Yeah, he wasn't actually foolish enough to hand it to them right at the booth. He was taken aside for further questioning since he had already been in the US on

Yeah, he wasn't actually foolish enough to hand it to them right at the booth. He was taken aside for further questioning since he had already been in the US on a visa waiver within the same calendar year, which pattern-matched border dodging. He was forced* to hand over his wallet early on and the card was clearly there. There's obviously more context, but it's funny that such a minor thing came to be so important -- and sticks in my head 3 years (and one marriage) later. * Not sure where this fell on the spectrum of 'force', but had he refused, that would presumably have increased suspicion. Damned if you do, etc.