Gary_Yngve Posted October 27, 2003 Posted October 27, 2003 The unbelievable happened. We pulled into the border crossing on the way to Penticton, with half of our car having passports and the other half having drivers licenses and unofficial photocopies of birth certificates. They wouldn't let us in. The border crossing dude was extremely rude and disrespectful, despite the fact that we were being polite. We've all gotten into Canada countless times before, even in the past month, but this time we got screwed. We then tried the crossing fifteen miles away in Nighthawk, and the border guard yelled at us for shopping for a crossing (the other place warned them) and threatened to have us banned from Canada for ten years. What the fuck? We managed to salvage the weekend with some cragging at Leavenworth, but we missed out with hooking up with the other UW car and the VOC folk in Skaha. Quote
Billygoat Posted October 27, 2003 Posted October 27, 2003 Why?! Cause not everyone had passports? Quote
Fairweather Posted October 27, 2003 Posted October 27, 2003 Maybe it was that NRA Life Member bumper sticker on your car? Quote
thelawgoddess Posted October 27, 2003 Posted October 27, 2003 they must have given a reason why. was it the unofficial copies of birth certificates? that would be totally legit. Quote
Gary_Yngve Posted October 27, 2003 Author Posted October 27, 2003 Billygoat said: Why?! Cause not everyone had passports? Yes. You have to have: passport or drivers license + certified copy of birth certificate Quote
Alpinfox Posted October 27, 2003 Posted October 27, 2003 That's still BS. I can only assume they were trying to make an example of you or that border guard was in an extremely bad mood and wanted to take it out on someone. Sucks. We should nuke Canada, it's the only appropriate response. I'm going to email my congresswoman right now! Quote
Dru Posted October 27, 2003 Posted October 27, 2003 you should see some of the shit we take from US border guards Quote
Alpinfox Posted October 27, 2003 Posted October 27, 2003 Well maybe ya'll should nuke the US. Oh wait, ya'll ain't got no nukes! BWAHAHAHA!!! Quote
Billygoat Posted October 27, 2003 Posted October 27, 2003 Shit, if they don't need 'em, why the fuck should we?! Quote
Fairweather Posted October 27, 2003 Posted October 27, 2003 Billygoat said: Shit, if they don't need 'em, why the fuck should we?! I sleep better at night knowing we have them. ...and NO, Canada does not posses nuclear weapons. I believe they enjoy a nuclear umbrella provided them by The United States, Britan, and France(?). Quote
Szyjakowski Posted October 27, 2003 Posted October 27, 2003 welcome to the newworld... I would recommend gettin a passport if you don't have one (even if you don't go north)....it makes domestic airline travel much smoother. I am sure "we" have nukes in canada Quote
Dru Posted October 27, 2003 Posted October 27, 2003 we could probably rig a CANDU to blow up real good but why would we need nukes when we could send some tourists down to vegas with anthrax spores or just put a bunch of fuel oil fertilizer bombs in boxcars nukes are so 20th century Quote
Billygoat Posted October 27, 2003 Posted October 27, 2003 So true.....The future's so bright I have to wear Quote
Dru Posted October 27, 2003 Posted October 27, 2003 i'm not very imaginative, i stole those ideas from www.islamicterrorist.com we could breed rabid snaffle lemmings and send them swarming south in a furry carpet of destruction!!!! like so Quote
Billygoat Posted October 27, 2003 Posted October 27, 2003 What! Are YOU scared that THEY are going to noticed what YOU said...... Quote
slothrop Posted October 27, 2003 Posted October 27, 2003 Damn, Gary, that's terrible! Maybe you should call the border office and complain to a supervisor about the asshole guard. Of course, that'll probably put you on The Blacklist. fascist assholes! Quote
jefffski Posted October 27, 2003 Posted October 27, 2003 do you have ANY idea how hard it is for us canadians to go to your country? if you want to visit, we'd be glad to have you, but you must follow the instructions. i'm surprised they allowed you BACK into the US without official documents. count yourselves lucky. Quote
Alpinfox Posted October 27, 2003 Posted October 27, 2003 PFFFTTTT!!! No Jeffski. Most Americans do just fine going to/from Canuckaland with just a DL (even after 911). "Well, remember to bring that birth certificate NEXT time or we might not let you in/out...." This was a freak job by some border guard who's girlfriend prolly just left him or sumfin. Quote
