Canada Border Crossing

[davekfl]

Just got back from our two week fishing trip to Elephant/Baptiste lake. The fishing was pike, pike and more pike. No musky and very few bass. The bass were all big and no small bass. It looks like the pike are eating everything. The reason for the post is our border crossing at the Thousand Island bridge. Were were pulled over by the Canadian border patrol and our SUV and boat were thoroughly searched. Every bag, box, under the hood, under the dash. I know my fishing buddy can pass for a terrorist but we are two 65 plus old fart fishermen. Any insight as to why this search may have occurred. I can only guess it was our turn. Thanks in advance.

Davekfl ( Sarasota, Florida )

[John]

Hi davekfl, welcome aboard. Thousand Islands bridge can sometimes be a little more of a challenge. Don't think it was anything personal we Canadians just like to give you guys a hard time...... Hope you had a good trip none the less.

[Greencoachdog]

You looked suspicious!... or maybe...

 

You weren't polite and respectful?... did you say Sir and Ma'am?... a little of this goes a long way!

 

Did you claim any alcohol or tobacco?... I always tell the truth about these 2 items and always take my allowed limit.

 

Were you dressed in a civilized manner (shirts with collars, nice and clean)

 

When board member Aplumma and I crossed over the the Peace bridge in June, they didn't even check our I.D!

 

We did get to play 20 questions with the officer coming back into the states though, plus a thorough ID check.

[tjsa]

"you know your fishing buddy can pass for a terrorist"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!??????????????????????????????

 

What the????????????????????

 

Regardless of his attitude, disposition, religion, heritage, or looks, border patrol will select people at random for searches, but I believe not without due cause for some reason or another.

Have had it done to me going into the US, 20 yrs. ago, well before homeland security rules came about. No worries, they searched, They don't put everything back properly though, you have to do that.

 

Probably wasn't an age issue, nor an "image" issue, just you're turn as you put it.

 

Don\t worry yourself too much about it.

[ccmtcanada]

I used to cross the border almost every weekend and rarely got searched. One time, on the way back to Canada, the Customs agent I was talking to had a sense of humour. She said "Ding ding ding, you are a winner today!". I said "What do I win". She said "A free inpsection". She then went on to explain that on that particular day, every 100th vehicle to pass through had to submit to a thorough search.

[tjsa]

If the border officers let Greencoachdog in up here, you probably have nothing to worry about, :lol:

[JohnF]

Just got back from our two week fishing trip to Elephant/Baptiste lake. The fishing was pike, pike and more pike. No musky and very few bass. The bass were all big and no small bass. It looks like the pike are eating everything. The reason for the post is our border crossing at the Thousand Island bridge. Were were pulled over by the Canadian border patrol and our SUV and boat were thoroughly searched. Every bag, box, under the hood, under the dash. I know my fishing buddy can pass for a terrorist but we are two 65 plus old fart fishermen. Any insight as to why this search may have occurred. I can only guess it was our turn. Thanks in advance.

Davekfl ( Sarasota, Florida )

 

I'm not certain of this but I've always had a suspicion they just randomly decide "Every 8th car gets a going over at the turnstile". If the inspector is feeling grumpy and you push the wrong buttons you get sent to the big house for a proper declaration and/or search. I decided that years ago at a little backwoods crossing leaving Maine to NB. The gate guy tore apart the trunk of the two little old bluehaired ladies in the innocuous sedan in front of us. Then they virtually waved us through. It was the late 60's. We were early 20's in a VW with a crumpled fender. I had longish hair and a big droopy fu manchu and looked pretty disreputable if I do say so myself. I was in my biker/university student phase then.

 

Another time 14 years ago we were on our way back from a few weeks in Fla, two couples in a late model Bonneville. We got sent over for a declaration & search. The young lady who ransacked our trunk under the watchful eye of some stern looking dude whispered an apology to me. Something about it was just my bad luck. We had nothing to find but it sure was a pita packing all the stuff back in the trunk properly.

 

That being said, we cross to and from Cleveland (usually) half a dozen times per year with hardly a question asked. The last time I got checked at all was the Friday after 9/11 crossing at Pt Huron with a minivan full of scuba gear heading for Gilboa. One guy in front with a gun, one guy at my door asking questions and one guy at the tailgate rifling through my stuff. Lotsa guns and fatigues in view.

 

I still laugh about the guy searching the back asking "Are those scuba tanks full?". I sighed at the prospect of dumping $100 worth of air & nitrox and answered "Yeah.". He shrugged and said "Uh. OK." Mebbe he figgered all those huge steel and aluminum cylinders were just way too obvious a place to be carrying bombs or poison gas or fertilizer or whatever the heck they were searching for.

 

JF

[JohnF]

Reminds me of another crossing one evening with my wife in the car. I think we were in her new car so we weren't looking too disreputable. Anyway, the young man at the gate asked where we were going or whatever they ask, and we said Stratford. He perked up and said he used to live there and asked a few questions about some of the folks he remembered. We were having a nice pleasant conversation when I noticed that there were a few cars waiting behind us. I suggested to him that we were holding up the other folks. He looked back at them and then said "No problem. Just wave your arms around like you're arguing with me. They'll stay calm.". I forget his exact words but it was something like that about pretending to be angry with him. He went on to say it was good for folks to see others get a little hassle there. So we reminisced for a bit longer until he decided we'd made enough of an impression on those behind.

 

I was never entirely certain though that he wasn't just keeping me talking to see if I was really lying about something. My wife said the same thing as we finally drove away. We're becoming a world of cynics.

 

JF

[Whopper]

Davekfl it was probably just your turn, random check. Don't take it personal, I've crossed mutiple times a year the last few years at different crossings and there all different, some good some not so good going either way, their just doing their jobs. The heavier crossing are the most prone to get a full search in my opinion. All you can do is have all the proper paperwork be polite and answer all the question and hope for the best. Good luck in your future travels.

 

Cheers

Edited July 4, 2008 by Whopper

[oxcowboy]

ive never had any real problems crossing the border at detroit/windsor, usually its just the usual questions like where ya going,how long will you be staying, etc...... last year i had a compound bow that was for a buddy in haliburton, that got a little attention from the border gaurd since he didnt know what it was. they sent me over for a quick search and explanation and the officers were very friendly and quickly went through the suv. and we were on our way.

 

not to hijack this thread, but i also read recently that they have backed the passport issue to june 1, 2009 for land and sea travel into canada if coming from the u.s. all you still need is a birth certificate and driver liscence to enter and return from the states.

 

jason