Mercifully I made it to San Francisco this past September 28 and spent a few days mingling with Googlers and other Google forums top contributors and rising stars from all over North America.
My trip started as feared with trouble from the US TSA in the Montreal Airport over my bringing a couple of peaches which I had dutifully declared. I had researched the restrictions and found on an official website that I could bring certain fruit.
Alas, the woman TSA agent disagreed and when I challenged her she decided to flex her muscles by getting all my luggage tossed in search of other incriminating items. The guy who was instructed to search very carefully to see what else I had which was against the rules decided that my carton of cigarettes (obviously for personal consumption for the duration of my stay in the US) had not been declared and thus was not allowed and I therefore was committing an illegality. I countered that there was no place to declare it, he said there was and I demanded he show me. Which he couldn’t because… there was no such requirement.
With bad grace he allowed me to continue to board, still insisting that I broke the rules and I could get arrested. I couldn’t help myself so I reminded him that I am a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil subject to Canadian laws, none of which I had broken, and TSA is acting merely by sufferance. I’m truly sick of this TSA crap. Until they get their priorities straight I doubt I’ll go back to the US any time soon. Not worth the hassle and lousy treatment.
So now to our regular scheduled program: my visit to Google.
This was as usual and as expected awesome in all respects. I met some of my old friends, made some new ones and we had a great productive and entertaining time.
Golden Gate Bridge at dusk
