We picked up a load in TN and crossed the border at I-29 below Winnipeg on a run to an end of the world hamlet 200 miles above Edmonton. While going thru Canadian customs I was asked the standard drugs and firearms question and replied with the standard "NO". She then asked me what kind of firearms I had at home. I replied a shotgun and two pistols. She replied "OH?" then had me go into the customs office who had me and sweetie walk across the street to Immigration. They asked many criminal type questions and then ran our history thru their system. After stamping our passports we were sent back to the customs office with some document. The customs office took the doc. and sent us on our way. I can only imagine their reaction if I had told them I had some heavy duty weapons at home. After leaving the border we learned to start looking for diesel when the gauge got down to 1/2 full as it was hard to find late at night. It was also north of $5 per gallon Finally on the return trip we stopped at a Motel 6 in Edmonton for a room and were quoted a price just over $100. Said no thanks and stopped at some ma and pa place from the 50s where the room was half again as big as the bed and it was uphill from the center of the room to the door. They asked $98 for this mess. We passed and decided to take turns driving and sleeping until we got back to the US. This resulted in the old van running for a solid 90 hours. Oh yeah, there was continuous snow both ways on the Trans Canada route. My nerves were shot and we decided this was our last trip to Canada until Spring.
On another note, I have concluded that the US Customs think America is a giant prison, Americans are all prisoners and they are the prison guards. This has to be what they are trained to portray by that agency as this is their common attitude. They are continually coming across as hostile and rude gestapo jerks and I end up P/O'd about their attitude which I relieve by talking or writing about it so here it is. But bottom line is I still enjoy expediting. Just not winters in Canada or US Customs.
On another note, I have concluded that the US Customs think America is a giant prison, Americans are all prisoners and they are the prison guards. This has to be what they are trained to portray by that agency as this is their common attitude. They are continually coming across as hostile and rude gestapo jerks and I end up P/O'd about their attitude which I relieve by talking or writing about it so here it is. But bottom line is I still enjoy expediting. Just not winters in Canada or US Customs.
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