Off Topic: Crossing the Canadian border

[Kez]

I relocated to MA from Ont Canada 5 years ago. The move plus the new job have prevented me from visiting family and friends more than a couple of time.

A month and a half ago, my mother suddenly became ill. Within the last two weeks I drove to Ottawa twice when she was hospitalized. We lost her last Tuesday. I had to return to MA to prepare for the funeral service. I guess somehow the three trips within a short span rasied suspicion. When I tried to cross the Vermont Highgate border again on Thursday to attend the wake, the Canadian border officer asked a series of question, then he order a vehicle search.

I have no idea what they were looking for. I guess it was either weapons, drugs or other illegal items. That search lasted about 20min to 1/2 hour. Of course they found nothing. They were thorough enough to open up everything under the hood including the airfilter housing. They were obviously not mechanically inclinded and left the cover open and I drove the remaining trip (350KM) with the engine sucking in grits.

I have a rather unusual name so the chances of mistaken identity is remote. Losing someone close is not easy but the experience at the border just made the whole thing worse.

I can't help but wonder what would happen if I were to bring a boat or my RC plane across the Canadian border.

Just a sigh...

Kez

 

[opio]

sorry for your lose, and having to deal with that on top of it, not a good day at all.

 

[Hydro Junkie]

I had trouble at the border crossing at Niagara Falls two years ago. Was grilled for around 30 minutes by the Canadian guard in the booth. Ran the gamut from "why was I going to Canada" to "how much money did I have" to "who's car was I driving" and "why didn't I have any suitcases in the car". Though the lady was just having a bad shift, until now anyway. Coming back into New York took about 90 seconds at the gate, so I'm wondering why I got such a hard time from the Canadian border guard. Must be something about the New England area as I've never had any problem crossing either way between Washington and British Columbia. To take an R/C across the border, you need to get a form from the US side verifiying that you took it from the US and didn't buy it there. Somehow I can see the "officials" ripping the R/C apart "just because"

Sorry to hear about your mother, my condolences to you and your family

 

[llema]

I've traveled across the US/Canada border several times with RC boats in the past 5 years or so. It has become a little bit more complicated, granted, but all in all it has always been ok. You have to remember, these people are doing their jobs. Also remember there has been a LOT of pressure on border crossing officials since 911, be it on the Canadian side or the US side.

I am Canadian resident and have ALWAYS had much more trouble coming back into Canada than going into the US. I find that odd, but that's how it's been so far.

Little side story: I went into Michigan 2 years ago, crossing at Sarnia Ontario, and bought a trailer from a friend there. On the way back into Canada at night I declared the trailer (even though it was still plated and I probably could have driven on through without a problem) and they had me go inside to pay taxes owed on the trailer. Once that was done they declared a vehicle search. It was about midnight and I was with my brother. They pretty much treated us like criminals. Took our cell phones, had us stand in front of the vehicle hands out of pockets, told me it was impossible that I had paid so little for the trailer ( I had actually declared the true amount of the sale, and had a receipt). These officials (man and woman) were real *sses. They stripped EVERYTHING ... Funny part??? There was a small RC boat in the back seat that I had just got from my friend, no receipt, nothing, and they never even asked about that!!! Whatever.

Get your passports, be honest and courteous and most of the time all goes well. If they are a bit more persistent, just try to keep telling yourself they're just doing their jobs. Some are really annoying, but not much we can do about it.

*** maybe someday our two countries will wake up and realize that sharing resources to guard the perimeter of both our countries jointly would be much better than isolating each other more and more with the border between us. Trade has been severely damaged in the past years with all the changes and added security and processes. It's only getting worse. We need to work together not against each other.

 

[LarryConrad]

It was always the U.S. Customs officers that I had problems with when coming back from Canada. I have not so fond memories of helping reassemble a freinds '71 Cutlass Convertible in Jackman, Maine. They gutted the interior, emptied the trunk, removed air cleaner housing ect. They didn't find what they were looking for, and didn't put anything back the way they found it either.

 

[Kez]

Opio, Hydro Junkie, thanks for the condolences.

Ilema,

They pretty much treated us like criminals. Took our cell phones, had us stand in front of the vehicle hands out of pockets

My wife and I got pretty much the same treatment.

Get your passports, be honest and courteous

Basically I did not have a chance to be not courteous. The border guard asked me where we were going and why. I told him we were going to my mother funeral. Then he asked if the vehicle beloged to me to which I ansered yes. Then he asked me to pull over to the left as they needed to search my vehicle.
The searched the clothing we brought for the funeral, opened up the suitcase, and opened up everything under the hood, the trunk etc. It was obvious that they were looking for something.

Laedco, I am Canadian living in the US but I have never had any problem crossing the US border. In fact, both times on my return trip the US border guards were polite and offered his codolences. It is my own government who somehow find that visiting one's parent and going to a funeral is a suspicous activity.

Kez

 

[M@MRacing]

Same experiance here always went across a Windsor to London not one problem with the boats i go over with my Vette and i get told to go to the side so they can strip it they found nothing of course but did they put things where they found it no i had to spend another half hour putting the car back in place.

 

[Mike Hallam]

I go across the border from Canada to the US about once a week as does Steve Peterson. Never have an issue getting into the US with the trailer loaded with all my RC boats. I've been checked twice in the last 20 years. However, last week I went across with my new motorcycle and they pulled over to check inside my saddle bags. Give me a break!!! They just said that I was the next vehicle to be pulled over for inspection. There's never an issue getting back into Canada. I can be in the US for less than a day and as long as I don't spend more than about $ 400, they don't really care.

Just make sure you take your sunglasses off, don't be smoking and answer only what you are asked......no problems.

 

[Bob Morton]

I have gone back and fourth and never had a problem. The guard like my boats.

Bob

 

[Ray Sametz]

I have gone back and fourth and never had a problem. The guard like my boats.

Bob

Nails, you a smooth criminal. :lol: :lol: