Good Border Crossing Stories

[billski]

Got a good border crossing story?

I have lived on the US-Canada border for many years. I have lost track of the number of times we went back and forth. Some particularly memorable experiences

1) Biked loop from Buffalo, cross the peace bridge to Niagara falls. Canada enter: park yer bike outside, come inside and shoot the bull for 10 mins. All smiles and laughs. Returning via Niagara falls bridge, my own country makes me stand in the car queue, on a beautiful 90-degree day. Breathing exhaust for an hour is so refreshing!

2) Detroit - never should have left our nervous roommate drive. With his stuttering and dodgy eye , we were pulled over, they unloaded the car in the parking lot and when they were satisfied, told us we could put all our chit back ourselves and go.

3) Mid winter - my Subie hatchback. Had an aluminum shovel in the back. Musta thought it was a firearm. "why do you have a shovel" , well gee, is IS winter and it DOES SNOW a lot through here. "Really. Now tell me the real reason."

4. NH-Chartierville QC - where are you going? "just across the border." What are you going to do? "to see the magnetic hill" how long will you be there? "10 minutes". Go ahead... Had a few yucks on the road, turned around and was back in 20 mins. "So what did you think?" blah, blah blak - go on... It had to be one of the lonliest border crossing I've ever been to save for Ukraine and ITA-AUS.

What's yours?

 

[ctenidae]

A "couldabeen" story, which didn't happen because of what couldabeen- I spent a couple months in Ecuador many moons ago. Towards the end of the trip, some of us were thinking about crossing into Colombia to climb a mountain that was near the border (I forget which one, or why it was enticing). As we were prepping, I looked at the calendar, and realized I would be heading back to the US the day after we got done. 2 months in Ecuador, 3 days in Colombia, and back to the US did not strike me as a fact pattern that guarantees an easy re-entry. So, I didn't go.

Even still, on the flight out they take off from Quito, adn land in Guayaquil on the coast for exit customs- they basically unload the entire airplne onto the tarmac, and make you stand by your bags as they run dogs over everything. Even though I knew I had nothing in my bags, I was stil sweating balls, and not just because it was 100 degrees on a runway at sea level on the equator.

 

[Nick]

I remember when I went heli-skiing back in 200(2?) when we arrived in British Columbia we had to walk through those vats of vinegar because of the fear of mad cow disease. At least I think that's what it was

Not really the best story but for some reason I remember everyone walking through those vats

 

[crank]

I hired a van to pick me up in Nelson BC and take me to Spokane WA. I had to fly home the next morning ahead of the rest of our group. Idiot that picked me up had no idea where he was going was hours late picking me up and got pretty lost heading back to Spokane. We crossed god knows where, on some goat path back road around 2AM in a big van with room for about 10 or so and just me and my ski gear in the back. The lone border guard looked through every piece of my gear... must have made his night. We were there for close to an hour while he searched in vain. I got to my hotel in time to get a couple of hours sleep before jetting out. I did not tip the idiot driver.

 

[snowmonster]

Didn't happen to me but to a friend. Crossed back from Canada into Vermont. He got pulled out and put in a waiting room with a few other people. He sat next to cute girl who was also from Boston and started chatting. They didn't notice thirty minutes had gone by. They exchanged numbers and were called to different "interrogation chambers." Two days later, they're both back in Boston and start dating.

Who wouldathunk border crossings were better than laundromats for hooking up?

 

[darent]

had a billski experience in detroit, crossed over and they made me pull over, took me to a room and stripped searched me,meanwhile they are tearing my car apart, pulling door covers off, pulled down headliner,lifting the carpeting. pulled my footlocker out and threw everthing on he ground. found a pipe friends sent me while in vietnam, had a inlay of tricki dick in a ballerina outfit on it, duty officer laughed his ass off and told me to pick my things up and go!!, took me 30 minutes to put it back together. officer brought two of his friends by to check out the dickster while putting car back together, was a little nervous till I was rolling down the road.

 

[Nick]

This would be such a different thread if this was a Texas / Arizona skiing forum.

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[Nick]

I hired a van to pick me up in Nelson BC and take me to Spokane WA. I had to fly home the next morning ahead of the rest of our group. Idiot that picked me up had no idea where he was going was hours late picking me up and got pretty lost heading back to Spokane. We crossed god knows where, on some goat path back road around 2AM in a big van with room for about 10 or so and just me and my ski gear in the back. The lone border guard looked through every piece of my gear... must have made his night. We were there for close to an hour while he searched in vain. I got to my hotel in time to get a couple of hours sleep before jetting out. I did not tip the idiot driver.

We need the name of that company so we can add it to a "do not rent" list.

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[billski]

Who wouldathunk border crossings were better than laundromats for hooking up?

Exactly where was that border crossing now?? :idea:

 

[Nick]

Exactly where was that border crossing now?? :idea:

"Border Crossing Dating Service, Inc."

:idea:



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[Cannonball]

Had a serious one crossing from near Mt Baker into BC headed to Whistler. A story best told over several coldies...and best not told in writing. Elements included: significant quantities of contraband, traffic violations at the crossing station, intense inspection and interrogation......and a narrow escape. Followed by stupid amounts of POW and fun.

 

[snowmonster]

Exactly where was that border crossing now?? :idea:

It's the border crossing on I91 in Derby, VT.

"Border Crossing Dating Service, Inc."

