The *($%&(*ing border....

Since when do Customs officials poke their nose into this stuff?

Seriously, I've had the question (in both directions) "why doesn't he commit?".

By all means, check the trunk of my car, even keep me for questioning for 4 hours....but, this? I'm the whitest of white people you could meet, with nothing to hide...so I KNOW that border officials should give me a hassle to begin with *chuckles* but why ask me a question that is so hard to answer?

I'm dreading crossing into Canada this Friday, when my completely honest answer is "I don't know, I just want to curl."

I sure hope that I get someone on the border who "gets" curling...

Is that like "spooning"? :)

Well hopefully they won't give you a hard time this go'round.

Oh, I hope so.

I'm not betting on it. For some reason, they seem to think that I'm taking stuff in my trunk that I shouldn't be....

I'm getting to the point where I will be going up there every weekend. Hopefully I will start seeing the same officials over and over again and have it not be an issue.

For better or worse, I don't really see Canada as being "foreign". (Hell, I chuckle to see MGD as an "import" at bars).

And, even though I'm now living 2 hours from him, to say that I'm "going to visit my boyfriend" always brings up a red flag.

I sure hope that the "extra inspection" that they give me doesn't give the opportunity for other "badder" people to come through the border.

You didn't answer my question.:p
Curling? .......Is that like spooning?

You didn't answer my question.:p
Curling? .......Is that like spooning?

Shhhh....don't even implicate that this may be ANYTHING sexual.....

LMAO

For the record, it's not. It's a crazy sport that the Canucks are fond of. Don't ask me why.....as I pack for my trip up there this weekend. ;)

Well we know where MY mind is, haha ..... hopefully it'll be a smooth crossing and a wonderful weekend. :D

Thanks hon....

From your mouth to the customs official's ears. :)

You didn't answer my question.:p
Curling? .......Is that like spooning?
Curling is a very odd team ice sport, brooms are involved. There's a curling rink at one of the country clubs near me.

Curling is a very odd team ice sport, brooms are involved. There's a curling rink at one of the country clubs near me.

It's a terrific social sport. Up until the last Olympics, I didn't have any respect for it....

But, yeah...

It's a social sport, and I'm the lead for a Saturday morning league. Can you forward your message to the Peace Arch crossing?

LOL

Learn something new everyday around here! :tongue2:

LMAO...I almost wish that customs (on both sides) would appreciate all of this as much as I do.

But, until I get the Nexus pass, I guess I'll have to resign myself to the trunk inspection and the questions about why my Canuck won't commit.

And, in the meantime, I sure hope that nothing sinister is getting through....

I've had some weird questions going in both directions at that very crossing and a few others. Sometimes I know they are looking at the birthdates on my and my boyfriend's passports and looking at us and we've had a few "what is your relationship to each other" type questions. But this is possibly one of the weirdest conversations we've had:

Customs guy: What is your purpose for your visit?
Me or my boyfriend: We are going to see a concert.
Guy: What band?
Us: U2
Guy: Oh really? That's interesting. U2 was in Seattle about 6 months ago. They aren't playing there anytime soon.
Us: That's true. We are actually driving down to Portland.
Guy: So you are trying to tell me that U2 goes to Seattle and doesn't make it to Portland for several months?
Us: Yes, that's right. They did a world tour and blah blah blah are just returning to Portland now.
Guy: Big U2 fans then?
My boyfriend: I am.
Guy (for some reason sounding like he doesn't believe him): Oh really? Can you list some of their albums?
My boyfriend: Okay, do you want them in chronological order or by producer? Because they worked with blah blah blah etc. (some elaborate thing about producers and crap) etc. etc. (my boyfriend is OBSESSED with U2)
Guy: Okay, you can go now.

I think they just try to rattle people because if you are hiding something you will start to sweat more or something. But it can be very very silly indeed.

As a Canadian, I can tell you that the best way to handle this is to tell the Customs officer you're coming to Canada to GO SHOPPING. If he questions why, tell him because the US dollar is worth slightly more in Canada and you can get a good deal....

