There were reports from border crossing points across the province of young Canadians and Americans beng turned back into their own country by customs and immigration officers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Attempts to determine officially what was happening at the border proved fruitless. Armed with our driver\u2019s licenses, my British passport and Bill\u2019s Canadian birth certificate \u2013 our only identification \u2013 we headed out in my car with two sleeping bags and $42 between us.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n At the Windsor-Detroit tunnel, we announced that we were going to Goose Lake and saw the guard\u2019s smile fade. He asked the usual questions and wanted to see our money while he took a long look inside the car. We did not have to get out and nor were we sent over for inspection. He warned us of freeway problems but waved us through saying, \u2018Hope you get in!\u2019.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As soon as we emerged from the border property we doubled back and told the Canadian officer that we had been at Goose Lake but couldn\u2019t get in due to the crowd. He asked if we\u2019d had any problem crossing the border and we told him no. He asked if the Americans had serched our car for marijuana.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n When we said they wanted only to see our money, he said, \u2018You\u2019re lucky. They\u2019ve been turning back a lot \u2013 hundreds, and so have we. The minute they mention Mosport, we have to turn them in. They\u2019re sent back for any little excuse we can find \u2013 improper identification, insufficient funds, even a baseball bat or a knife \u2013 anything that can be considered an offensive weapon. If only they\u2019d smarten up and say they were going to Windsor or Toronto, we wouldn\u2019t bother them.\u2019\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We returned to the Star parking lot, switched to Bill\u2019s car and headed for the Ambassador Bridge where we tried another crossing. A female inspector asked where we were going and since we were obliged to for the sake of our story, we said Goose Lake. We were sent for inspection.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Two men approached and asked us to take out our sleeping bags and open the trunk and then stand in front of the car. One checked the sleeping bags while the other used a flashlight to explore inside Bill\u2019s vehicle poking beneath the seats, into the linings, the glove compartment and between the cushions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A third man investigated the empty trunk and we were told to open the hood. Two of them checked the engine and opened the window-washer bottle. After another full check of the interior, we were allowed to leave.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n They didn\u2019t mention drugs but a sign on the wall made clear their intention. \u2019A few minutes clearing customs saves others from narcotics.\u2019<\/p>\n Sadly, Bill and I couldn\u2019t go to Goose Lake. It was a great shame as the lineup was very impressive. We had a story to write.<\/p>\n By Ray Bennett LONDON \u2013 With the death on August 2 of my former Windsor Star colleague Bill Twaddle, aged 74, I\u2019m reminded of a memorable escapade we had fifty-odd years ago. Inspired by Woodstock, many venues in Canada and … Continue reading ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thecliffedge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Bill-Twaddle.-Ray-Bennett-1970-152x300.jpeg\")
<\/a>Bill Twaddle and I \u2013 they labeled us \u2018the Star\u2019s staff hippies\u2019 in a photo in the paper \u2013 were assigned to find out what kind of hassle kids could expect at Windsor crossing points. We wrote that it had been a tough weekend for pop festival enthusiasts on both sides of the border: \u2018The world\u2019s largest undefended border was as difficult to cross as the Berlin Wall if you were young and long-haired and said the magic words Goose Lake or Mosport,\u2019 we wrote.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thecliffedge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Goose-Lake-1970.jpg\")
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