slothrop Posted October 27, 2003 Posted October 27, 2003 An asshole is an asshole, Canadian or American. What's a "certified" copy anyway? Notarized? And exactly how hard is it for a Canadian to get into the US? If they don't allow you back in, do you have to live in Blaine the rest of your life? Is that why that town exists? Quote
Gary_Yngve Posted October 27, 2003 Author Posted October 27, 2003 jefffski said: do you have ANY idea how hard it is for us canadians to go to your country? if you want to visit, we'd be glad to have you, but you must follow the instructions. i'm surprised they allowed you BACK into the US without official documents. count yourselves lucky. We had an official document. A document from Canada saying they turned our asses around. Quote
snoboy Posted October 27, 2003 Posted October 27, 2003 Alpinfox said: PFFFTTTT!!! No Jeffski. Most Americans do just fine going to/from Canuckaland with just a DL (even after 911). "Well, remember to bring that birth certificate NEXT time or we might not let you in/out...." This was a freak job by some border guard who's girlfriend prolly just left him or sumfin. I got turned away at the US border last summer because I only had a DL, which is essentially all that Gary had. Quote
Gary_Yngve Posted October 27, 2003 Author Posted October 27, 2003 snoboy said: Alpinfox said: PFFFTTTT!!! No Jeffski. Most Americans do just fine going to/from Canuckaland with just a DL (even after 911). "Well, remember to bring that birth certificate NEXT time or we might not let you in/out...." This was a freak job by some border guard who's girlfriend prolly just left him or sumfin. I got turned away at the US border last summer because I only had a DL, which is essentially all that Gary had. Not to nitpick, but I had my passport. Two of the other folks in the car just had DL and photocopy of birth certificate*. We were all a bunch of white, born-in-America college students. Our van was full of climbing gear. We didn't look like a bunch of terrorists or drug traffickers (not that anyone smuggles pot into Canada...). *They had both used that combination at least a dozen times this past summer... going to Selkirks, Bugs, Coast, coming back from Alaska.... Quote
Mtguide Posted October 27, 2003 Posted October 27, 2003 I've had several experiences with rude,offensive Canadian border guards.Many of them are extremely conservative,and if you appear to be the least bit "counter-culture",there are some who will totally overreact.I wear a small turquoise post in my left ear,(And no,I do not have long hair)and the first time I went through the border wearing it(I'd forgotten to take it out)we were detained for several hours while our car and everything in it were searched for drugs--all packs and containers dumped out,everything opened-everything.As the search progressed and nothing was found,the agent became even more angry and abusive.Finally we were allowed to continue when an older,more civil agent took the rude(and much younger) one aside and after an brief and evidently very tense discussion the older man told us we were free to go.Almost 30 years ago,I was hitching up to BC and bought a bus ticket to go through the crossing.When the agents boarded the bus they were unbelievably hostile,and again,very young.As one agent walked up the aisle,he saw an old woman sitting there,innocently smiling,and shouted at her to wipe the smile off her face;she started crying,and when a couple of other passengers started to object they were absolutely screamed at to SHUT UP if they didn't want to be immediately arrested.Back in these days I did have long hair,and was traveling with a large backpack;I was detained,as was the entire bus,my pack was taken out of the baggage compartment,and in the station I was strip-searched,and my pack and all its contents completely searched; I was finally allowed to proceed into Canada because my ID was all in order,I was going to visit friends who were respectable Canadian citizens,and I had enough money to satisfy the guards that I would not become a derelict ward of the crown in the 3 weeks of my intended stay.All of this was done in the most icy,hostile manner possible.Since then,there have been other occasional instances,though nothing quite as unpleasant as those two. In their defense,border guards are govt.civil servants who don't make very much money,have a huge responsibilty,and are ridden very hard by the bureacrats above them.They do have to deal with all kinds of truly criminal kinds of characters,are pretty much stuck in their little spot at the border watching an endless stream of American affluence parade before their eyes,and it doesn't take long for them to get really sour.Of course,they knew what the job was when they took it. Quote
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