I cross over to the US once a month to go shopping and the US customs doesn't give me much trouble at all. CAnadian customs usually lets me BACK into the country without ID!

When I was arranging to have my Husband come to Canada so we could get married, Canadian Immigration TOLD ME TO LIE to the Customs Officer in the airport and tell them that my H was coming to Canada to visit a FRIEND! Great country when the customs office tells you to LIE to get into the country and stay as a Permanent Resident. Needless to say, it worked though....LOL...

Mishigas-- are you living in B'ham now? What fun!!! (If you're in Seattle sometime, let me know!) I know the border is a pain in the butt, and I'm not a fan of lying, but how about focusing on the things you are planning to do while you're there when they ask you questions. "Touring vancouver" or whatever it is that you and your honey plan to do.

BTW curling has a special place in my heart (even Olympic curling). Chris and I first kissed while watching curling (about as exciting of an event to watch as paint drying, no better time to start smooching!). We still plan to create a curling arena in the yard when we move back to Tahoe some day;)

If an elephant could climb a palm tree, I could also understand what's being discussed in this thread .

What on earth are you all talking about ?????:confused::confused::confused:

Bodhi--she's talking about driving across the US/Canadian border in order to meet with her sweetheart.....

Thank you Miffy, but what does curling, spooning, being whiter than white, noses in trunks .... have to do with crossing to Canada??

Oh, never mind, don't waste your time explaining all of this to me, I'm just a Franco-Lebanese after all :(:confused::)

Actually, Bodhi...I'm not sure about the "nose in the trunks" thing....

Curling- A Goofy Canadian sport

Spooning - A Sexual position (sorta) that sounds like it could be related to "curling"....

Being Whiter than White - Speaks to the assumption that people who look "middle eastern" are hassled at the border crossings...

I'm of Middle Eastern origine. So if I travelled to Canada I would be curled and spooned ??

It's getting better and better.

Sorry, I don't mean to hijack the thread.

forget about me.

Thanks anyway :)

So if I travelled to Canada I would be curled and spooned ??

No necessarily, but if you're darker in skin tone, you'll definitely be stopped at the border.....:yes:

I'm darker skin toned and rarely get hassled at the Canadian border. (The one time was when I was with a white guy). But then, I genuinely am going to either snowboard or hang out in Vancouver. The dollar is not really strong enough to make it worth your while to shop in Canada anymore....

I heart Canada!

hehe...my ex-Husband was a very dark Italian..I was once detained at US customs because he was "suspect"....they asked us a bunch of questions then just let us go through...weird.

Alec and I love to watch curling! :D

I just wish we understood it better! *grin*

Nadine.

Go to youtube and search for curling video clips. Here's just one of many.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idSdnubrlds

So that's what curling is ???. So how could that be a Canadian sport related to spooning, which is a sexual act as Miffy mentioned??? Now I'm TOTALLY confused :confused::confused::confused:

LOL - border patrol between the US and Canada, Aline. You could learn curling (which is a sport) and you could be spooned (by your sweetie later on in your hotel room) but "curling" and "spooning" are two, completely unrelated things -- it was just a little joke :)

As for noses in trunks, we call a car boot here in America a trunk. When crossing the border between the US and Canada, it is very common for a driver to be pulled over so the border patrol can "stick their noses in the trunk" to see if anything not allowable is being brought across the border.

To the OP: don't sweat it... they weren't nearly as scary when I went to meet my husband for the first time as I thought they would be. I was terrified that they were going to find fault with every little thing I was attempting to do. Pshhht. They were fine. On the way back, they started to just wave me through and I said, "no, wait! wait! I have someone in the car with me who wasn't here when I came in the country!" THEN they called us into the big building for an interview (which went fine).

Thanks Kel.:)

Ok, so next time I'll ask my boyfriend to spoon me and I'll see what happens.

As for curling, wouldn't it be nice if this became a regular activity in hospitals ? They seem to be mopping the floors constantly. Just add some disinfecting detergent to the mops and that way they can play a game while keeping the hospital clean ? :confused:

Thanks Kel.:)

Ok, so next time I'll ask my boyfriend to spoon me and I'll see what happens.

