Border THIS!! =)

[DannyD]

I can maybe appreciate how Boston must feel beating the Yankees for a change. For all the times I've crossed the border coming into the US & been frustrated at how I've been treated, it finally felt good to get under this someone elses skin. Maybe I'm a lil vindictive, I dunno, but it sure felt good.

I was coming back from Quebec & at exit 721 on the 401 I'm maybe 2 miles from the US border. I need a full tank of gas & I'd like to make a few phone calls. Gas is a lot cheaper in the US & the phone calls are infinately cheaper. It's free to make the call in the US & it's 30 cents/minute to make the same call in Canada.

I figured even w/ paying the $4 toll (2 each way) I'd make out a lot better by doing what I had to do in the US. I figured I had my FAST card & this should be a breeze. WRONG-O!!! No such thing as a breeze for this yahoo.

I get to the border & the guy asks what I'm doing. I tell him pretty much what I've said here. That I'm crossing to get gas & make a call. He doesn't get it. So I explain to him how gas is less in the US, my call will be free rather than paying 30 cents/minute. He STILL doesn't seem to get it. I guess he thinks I'm lying.

Maybe I was a lil to confident, I dunno. Maybe next time I act like this they'll make it more difficult for me. This time though, I just didn't feel like smiling on their terms. I was gonna smile on mine. Again, I just had this feeling nothing was gonna happen except maybe a lil extra time & I really didn't care at this point. I knew what I was doing smart & wasn't illegal.

He goes into his booth & starts typing away. Asking questions about when I started, where I worked b4 this, etc. I said to him "ummmmmm, that's what that FAST card is there for. The information is already on there, but maybe you're new at this job & wouldn't know that." I gathered that comment didn't set to well w/ him.

Then he comes out of the booth & asks more questions. I answer them but he still doesn't seem to believe that I'm JUST going over there for gas, a few phone calls & then coming right back. I have him look at my gas gauge, which is on empty. I try to explain the numbers to him. That I'd probably save $15 in gas & another $20 in phone charges if I was on the phone for an hour. I then said "anyone w/ half a brain would do the same thing I'm doing here, wouldn't you agree?" (the implication in how I asked the question was that he didn't have half a brain) =)

His witty retort to that was "is this car in park?" to which I replied "yes, this VAN is in park". I'm not sure he got what I meant there, but such is life.

He walks to the back of the van & opens the door. I have two cabinets on either side of my van to put things in. He opens one side & sees it's my tire jack, jumper cables, things like that. He doesn't open the other side so I suggest it to him letting him know he could see what kind of motor oil & washer solvent I was using.

Finally he pulls my mattress (this foam thing you'd put on a hospital bed, might weigh all of 2 pounds) from the front to where the two doors are in back. I tell him in a good hearted way "yea, that's kinda heavy, especially w/ those pillows on it."

He wishes me, unsincerely I might add, a nice day. I realize this story isn't going to change anyone's life. It just feels nice to get it off my chest. It's too bad that so many border crossings have to feel like a competition, but it did feel good to finally "win" one if ya will.

A little final note here. I did get held up coming back into Canada. They believed my story & actually thought what I did was pretty smart. It was just my turn for a random check. No qualms w/ that. And next time I come into the US I might get whacked again. Who really knows these days? Also, the lady who I ran into in Port Huron was very nice to me. So to her I want to say thank you.

 

[Dreamer]

DannyD,

While I would not recommend anyone smart off to the border officials... I did get a chuckle out of that! Did ya feel like sayin.. here's your sign!!!

Now before anyone goes spastic, I know they're doing their job, etc.. but it is funny how American citizens have more trouble getting back into America, than we do leaving it...



OK.. I'm off the soapbox before I get started...

[img src="http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/4/4_2_211.gif"]

 

[Broompilot]

Very rare I listen to NPR but they did a report this week on the farthest Western border crossing. This is where they cought the Middle Eastern Wacko with a enough explosives to blow up all of LAX and that is exactly what his intentions were.

