G-spotter Posted March 6, 2012 Posted March 6, 2012 (edited) I believe all boarder guards have it in for foreigner. Getting harasser going into Canada is normal for state side folks. I've talked to a few Canucks who get the third degree from American boarder guards. +1 Exactly what I was thinking. I get the third degree from US border guards.....but sweet as apple pie when coming home. Going to the US the border guards always ask me about drugs and/or if I am going to the US to work; coming home the Canadian border guards always ask me about outlet stores. Edited March 6, 2012 by G-spotter Quote
Phil K Posted March 6, 2012 Posted March 6, 2012 The Canadians always ask about weapons when I'm entering the country. "I say, do you have any guns in the car?" I always thought it was 'cause they figured all us 'Muricans were a bit crazy, and likely armed. Maybe it's just me. Quote
KaskadskyjKozak Posted March 6, 2012 Posted March 6, 2012 *everybody* gives me a hard time. I don't understand it, I look like a nice guy. You look guilty as hell! Quote
akhalteke Posted March 7, 2012 Posted March 7, 2012 It wasn't my grooming or my attitude. I had two passports: civilian and official. I handed them my civilian and I had placed my official in the glovebox. They took me inside and searched my car... 20-30 minutes later, a woman comes in and says, MR XXXXXX, if that is indeed your real name, are you or are you not a spy? So, I reply "yeah baby 007" So, I guess I deserved that one... but a spy? Really? Quote
akhalteke Posted March 7, 2012 Posted March 7, 2012 *everybody* gives me a hard time. I don't understand it, I look like a nice guy. You look guilty as hell! You are a nice guy, but you DO look guilty. Quote
Coldfinger Posted March 7, 2012 Posted March 7, 2012 *everybody* gives me a hard time. I don't understand it, I look like a nice guy. Lay off the pig schtick, that would help. Quote
JayB Posted March 8, 2012 Posted March 8, 2012 [video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFfVeXhtRa0 Quote
Off_White Posted March 8, 2012 Posted March 8, 2012 What are you people doing to the Canadian boarder guards? I travel in and out of Canada several times a year. They are always super nice to me. I got the full on violation/inspection when I returned to the US twice last year. No cleavage, duh. Quote
Off_White Posted March 8, 2012 Posted March 8, 2012 It wasn't my grooming or my attitude. I had two passports: civilian and official. I handed them my civilian and I had placed my official in the glovebox. They took me inside and searched my car... 20-30 minutes later, a woman comes in and says, MR XXXXXX, if that is indeed your real name, are you or are you not a spy? So, I reply "yeah baby 007" So, I guess I deserved that one... but a spy? Really? Retaliation for making a joke is pretty universal behavior for officious twits with a small amount of power. I got the same from the TSA for referring to their full body irradiation machines as "nudie scanners". On the other hand Mr XXXXX, you do have some pretty serious military training, though I wasn't aware that Canada was on the alert for US military espionage programs. Maybe they were just worried you'd steal their secret sniper training manual... Quote
j_b Posted March 8, 2012 Posted March 8, 2012 "Stossell's illegal everything" Typical nincompoop demagoguery from Stossell and Fox. Rather than show how the regulatory apparatus is captured by private interests or why the relation of police to the public has to be reassessed, Stossell, of course, finds there are too many laws like that making sure the cab you hire is road worthy and the driver a professional. Despite his innuendos to the opposite, Obama approved fewer federal regulations than Bush. btw, what's the difference between regulating the sale of raw milk and demanding that school children be vaccinated? Quote
builder206 Posted March 26, 2012 Posted March 26, 2012 Since I moved to North Van in October I've crossed in both directions 20 times and have never encountered more than a few routine questions. The Canadian border guards are top notch, most of the Americans are jerks, but even if my car is stuffed with boxes and duffels I zip right through. I wish I knew a bunch of drug users, I could make a mint. just kidding! about the drug thing I mean Quote
sobo Posted March 27, 2012 Posted March 27, 2012 You do know that the DEA and the BATF indexes this board daily, right? Quote
Off_White Posted March 27, 2012 Posted March 27, 2012 Sobo, that might be less of a joke than you think. A current client of mine works in some hush hush branch of military intelligence, and he won't post anything online. Quote
