Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
but, to get back into my own Country I have to have a passport and answer 15-20 questions, have my honesty and integrity questioned, and made to feel like it's an honor to be allowed entry into my own Country again. Nutshell reasons: US border policies toward its own citizens, and costs in Canada.
hmm thats strange. I went for trip once to Canada. When I crossed Buffalo to Fort Erie, I was asked like 10 questions, like I was a suspect. When I drove into a booth, they have had just closed it and I had to back up a little and drive to another! I had no problems when I was coming back to the US through Port Huron. I was asked only 2 questions, showed them my passport card and I was ready to go. No passport book needed and passport card cost only $30! You can put it in your wallet for convenience.
hmm thats strange. I went for trip once to Canada. When I crossed Buffalo to Fort Erie, I was asked like 10 questions, like I was a suspect. When I drove into a booth, they have had just closed it and I had to back up a little and drive to another! I had no problems when I was coming back to the US through Port Huron. I was asked only 2 questions, showed them my passport card and I was ready to go. No passport book needed and passport card cost only $30! You can put it in your wallet for convenience.
I never had a problem either. Then again I only cross the border on a occassional vacation trip. But instead if I was someone like Bydand ^^ who has crossed the border thousands of times, I think the security would drive me crazy.
The border security has obviously gotten alot stricter since Sept 11. On the other hand, someone a while ago on this thread had compared the border control agents to Nazis, which IMHO is way out there.
I never had a problem either. Then again I only cross the border on a occassional vacation trip. But instead if I was someone like Bydand ^^ who has crossed the border thousands of times, I think the security would drive me crazy.
The border security has obviously gotten alot stricter since Sept 11. On the other hand, someone a while ago on this thread had compared the border control agents to Nazis, which IMHO is way out there.
Agreed that the comparison between Border Patrol and Nazi's is WAY extreme and uncalled for.
I think you hit the nail on the head for me crossing now. I am used to it being a common practice and nothing out of the ordinary, when the new attitude toward border crossings came about after 9/11 it gave crossings a whole new, and not better, feeling. If it was this way from the start it wouldn't phase me, but after enjoying how it CAN be in a rural crossing area, the way it is now is too much.
I think PosterExtraordinaire read the post they quoted wrong. Their response would make sense if the original read illegally instead of legally.
In either case, proximity to the border has absolutely nothing to do with the drinking age.
In Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec, it is 18, whether you are near the border or not. In BC, Saskatchewan, Ontario and New Brunswick, it is 19, whether you are near the border or not. In the USA and one or two other countries where people's maturity is apparently seriously retarded, it is 21, whether you are near the border or not.
So I was wondering about the comment "American drinking laws only apply at the border."
In either case, proximity to the border has absolutely nothing to do with the drinking age.
In Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec, it is 18, whether you are near the border or not. In BC, Saskatchewan, Ontario and New Brunswick, it is 19, whether you are near the border or not. In the USA and one or two other countries where people's maturity is apparently seriously retarded, it is 21, whether you are near the border or not.
So I was wondering about the comment "American drinking laws only apply at the border."
Bydand had it right, I misread him to say 'illegally' as if American drinking laws followed their citizens wherever they go (I heard people make comments like this before). So my "at the border" comment was saying American drinking laws have no hold an Americans when they cross into a different country.
You guys go overboard on this. Almost everytime I went into Canada (from Detroit) I got searched. I got arrested once for calling the girl working there a dirty word (she deserved it). She took this as me as being violent and I spent the night being interrogated. If you don't treat them like they're the smartest people on the planet, you put yourself in a world of hassle.
In contrast, I crossed over into Mexico and back more times than I can remember and was searched once. Mexico-USA was my first experience with a commonly crossed border and I was shocked how strict the US-Canada one is at Detroit (and mostly on the Canadian side).
Seriously? You said this to someone at a customs checkpoint? What in God's name were you thinking? At any customs office, it's "Yes, Sir. No, Sir. Name, Rank, and Serial Number, Sir." And somehow I have crossed literally dozens and dozens of customs checkpoints over the year without so much as a second glance. I dunno, maybe I have my papers in order. Maybe I don't dispense a load of attitude. Maybe I've managed to cultivate the look of detached boredom that shows I have nothing to hide. So if you're getting searched at every crossing, you're doing something seriously wrong.
If you called her names, I am personally amazed that you weren't detained for a week and then unceremoniously dumped right back across the border for fear that you might breed with one of their citizens and produce offspring.
Here's what's so boneheaded about border checkpoints: The border is so long and so porous that anyone with the IQ of a rhesus monkey could slip over into either country. A five-minute perusal of Google Earth will yield thousands of places where all you have to do is park your car (Or be dropped off), stroll 20 or 100 feet, and get into another car. And neither country would be the wiser for it.
On the other hand, we drove to Fort Lauderdale last spring break to hop on a cruise liner. Every third car on the interstate appeared to be from Ontario. When we were on board the ship, we sat with a nice Canadian family. The first question I asked after we all introduced ourselves was, "So. Judging by all the cars heading South this week, is there anyone left at home?"
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