A bright border crossing guard did not believe his story, odd that he picked such a remote place to cross, the officer became suspesious. When they opened the trunk they believed they had a drug smuggler, sent it off (the powder) and came back negative for drugs but was explosive material.

Anyway my point is that they are trained to look for odd stories ones that do not match or make sense. It seemed logical to any of us what you did but not to a border crossing agent when you think about it. I hate that our border is so difficult to cross, personally I feel offended and belittled more so on the US than Canada. I do not enjoy going to Canada anymore, I use to go twice month back in the 80s.

 

[mvbn1]

Well, I'm glad you made it over and back without jail time or even some sort of "accident" in the holding area. I just hope I'm not behind you in line next time! LOL

 

[highway star]

Hey Danny. I sent you an e-mail the other day to see how you're doing. I had a similar situation once going to Windsor to drop off paperwork. This was one of the occasional exceptions to the rule about how much nicer the Canadian officers are. I should have just lied and said I was picking up freight. She couldn't understand why I would cross just to drop off paperwork when I could just mail it. I explained that it wouldn't make the cutoff date in time and really needed it on this pay peroid. She became very sarcastic and went into a very long list of questions. I was sure I was going to be searched. All of a sudden she smiled and told me to have a nice day. I've become quite good at not letting them push my buttons, but it sure does'nt stop them from trying.

 

[gandrew]

We have crossed the U.S./CANADA border enough time to say we do not want to do it again unless we are "just passing through". The Port Huron American customs guys were like the Gestapo to us because we had a form wrong. Threatened us with impounding our owner's truck, fining us, etc. They xrayed our truck, searched it with us in the customs office. Actually yelled at us in their office. They are dressed up in navy blue uniforms, shin high jack boots and are armed to the hilt, with attitudes to boot. As an American returning to my own country, we were insulted and ashamed at our government's representatives. Love their country, but do not wish to take my truck over there, especially now that they are imposing $5000 fines on first offenses.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

That $5000 fine is only if you didn't send your PAPS paperwork ahead an hour before you made it to the border. If it still doesn't go thru, the broker gets hit with the fine. Make sure you have the fax conformation sheet with you, as it's proof of when you sent it.

As far as border crossing goes, we've had our share of crap happening, but overall it's generally a good experience. We rarely get guff from the American side cause we always make sure everything is good to go. Questions, no matter how weird they may seem, are answered promptly and with a straight face. We act professional, and 99% of the time we recieve professionalism in return.

T-hawk

 

[Drluvv]

Going in and out of Canada can be a hastle if not belittling. I have had many run ins with cocky customs agents both male and female. The truth is, is that a lot of these border agents have dreams of stopping a vehicle only to find that its full of drugs, terrorist, illegal aliens or anything that would get their ugly mugs in the paper or on the news, hell even on Good Morning America.
There was this one time going into Canada at the Windsor border some high strung female customs agent asked me for my license so they could check my info on the computer inside. Five minutes later all I know is that three agents surrounded me only to tell me that they found traces of marijuana on my CDL license. I looked at them and B.S., but they insisted and said if I'm upfront with them then they won't take me to jail. They questioned me for about fifteen minutes while I waited for my truck to be x-rayed, but I held my ground and then told them that they must be smoking weed or crack for that matter, cause I just passed a random drug test given to me by my company a week ago. Then I told them that not only do I not do drugs, but I don't take asprin or Tylenol, consume caffine products, smoke or drink alcohol of any kind. I said hey if you still don't believe me lets go to your local hospital where I'll be more than happy to give blood, urine, and hair samples where you guys could knock yourselves out looking for signs of drug use. They then looked at each other and that women gave me back my license and told me to have a good day.
The truth is if you have nothing to hide and stand your ground they'll see that and possible let you go, but if you start sweating and looking like your getting nervous to their bs questions then they'll know that you have something to hide.

