border.... tyre on the line!