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We get second-staged by Canadian border patrol (or whatever they are) every time we try to drive our old SUV into Canada...they think we're the world's oldest drug dealers, & try to intimidate us into "confessing". If we take the car, same border crossing, no issues.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MarciaMarshaMarcia
We get second-staged by Canadian border patrol (or whatever they are) every time we try to drive our old SUV into Canada...they think we're the world's oldest drug dealers, & try to intimidate us into "confessing". If we take the car, same border crossing, no issues.
My husband and I haven't had trouble going into Canada, but coming back into the U.S., definitely. They always act incredulous that a couple from Georgia would be sightseeing in that part of the world. Frankly I think it has more to do with my husband's looks (he is of Pakistani heritage, born in Iran).
Welp, I've been stereotyped at home and abroad. It's something us minorities simply accept and move on with our lives.
this. I'm used to it, I shrug off what I can and if it's a customer service issue I will leave.
I'm from North Carolina originally so the biggest thing is that I don't have a strong identifiable Southern accent. I'm also Black and don't sound like Rap videos...more of a Huxtable. Honestly to me I still sound plenty Black.
On the humorous side, my dad is half Japanese and when we travel to places where lots of brown people are (Cuba, the Philippines, Puerto Rico) people tend to assume we're local-ish (i.e should know the language)/
LOL, Munich is the license plate of all German Sixt-rent-a-car vehicles, that are usually (in LDAR) well equipped with good engines and fun to drive. Last weekend I was going 240 km/h myself with one of those. BMW 530xd
Now I come to think of it DD, I think that it was Sixt that I used, it rang a bell.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MarciaMarshaMarcia
We get second-staged by Canadian border patrol (or whatever they are) every time we try to drive our old SUV into Canada...they think we're the world's oldest drug dealers, & try to intimidate us into "confessing". If we take the car, same border crossing, no issues.
Unfortunately, as all frequent travellers should be aware, immigration/border guard types from all over the world have had a sense of humour bypass.
Somehow, Mr. International Traveller me let that knowledge go right out of my head on the first occasion I visited Canada, back in the '80s.
I was visiting an American girlfriend who was at SUNY, Binghamton, and decided that before I drove back to NYC, I'd check out Canada, as I'd seen road signs saying X kilometres to Canada, and plus I'd never been there before.
I was driving a rental with New Jersey plates, and when I got to the border, (probably 1000 Islands), a Canadian official said to me, "U.S. citizen?"
I said, "No, I'm English."
He then said, "How long will you be in Canada?"
This is where I must have thought, 'Let's have a laugh, we're all friends together.'
To my eternal shame and regret, I said, "Does it matter, it belongs to us doesn't it?"
I'll spare you the next couple of minutes of apoplectic rage, but it culminated in him stamping something in my passport, and growling, "I've given you 48 hours, then get the blank out, and go back to the U.S."
Next time I went to Canada, I kept my trap tightly shut.
One of my good friends had a terrible time getting in to Canada when he had his young daughter with him. Seems he was stereotyped as a dad in the middle of an ugly child custody divorce. They even took the little girl into a separate room and questioned her. Scared her to death.
yep - vacationed in Maine. Was asked by one of the restaurant patrons to bring more plates to their table. Dude - did you even notice we were not dressed like the other employees? Other examples but too many to list - lol.
That's funny. I've had people in stores ask me for help because they thought I was an employee. I guess they didn't notice that I wasn't wearing a polo shirt with the store name. I helped them anyway.
When I was in Germany and England, until I spoke, many people thought I was a native.
Now I come to think of it DD, I think that it was Sixt that I used, it rang a bell.
Unfortunately, as all frequent travellers should be aware, immigration/border guard types from all over the world have had a sense of humour bypass.
Somehow, Mr. International Traveller me let that knowledge go right out of my head on the first occasion I visited Canada, back in the '80s.
I was visiting an American girlfriend who was at SUNY, Binghamton, and decided that before I drove back to NYC, I'd check out Canada, as I'd seen road signs saying X kilometres to Canada, and plus I'd never been there before.
I was driving a rental with New Jersey plates, and when I got to the border, (probably 1000 Islands), a Canadian official said to me, "U.S. citizen?"
I said, "No, I'm English."
He then said, "How long will you be in Canada?"
This is where I must have thought, 'Let's have a laugh, we're all friends together.' To my eternal shame and regret, I said, "Does it matter, it belongs to us doesn't it?"
I'll spare you the next couple of minutes of apoplectic rage, but it culminated in him stamping something in my passport, and growling, "I've given you 48 hours, then get the blank out, and go back to the U.S."
Next time I went to Canada, I kept my trap tightly shut.
Everyone is stereotyped everywhere they go, it has nothing to do with race, nationality, gender, etc. Everyone is stereotyped, and everyone stereotypes others, all of the time.
I think a more accurate question is; "what stereotypes are applied to you when you travel?"
People ONLY stereotype when you are perceived to be a member of a group.
I immigrated to America in the 1950's complete with a VERY slavic name and thanks to the taxpayers of California learned to speak perfect English without any accent.
For years, everybody assumed that I spoke English since there were few immigrants from the Soviet Union in this country.
Then when the immigration flood-gates opened and suddenly I became part of a "group" that was known.
People assumed I did NOT speak English.
People assumed I was poor and needed help. We live in a very nice neighborhood, but we had some well-meaning people that must have done a search on slavic names and stopped by to see if we needed help adjusting to America. My American wife told them we were doing fine.
When I traveled in Russia and the Soviet Union the shoe was on the other foot.
I was traveling in the Soviet Union in my mid-20's, wearing jeans and looking like a hip, cool Russian. I tried to get into a restaurant that served only foreigners and could not understand why I could not get past the doorman!! Duh, he thought I was a native!
Later when I got older everybody assumed that I was a American that could not speak Russian. I would even start talking to people in Russian and they would tell me they did NOT understand English. I would literally have to hold them by the shoulders, look them in the eye, and VERY SLOWLY say I am speaking Russian!!
You can have a lot of fun with stereotypes. Roll with it.
The only time I get mad is when people mistake me for Canadian when I travel!! I lived in Canada for a bit of time......that is what convinced me that even with my history I am really an American. Thanks...Canada.
I can't count the number of times I've been told something along the lines of, "You're one of the good kinds of Americans". Apparently, that's not expected.
I was in Vegas, and went to a fine restaurant for dinner. I wore a suit. Anywhere I walked in the hotels, people approached me to ask where something was, as if I worked there. They all thought I was a security guard or some manager. I thought it was appropriate for fine dining, but apparently no one wears suits in Vegas in the summertime.
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BMW 530xd