 

[ATeam]

>As far as border crossing goes, we've had our share of crap
>happening, but overall it's generally a good experience. We
>rarely get guff from the American side cause we always make
>sure everything is good to go. Questions, no matter how
>weird they may seem, are answered promptly and with a
>straight face. We act professional, and 99% of the time we
>recieve professionalism in return.
>
>T-hawk


Same with us. When approaching the border from either side, things we do to put the guards at ease are:

1. Seat driver and co-driver in the cab and turn interior lights on at night, and headlights off.

2. Turn off the engine to make it easier for the officer to hear.

3. Keep a foot on the brake and do not set the air brakes to save the officer from an unpleasant noise blast (an officer told us this once, made sense, some blasts can get quite loud with the echos produced by some of the drive-thru booths).

4. If the officer does not speak first (some don't) we say, "What can we do for you?"

5. Maintain eye contact with the officer.

6. Keep our hands within view of the officer.

7. When they ask for ID, offer both CDL and our pasports.

8. Have all paperwork in order and in hand so it can be quickly produced when requested.

It sucks how things have changed at the border and that such considerations are even necessary, but they have changed and are necessary.

More than once, we've had border problems that kept us there all night and had us walking back and forth to the truck numerous times for one reason or another. It's not been the officers that made things dificult. It was broker, shipper, or dispatch errors. Grrrrrr.

Even so, we continue to accept Canada loads. A load is a load (assuming the pay is acceptable). We'd rather run on a Canada load than sit still waiting for another load. Long traffic jams, delays at shippers or consignees, canceled loads, New York City, deliveries bumped to the next day after you have the freight on your truck, border crossings, and more...it's all part of the game.

 

[terryandrene]

In addition to ATeams protocol, I always hand the US Customs Officer my (our) Passport with a five dollar bill visibly included. Since doing this, I've never been subjected to the myriad questions they usually ask. My last time thru, I was taken by surprise when the Officer said "welcome home".

 

[Broompilot]

I just finished a terrible run into Canada, Sherbrooke QC. Customer insisted after letting my office know on my PU call that I wanted to cross near Kingsport, 8 hours later 300 miles further I am told I can only cross at Windsor.

I thought but the PARS is cleared why would I have to report to a Brokers office right? Still in neg for the X-tra miles. Anyway get to Windsor at my stated time, PARS paperwork faxed some 30 hours earlier. Customs writes on Paper work not in system. OK its Saturday evening 22:00 hours. Park the truck in impound find the brokers office nope not ours "what we all are not expecting to hear" Try two others just out of chance. Nope no ones got a clue.

Figure I am now a Temporary Citizen until Tuesday AM (US holiday Monday) my office is more dumbfounded than me. Sunday PM get an idea why not use a bond and get this cleared up. Easier said than done but got me moving a few hours later. This is where it gets good, put a seal on the door get instructions to report to a Customs office in Sherbook so thats what I do.

Guy greets me, and than looses his cool starts yelling and I mean yelling at me that my truck is not in impound. I am like what where is that this is the office that I was told to report to. Threatens me with a thousand dollar fine, I turn over the A8 form that the address was written on I write something on a piece of paper to prove to him its not my writing. I ask him does anyone at the impound yard speak English and how were we gona communicate if they didnt. And sure enough they didnt. So what good was it gona do me I politly asked him for me to go there first when I though you had to clear this problem with the paperwork up here?

What happened to the paperwork I can only speculate, someone at the brokers office screwed up big. I talked to the person in charge of the brokers operation and told him about the Windsor only crossing and he confirmed with me that I could have cleared anywhere if the paperwork would have been taken care of like it should have been.

OH CANADA I Love visiting there especially on business.

I will figure this Canadian thing out hopefully sooner than later.

 

[RobA]

I sent Broompilot a private message because this reads as a major screw-up.
The reason he might have been sent to Windsor is that KingsPORT is in Idaho. That isn't near Quebec. He likely wanted to exit at Alexandria Bay NY at the top of I81.
That is near KingsTON
It seems that the confusion just snowballed from there.