:idea:



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Her friends were pretty too. And very very friendly.

Had a serious one crossing from near Mt Baker into BC headed to Whistler. A story best told over several coldies...and best not told in writing. Elements included: significant quantities of contraband, traffic violations at the crossing station, intense inspection and interrogation......and a narrow escape. Followed by stupid amounts of POW and fun.

I like this story already. Any story that can't be told in writing is my kind of story.

 

[jaja111]

1993: Returning from Niagara Falls, ON to Niagara Falls, NY with a car full of fireworks (roman candles... whoopty dooo, too young and dumb to realize PA had real fireworks). 25 year old driving, 26 year old passenger seat, and two 15 year olds in back quiet but drunk indeed. US customs agent never looked up from his paper after asking citizenship, but the bass like thud of our beating hearts could be heard in the car. Man I was scared.

1995: Same crossing going to Pink Floyd at the CNE for the Division Bell tour. I did not see Pink Floyd and I was asked not to return to Canada, ever. And that's all I can say about that.

2009: Returning from Vancouver BC into Blaine, WA after being at Whsitler all week. I was happy Canada let me back in and their ad hoc persona non gartis list was as fake as could be in 1995 to scare some kids, and the return went smooth. The horror is in what was found in the suitcase upon arrival back home in NY. Aside from a bonus treat that made a foreign flick much more interesting, that is again all I can say about that.

 

[Geoff]

I always get hassled going into Canada on business trips. They look at the number of times I cross the border and try to establish that I should be paying Canadian income tax.

My sister has lived in Vancouver since the mid-1980's so I've done a ton of Whistler trips. Back when I was in my 20's, I always used to get hassled by US customs coming back into the country. "What's in that bag?" "Dirty laundry from a 10 day ski trip... I don't recommend you opening it...". They dump a reeking-steaming pile of used ski clothes on the floor. They'd dig through everything looking for drugs. Finding no drugs, they'd start hassling me for duty. "Did you buy those skis in Canada? They look pretty new..." "They're K2. Made in Washington State. Why would I pay extra to buy them in Canada." "Those ski boots look pretty new....." "If you want to call the ski shop in Vermont where I bought them, here's the phone number...."

The airport in Tel Aviv gave me by far the most exhaustive security screening ever. I've had job interviews that were far easier. 20 minutes of questioning. I look over and see my co-worker get waved right through. Afterwards, I asked what he said to avoid the screening hassle. "I told them I'm jewish. They asked me to say something in Hebrew. I told them I bombed out of Hebrew school as a kid. They made some comment about Americans and waved me on."

 

[crank]

Had a good one crossing on our way to a President's week trip to St Anne/ Le Massif a few years ago. I had my son and nephew with me. Guard asked if we had any meat...I did not know you are not allowed to bring meat in and I had some really nice and expensive steaks in the cooler. I copped to it and the guard let me slide.

 

[billski]

Had a good one crossing on our way to a President's week trip to St Anne/ Le Massif a few years ago. I had my son and nephew with me. Guard asked if we had any meat...I did not know you are not allowed to bring meat in and I had some really nice and expensive steaks in the cooler. I copped to it and the guard let me slide.

Amazing. I've never heard of a border guard story that involved compassion and understanding. Must be a world record!

 

[skijay]

1. The Beanie Baby issue. We had 5 in the car back when it was "illegal" to have more than one Canadian tagged. They checked the tags and found the 5 were all USA tagged so we were allowed back in the USA with the 5 BB that were purchased in Newport, VT. This was back when the BB was a hot item.

2. Mad Cow Disease. We bought 3 meat pies from the Metro grocery in Magog, QC, packed them in the cooler to bring back. At the USA crossing (Derby Line, VT - same as BB issue above), the US customs agent asked what was in the cooler. I said Canadian meat pies. I was given two options - 1. throw out in the trash and cross the border or 2. Consume them here. We decided to ride back to the store and return them. It was about $20 in food and not going to waste it.

3. My family is from Newport, VT area and I spent most of my summers up until I graduated college in the NEK. One day I went to Sherbrooke and at the border crossing (Derby Line) on my return they were pulling over all silver / light blue small cars and thoroughly searching them. I had to park the car in the search area, leave the vehicle and wait in a waiting room while they searched it. I saw them remove the air filter, jack up the car and look underneath, I remember them checking interior door panels and other trim pieces to make sure they were factory attached. I think they were looking to see if it was loose that might have indicated it was removed and stuff was hidden in the doors and hatch area. They would not say what they were looking for just that my car like the others , "fit a description". This was back in the early 1990's.

 

[Zand]

Crossed 4 times in Derby and never had an issue. Same lady is always on the Canadian side and always asks the same questions for 5 mins. One time I was going over for the hell of it 2 days after I got my passport and I tried to convince her I was getting lunch in Sherbrooke. The same day on the way back the US guy asked where we were headed and we said LSC and hes like "No kidding I went to LSC too... you're all set" without even checking for a license or passport or anything.

Last year I was on a bus trip to MTL from LSC the same day as the Bruins played the Habs in game 2... of course I had my jersey on so when we were going through the Canadian side the guards all harassed me in front of 50 people lol.

 

[Geoff]

LSC isn't in my magic decoder ring. Is that "Language Studies Canada"?

 

[billski]

LSC isn't in my magic decoder ring. Is that "Language Studies Canada"?

Hint: some college in No. VT