As for curling, wouldn't it be nice if this became a regular activity in hospitals ? They seem to be mopping the floors constantly. Just add some disinfecting detergent to the mops and that way they can play a game while keeping the hospital clean ? :confused:

Yes, they should curl in hospitals...oh, except curling is actually done on ice. I wonder if they'll come up with some version of non-ice curling... put a bunch of rollers on the rock.

I've curled... it's surprisingly fun! Actually, I took curling in gym class. And done it socially.

To the OP -- here's hoping they ease up on ya for next time! I know, what a pain.

I always tell Canadian Customs I am going to a funeral. That pretty much ends any questioning.

U.S. Customs are P***ks.

U.S. Customs guy: Why do you have a camera?

Me: To take pictures.

U.S. c.g.: Did you take any?

Me: No.

U.S.c.g.: Well, then why do you have a camera?

Me: To take pictures.

U.S.c.g: Pull over to secondary inspection!

Secondary Inspection doesn't have bathroom. I almost peed my pants I had to so bad.

Yeah, I'm going up there tomorrow to "start the curling season".

It's interesting that there's a lot of laughing going on about this. Doesn't surprise me really. Sad, though, that customs on both sides of the border are wasting their time with it.

But, yeah, I wouldn't expect anything less.

zoliepup...

That's great for you that you don't get hassled at the Canadian border. That you haven't had to deal with their crap for 4 hours, just trying to visit someone in Richmond.

You must have an "honest face" or something like that.

I hope that anyone here doesn't have to deal with this BS. When they TRY to get you to admit to something. Gee, the last time up there, I was asked, "so are you running from the law?"

Kid you not.

They ran my passport and driver's license....but, yet it was STILL an issue.

It's DAMNED hard to not say, "so find anything?" when they do do this crap. Americans, Canadians....it's all the same.

And, at the end of the day, it's a crying shame that I have to have my heart skip a couple of beats going over the border.

I've gotten used to them checking my trunk....

And, that had been the LEAST of it.

I think its more like the snowboard and mountain bike in the back of the car... Having really hot blonde girlfriends in the passenger seat helps. I knew THAT one wasn't about me... The guy was so busy checking my friend out that he didn't even look at our passports!

Mish-ski season is coming... Throw your skis or board in the back and see if that helps!

Throw your skis or board in the back and see if that helps!

Oh, heck, don't think that I thought about all of the "families" with their reservations at Whistler, when I was "detained" at the border.

Oh, hell, get me a couple of small kids, and a reservation at Whistler, and I would have been escorted through the border.

Four hours later....and, me being me, I was looking at how many man hours were wasted. At least 6 people dealing with me. And, interestingly (at least to me) in the 3 hours I was in the "white room", there was one Aisan family and one Canuck that came through.

All that would have been necessary was one phone call. But, no. Yet, if I had a snowboard and a couple of kiddies, I would have gotten through.

Yeah, they finally contacted my Canuck. But, how many people got by in the meantime?

LOL - these posts are cracking me up! I wonder if it has something to do with WHERE you cross. In fact, I'm sure it must. I crossed up in North Dakota and I was really very surprised at how nice the borter patrol folks were there. I'm betting Niagara's a pain. Where else, where else?

I did some research for you to see if there was anything that could make your life easier. Here is what I found:


Happily, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Canada Border Services Agency are cooperating in a joint venture to expedite border crossings for low-risk travelers willing to pay a $50 processing fee ($80 Canadian) and participate in an application process that requires a substantial amount of paperwork and a personal interview with border security.
You can obtain an application and additional details at www.nexus.gc.ca (http://www.nexus.gc.ca/) or by calling 866-639-8726.

You can try alternate crossings:
http://www.vancouver.hm/border.html

Older site with some stories you might empathize with:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-179.html

Yikes, i'm going to be crossing this border soon, somewhere near Toronto.

I will have to be ready for the worst, i guess. Its funny because i'm on a posting board and there's some border agents on the board, and they acted like its "no problem." But i'm sure there's lots of different types working there.

Mish-- a friend of mine and his boyfriend just got the Nexus pass.. No problem to get (as a gay couple) and he got through the border lickety split.

