bigcreekdad Posted August 30, 2011 Report Posted August 30, 2011 After a week at Fireside Lodge on Little Vermillion Lake in NW Ontario, I crossed the border at Sault Ste. Marie at 7 AM this morning. I take 3-5 trips to Canada a year, and this was my 4th this year. I've been questioned by many different border agents, and, by and large, they have been decent people doing their job. This morning was different. When I rolled to the booth towng my boat I greeted the agent with a pleasant "good morning", holding out my passport. Response was... where do you live. I responded Toledo, Ohio and she paused and said...that's not where you live. I said actually it's the village of Holland, Ohio, but part of greater Toledo metro area. After several questions about where I went, including how did I find out about, there was a fair amount of skepticism as to why I would I would hook up my boat, drive a long distance by myself, just to fish. I've been questioned before with this line of questioning but not with the attitude I was getting from this agent. She then asked if I was bringing back any alcohol, tobacco, etc. I said I have half a case of beer. Then she asked if I was bringing back anything I had purchased. I responded that I had to buy a new tire for my trailer. She said...that's all? I said yes. She said where did you buy the beer. I said in Sioux Lookout, Ontario. She then said....I just asked you if you were bringing back anything you purchased and you said nothing but the tire, when you actually purchased the beer also. She then opened the livewell of my boat but couldn't get it closed. I tried to tell her how to do it and she told me to pull over after I left the gate and close it myself. That was it....not the usual "wellcome back", or" welcome home" I usually receive. I was so mad I almost told her what I thought of her attitude, but knowing what that would likely lead to, I just griited my teeth and moved on. I'm still pissed. On a brighter note, the fishing at Fireside was quite good, even though I was in the Dog Days, and the lodge accomodations, food, and owners were fantastic. I'll be going back.
walleyemen Posted August 30, 2011 Report Posted August 30, 2011 I had a similiar account crossing inti the states as well,but i,m canadian, i was asked the purpose of my trip and i said fishing and the response i got was What no fish in canada!I was blown away, i kept my tongue and went on my way but was very disturbed by the comment!
rylan Posted August 30, 2011 Report Posted August 30, 2011 mean while-- with all this wasted time with what seems a good person 3 terrorists slip past... great system. Do they even find the wrong types of people or are they only there to harass, and make things bad for good people.
johnnyb Posted August 30, 2011 Report Posted August 30, 2011 Well bigcreek, you were wise to chomp down hard on your tongue....I've run into a couple nasty attitudes at the border as well. Sure is frustrating that the best course of action is to keep quiet. Here's a funny one a friend of mine from Newfoundland told me. Years ago, before Nfld was officially part of Canada, he was headed to the States with his fiancee and her parents. At the border, he thought he'd get a laugh out of the officer by saying "I'm not from Canada, and I'm not from the U.S...I don't know where I'm really from". Needless to say it was a long ride the rest of the way getting reamed out by his father-inlaw to be I'd love to hear a bit more about what you caught at Fireside Lodge....was just checking their website out on the weekend actually.
icedude Posted August 30, 2011 Report Posted August 30, 2011 mean while-- with all this wasted time with what seems a good person 3 terrorists slip past... great system. Do they even find the wrong types of people or are they only there to harass, and make things bad for good people. Well..................... not too many 'Terrorists' slipping past our collective ports of entry these days my friendly--- i am to understand--but i do get your point 1-800-0-Canada--CBSA Student Border Services Officers application info if you have young people in your lives ALL that may be interested in an interesting carreer it is most unfortunate our fellow OFC'er was treated so arrogantly and with negative attitude we all have trying days---no need to take it out on a"Customer" though maybe the 3-D Facial Recognition Software test was too difficult for this officer--and you got the brunt of frustration "Welcome Home" ID1
rylan Posted August 30, 2011 Report Posted August 30, 2011 icedude -- i think you missed my point... THERE ARE NO TERRORISTS. enough said. unless you can prove me wrong-- i doubt it though.
mike rousseau Posted August 30, 2011 Report Posted August 30, 2011 i cross into the USA once a week... and what ive noticed is that the same officers are crabby everytime... and the nice ones are nice all the time... and any time they are doing random checks or car x rays... they have all been professional about it... the saying that the officer was rude because hes having a bad day... i dont see this... and furthermore... if it were true... its very unprofessional of the officer... either way the canada/usa border officers are trying to keep us all safe and collect taxes to pay for our roads and schools... as long as they dont do a cavity search smile and nod
icedude Posted August 30, 2011 Report Posted August 30, 2011 icedude -- i think you missed my point... THERE ARE NO TERRORISTS. enough said. unless you can prove me wrong-- i doubt it though. Monster Man--fear i may very well have missed your point you have my sincerest Apolo-GEEZE In any Event MM you have some Basic Info on CBSA Student Hiring if you have/know some young person that may have an interest Peace Paul
Rich Clemens Posted August 30, 2011 Report Posted August 30, 2011 I've had those kind of trick questions a couple of times. At least the border agent was good about it. I've my share of 'super cops', but nothing that got me upset. Maybe I'm getting the pleasant ones (knocking on wood).
John Posted August 30, 2011 Report Posted August 30, 2011 Of the hundred or so times I have crossed the border in the past 5 years, all of the agents on both sides, coming and going, have been professional and polite. Some like to ask ambiguous questions to see if they can get you frazzled, but by and large I have been treated well by a group of guys and gals who have a tough job to do and get little respect from those who travel back and forth for business and/or pleasure.
ctranter Posted August 30, 2011 Report Posted August 30, 2011 I commuted to Buffalo once a week for Teachers College for 2 semesters and had really funny experiences with border guards. Going back in to Canada was always like this: "Are you bringing anything back with you?"....me: "Just knowledge and debt, officer"... they always laughed and waved me through. I've been told certain crossings are known for having idiotic guards, but I never had a bad experience crossing at Fort Erie...probably because I'm white and racial profiling is rampant at border crossings. It's an extremely stressful job and I feel bad for people that do it for their entire careers. Every job has bullies and border guards are no different. It's a shame that, sometimes, these guards offer visitors a bad first impression of the country and it's people.
Dara Posted August 31, 2011 Report Posted August 31, 2011 you poor dear...the border guard wasn't nice to you...here's a tissue
Billy Bob Posted August 31, 2011 Report Posted August 31, 2011 Dumbest question I ever had while entering Ontario while towing my fishing boat was "do you have any knifes" and I said NO.....I was waved through...I got about 100 yards away and thought to myself that I have 4 knifes on the boat and 3 in the truck......who goes fishing without a knife.....
Dave Bailey Posted August 31, 2011 Report Posted August 31, 2011 When my daughter (Darth Meagan) was about 3 we decided to take a trip across to the Niagara Falls Aquarium. We were greeted by a polite but business-like U.S. Customs man, who gave us the standard questions and a good look up and down the vehicle, and then he waved us through. Seconds after starting to roll my daughter said rather loudly "Phew, that was close!" To this day we don't know where she learned the phrase or why she said it, but we do know that if she had uttered it a few seconds earlier we would probably still be there trying to explain our way out of the situation Women are pure concentrated evil, and that goes for little girls too. They hide behind a veneer of charm, coiled and ready to strike... < appearance < reality
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