of troy: While vacationing in Mexico in 1975 with friends, I lost my paperwork (passport, driver's license, any form of identification whatsoever). When it came time to cross back into the US, I walked up to the Customs counter and faced the three agents standing there. The one nearest me stretched out a bored hand. I shook my head. He looked at me as though to say, what?
We spoke for a while about my dilemma. I swore I was from Wyoming, where I lived at the time. He said we can't take your word for it. I finally said, "Okay, ask me something that only an American would know."

The agent looked to his two friends for help. Finally one piped up, "What are the names of the baseball teams in New York City?" and I shot back, "As far as I'm concerned, there's only one baseball team in New York City, and that's the Yankees!"

They all burst out laughing and waved me through.

I think nowadays I wouldn't be able to get through the border quite so easily with no ID.