I'm the whitest of white people you could meet, with nothing to hide...so I KNOW that border officials should give me a hassle to begin with *chuckles* but why ask me a question that is so hard to answer?

I'm just wondering why you think being white would or should make you less of a threat to national security?

I'm just wondering why you think being white would or should make you less of a threat to national security?

I don't think mishigas actually believes that being white makes her less of a threat but it would be denying the obvious to say that North America at large doesn't treat people differently because of assumptions made about a person's character based on the color of their skin. Doesn't make it right but it is what it is.

Example 1: My friends from India were given a VERY wide berth after September 11. Some of them were even directly insulted by "patriotic zealots."

Example 2: My older three kids are Mexican/Irish/Italian. Two look Mexican, one is fair with red hair. I was always ID'd when writing a check if I was at the store with my hispanic looking children. Never when with my redhead.

It's because of racial profiling Amina. It's horrible, but its a reality.

Racial/Religious profiling (after all, it doesn't seem to matter that I'm white as snow since I'm a Muslim) is a reality, however the average white person (IMHO) has no right to be "extra" annoyed when they receive the same kind of questioning that so many non-white/non-Christian/Jewish people are subjected to on a daily basis.

As a Canadian, I can tell you that the best way to handle this is to tell the Customs officer you're coming to Canada to GO SHOPPING. If he questions why, tell him because the US dollar is worth slightly more in Canada and you can get a good deal....

I cross over to the US once a month to go shopping and the US customs doesn't give me much trouble at all. CAnadian customs usually lets me BACK into the country without ID!



I've also been told that you dont need a passport to drive over (YET). and it was border agents that told me this, so hopefully its true!! :EEK:

Thank you Miffy, but what does curling, spooning, being whiter than white, noses in trunks .... have to do with crossing to Canada??


Haha, you're too cute. It will make more sense when you try to get into Canada ;)

I'm just wondering why you think being white would or should make you less of a threat to national security?

Oh, heck, I know that it doesn't. I waited for 4 hours to get into Canada in February of 2006. Oh, they just WANTED me to say something to give them a reason to send me back to the States...and, I know, without a shadow of a doubt that if I had been darker and just had a pair of skis and a reservation at Whistler...

But, seriously, with ALL of the information that I know that customs and immigration officials have on both sides of the border, all of this crud, is just that. And, people on both sides of the border are paying their tax dollars to check this out?? Come on now. It would be one thing if I didn't see this first hand. But, yeah, the man hours that it took to get me through customs in February of 2006 was completely asinine.

And, let me tell you something, Amina...it's quite disconcerting when you're asked, AFTER giving both your passport and driver's license, when you're coming up to Canada, if you're "evading the law". It was all that I could do NOT to respond "well, you have my information, why don't you tell me?". Why?? Just because you have to delay people more?

Several times, coming back to the States, in the time that it has taken for me to drive up from the "stop sign" to the customs post, they have brought up the registration history of my car. In literally 1.2 seconds, they KNOW this stuff. I've been asked about the registration history of my car...and actually have been asked, right when coming up to the window...."mishigas?".

So, you can look at this as some sort of crazy "racist" crap, or whatever. I see it as a pure waste of time. But, I seriously have to chuckle when I think about my status as a US CITIZEN, and how at the Canadian border, they were just WAITING for me to incriminate myself back in 2006. But, at the end of the day, if having MY stats there (as the whiter than white American that they gave crap to) enables them to actually go after who they feel are threats to national security, I can accept it.

Oh, yeah, and, for whoever is interested, I kicked butt at curling.

Racial/Religious profiling (after all, it doesn't seem to matter that I'm white as snow since I'm a Muslim) is a reality, however the average white person (IMHO) has no right to be "extra" annoyed when they receive the same kind of questioning that so many non-white/non-Christian/Jewish people are subjected to on a daily basis.

Oh, yeah, Amina, I forgot to tell you about when I was curling on Saturday. On Yom Kippur, no less. Yup...not only do they have a Yank on their team, they also have a Jew.