Coldfinger Posted March 27, 2012 Posted March 27, 2012 Well at least somebody has a record of my stealth edits..... Quote
Donkeydonkdonk Posted April 19, 2012 Posted April 19, 2012 The guard wanted a notarized letter from her mother indicating it was ok for me, her father, to take her across the border. This is SOP for the CBPS and not some dickhead trying to make life hard for you. I've made dozens of crossings at Surrey/Blaine, Alderwood/Lynden, etc. since 2007 and learned to have the letter and parenting plan handy when I brought my kid across the border with me. Think about it: Would you want your ex dragging your little bundle up to reside permanently at a grow-op in Lower Canuckistan without your consent, or even worse, knowledge? This doesn't seem like jackboot thuggery but a fairly prudent policy on their part IMHO. My experience with the CBPS is they are polite and professional and as long as you don't behave like an asshole, they are likely to leave you alone. Trust me, you are an annoyance, not a threat. Just don't say "eh". Time tested tips and strategies: have your shit (i.e. paperwork) ready beforehand--don't be the jerkoff digging for his passport at the booth as that's an instant pink slip to go inside and get fucked with. Roll down both windows on the driver's side of the vehicle (so they can SEE you're not hiding anything). Greet them, make eye contact, answer their questions in the most brief, to-the-point manner as possible. Try to limit your responses to "yes" or "no"; otherwise, do not volunteer information and stammer on about irrelevant bullshit. Common sense stuff... Be friendly and treat them with a little courtesy and respect. Believe it or not, those in Canadian border services and law enforcement are usually very decent, open-minded people much unlike their American counterparts who are mostly douchebags looking to avenge the countless wedgies they received in middle school. An aside: Canadian cops are cool--I know this is true because I had interactions with a few who could have been dicks and made my life miserable but instead they rolled their eyes, said "tsk tsk" and sent me on my way. In sum, don't be an idiot and you'll be fine. Quote
sobo Posted April 19, 2012 Posted April 19, 2012 An aside: Canadian cops are cool--I know this is true because I had interactions with a few who could have been dicks and made my life miserable but instead they rolled their eyes, said "tsk tsk" and sent me on my way.No shit! True story... We were a party of 4 in 2 vehicles returning on New Year's Eve from a bust of an ice climbing trip in the Kicking Horse several years ago. We had drunk "a few" pitchers before hitting the road late that night, and the RCMP were out in force with road checkpoints. About an hour down the road, the two guys in front of us decided it would be "fun" to mess with us... They roll up to a checkpoint and greet the RCMP guy, who asks a few simple questions about drunk driving on this NYE... Our friends pass the talk test, and the cop sends them on their way. Just before they leave the checkpoint, our "friends" tell the cop that he'd "...better check out those guys behind us. They've been on our tail for miles, and weaving all over the road and stuff..." Sure enough, we stiffen our upper lips as we approach the checkpoint, and roll down the window to address the cop. He eyes us warily, looks in all of the windows with his flashlight, and walks around my truck and back up the driver's window, where he says to me... RCMP: "You blokes been drinking tonight?" Me: "Well, yes we have. But it was only a pitcher between us, and that was hours ago." (bending the truth a little) RCMP: "Let me see your identification. Both of you..." I hand him my passport, driver's license, and my partner's papers... Now, my partner was a true-blue Brit in Washington on a work visa from England, and he had a passport and his UK driver's license. The RCMP guy is eyeing these documents and bends down to talk to Mark through my window... Cop: "So you're really from the UK, eh?" Mark: "Yup. Just here for work." Cop: "Really..." The RCMP guy grills us a little bit more, pages through our IDs some more, and he's obviously not quite convinced about Mark. Without warning, he dips his head into my window and loudly questions Mark: "Who was the football coach that survived a plane crash in 1958 in which several of his players were killed?" Without missing a single beat, Mark confidently spurts out, "Oh! Matt Busby, of Manchester United!" Cop: "Right! Off you go!" And so we did! Quote
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