My friends were upstairs drinking afterwards. I refrained. And, I literally cannot remember a day being up there where there were so many derogatory references to Jews...

Why did I go up there and curl on the holiest day of the year? Because I thought that it would be a turning point in my life....not to be melodramatic about it....but, yeah, I cannot remmeber a day in the past 4 or 5 years that I was happier. But, I'm not responding now to apologize for what I did.

What I am responding to is this "idea" that people don't know or don't respect what others go through. That foible of human character goes both ways. Yup, that idea of RESPECT is lost with many people.

I'm really thinking that I may be one of the few people who sees things like this, but, as a Jew, I can say, after almost 35 years on this earth, that I could see things in one of two ways. Either that everyone is "out to get me" or that "some people are ignorant, which really doesn't necessarily make them bad people".

I'll tell you, the closer that I get to "non-Jews", the easier it gets to tell them just to shut up. Much more often than not, what they say comes from whatever isolation they have experienced in their life....and once they know me, that all goes out the window. :) And, after we get through that "mishigas", all is good.

I like, or dislike people, on the basis of their actions. And, right or wrong, I see "my world" that way. Hell, my Canuck is 25 years older than I am, from a farm in Saskatchewan. Couldn't get much more different from the Jewish gal from NY. But, somehow, we make it work.

I have my own issues, as EVERYONE has....but, I feel that if I kept myself to the "everyone is out to get me" (and doesn't "get" me) theory, I'd lose out on an awful lot.

But, sadly, some people choose to do that.

I'm going to avoid most of your entire post Mish b/c I have no idea what you're talking about. No where in my comment did I make any reference to thinking people are "out to get me"..it was your OWN post that inferred that non-whites have it harder/should have it harder than whites. YOU were the one who was ticked off when you received "second class" treatment from border officials...YOU were the one thinking they were "out to get you"...

I won't even attempt to delve into the broader "out to get me" issue...

I mean, then I might be tempted to speak about how people steal land and cause wars all with the excuse that it's ok b/c the world is "out to get them"...

Nor will I speak about the very obvious war on Islam in the media and government, I mean...what should reality or factuality have to do with anything? Let's pretend Muslims in America are treated the same as everyone else...sounds good to me.

Yikes, i'm going to be crossing this border soon, somewhere near Toronto.

Oh boy....hope not...there's NO border crossing near Toronto......you just might be crossing into Niagara Falls or Fort Erie, though....;)

I'm going to avoid most of your entire post Mish b/c I have no idea what you're talking about.

Why am I not surprised?

YOU were the one who decided to comment on the "whiter than white" thing. And, it was YOU who chose to speak about YOUR worldview, including Jews in it. I responded to that, because, after all, I would have a better idea about what it's like to "be a Jew" than you would. Quite surprising, wasn't it?

Anyway, that's all beside the point.

My point in making this thread was not to be attacked, obviously. It was merely to vent my frustration in trying to get over the border to do something as innocent as visiting my boyfriend and having a good time curling.

And, YES, if they have all of my information, I don't understand why I get the third degree coming through the border, going both ways. All of the man hours and money chucked out the window....

As a tax-paying American, that ticks me off....and I sure as hell know that my 4 hours dealing with Canadian customs back in 2006 has rankled quite a few feathers on the northern side of this border.

THAT'S the point, Amina. But, we see what we want to see, correct?

I know that you don't understand this. But, that's just par for the course. I've come to expect it many times on here...

Speaking of chips on shoulders....

Umm, I said that obvious Muslims (aka women who wear Islamic garb, men who are obviously Arab, etc) receive more scrutiny than the average CHRISTIAN or Jewish America - IE someone whose religion is not OBVIOUS based on their APPEARANCE. My post had nothing to do with actual Christians or Jews and would apply to any religious group that makes up the white, American majority. The statement had nothing to do with the religions...I thought that was kind of obvious.

I find it really ironic that you chose to accuse me of having a chip on my shoulder when you took a post that had nothing to do with Judaism or being a Jew and act as if it did..lol. I wonder why all the Christians on the board haven't posted? Probably b/c they knew exactly what I was talking about.

You chose to make your comment about being "whiter than white"...and if you read through the thread you'll see that I was not the only person who found that comment a bit "off color"...

Cheers!

ugh. Guys, this is not a thread about diversity and prejudism. Start a new thread in Discussion and Differing Views if you want to have this talk but there's really no need to head in that direction with this thread.

Just to kind of steer this back in the original direction....

My soon-to-be husband (17 days and counting :eek:) is American and I'm Canadian. Since January 2006 we have been doing the cross-border thing. Every trip is a nailbiter for us.

On my first trip, after not having enough supporting documentation that I would be returning, I was pulled into immigration and given a thorough investigation. All the while I'm thinking "if I miss my plane, do I make them pay for my flight??? :rolleyes:). After over an hour, I was free to go.

In April 2006, we decided that he should come and live with me for 6 months. That is the maximum allowable time he could come here without needing some kind of formal paperwork being done. I thought I did enough research, but apparently not. As we were about to cross the border for him to stay, we were pulled into immigration and we were crushed: they wouldn't allow him in! We spent the night in Detroit, distressed and depressed. They had given us an "expectation" list of what they use as a basis of allowing people into Canada. We spent the next 24 hours scrambling to get this information. The hotel we stayed at was gracious enough to give us a night free and full use of their fax machine (and use it we did). When we finally had everything the list had, and knowing fully that it was in no way a done-deal, we nervously headed back to the border. My stomach was so upset..

Wouldn't you know.... we pulled up and had a wonderfully pleasant lady who asked how long he would be staying and where. She wished us a nice day and waved us on. My fiancé and I looked at each other with our jaws on the floor and then I drove out of there as fast as legally possible!

Since then, we have large envelopes that we each carry with us on our travels back and forth. In it, we have our full travel itineraries, passports, bank statements, confirmation of employment letters, property deeds, my divorce agreement which proves I have a child that I have to return home to and some bills that have our current addresses. Is it a hassle? Sure. Is it worth it? Damn right. I have to turn off my car and pop my trunk at the border 9 times out of 10, but I know that's part of the "game". I have nothing to hide so I willingly go along with it.

Now the trick comes with us getting married. I'm not changing my last name and he will still be "my boyfriend" when it comes to visits. Until we can get his papers filed and acceptance to live here for good, we will continue to do whatever we have to in order to make sure our week or 2 together can actually come to fruition.

Whatever it takes. It could be a hell of a lot worse, that's for sure.

Just to kind of steer this back in the original direction....



My sincere thanks to you for that.

And, yes, it IS worth it, at the end of the day. After my 4 hour ordeal at Canadian customs during my first visit, and what I've been asked going back and forth across the border, I've come to expect that federal taxes on both sides of the country WILL be wasted because feeble egos need to prove that they can give me a hassle, notwithstanding whatever else comes across the border in the meantime.

I will be going across the border this Friday, and just about every Friday from now until March. The time that I get to spend curling and with my Canuck is worth the hassle, but that doesn't mean that I won't gripe about it.

Maybe, as time goes by, they'll see what my "pattern" of crossing, and stop with the idiotic lines of questioning...about me "evading the law" and their idea that somehow I'm trying to "sneak" into Canada to run away from the horrid life that I have in the US. LOL I sure know that it expedited things to have my mom in the car this past weekend, but Lord knows that my relationship will not be able to withstand THAT on a regular basis.

Mish, why don't you get the nexus pass? It's easy to get and it will cut out your nailbiting experiences on Friday nights. My friends are loving it... easy to get and cuts out the hassle.

Mish, why don't you get the nexus pass? It's easy to get and it will cut out your nailbiting experiences on Friday nights. My friends are loving it... easy to get and cuts out the hassle.

Yes, that's in the works. Unfortunately, California is really dragging its heels sending me a duplicate title to my car (I moved when I transferred the reggie, and the original title got lost in the mail).

So, until such time as I can transfer the registration and get the nexus pass (TRUST me, I am dying for it), I have to deal with it.

Doesn't mean I won't gripe about it though. :)

But, 50 bucks for 5 years is one of the best bargains I could imagine. *come on Sacramento....send me that title*