5 ms·

I think what is frustrating is not the stopping and questioning but the attitude. I have been stopped on the way to Vancouver. For the most part Canadian border

by bruceb 10y ago

I think what is frustrating is not the stopping and questioning but the attitude. I have been stopped on the way to Vancouver. For the most part Canadian border control is professional and polite. On the way back a few times I have encountered surly demeaning behavior. Being a border patrol officer would be a tedious job at times and I don't expect a smile but outward hostility is ridiculous. For non citizen encountering this it is a terrible and lasting bad first impression of the US.

VygmraMGVl 10y ago
In my singular experience crossing this border, the US guards were way more relaxed than the Canadian guards. The Canadian guards seemed very concerned that my plates were from the East Coast and asked us about 10 questions down that line, while the US guards asked us maybe 2 questions total.
- mahyarm 10y ago
  I think your experience depends on your citizenship. As a canadian the canadian border guards are nice to me. With a work visa, the american border guards aren't as nice. Also the border guards start becoming nicer once they see a history for your passport in their console if you never had any shit happen. Also a NEXUS / Global Entry card makes them far more nicer.
wangchow 10y ago
Honestly the day trip people would annoy me if I were a border patrol officer. Commuting in and potentially exploiting economic loopholes or something. That or smugling drugs across the border. Especially given the strength of the USD over CAD these days
- jdavis703 10y ago
  Then perhaps you shouldn't be a border patrol officer. It would be like waiters being annoyed at being asked what's in the food they're serving.
  - wangchow 10y ago
    True. :) I suppose that's why I'm not!
- pjc50 10y ago
  There is a similar border near Basel, between the EU and a small country with a very high currency, that people routinely commute across. Last time I went through it (admittedly many years ago) I barely noticed it.
  - rjsw 10y ago
    Switzerland is in the Schengen Area so the border guards won't usually check your passport. There are sometimes customs checks though, you are only allowed to bring really small amounts of meat into the country for example.
    - saiya-jin 10y ago
      On the way to EU, no problem at all. Entering CH, depends on your plates, they check these first. When with Swiss plates, you have much better chances of hassle-free slide. Once I was stopped, checked thoroughly for about 40 minutes, in the middle of the night. They did some sort of exercise on me, taking away all my money, put them into envelope, then returning back and so on. Went through whole car, backpack, everything. Not a nice experience
      - rjsw 10y ago
        I went into CH at the Basel crossing twice this year in a car with GB plates, nobody was interested. Drove through Geneva several times too without being stopped.
dboreham 10y ago
I'm in Vancouver - flew here from Seattle yesterday and fwiw had zero hassle with immigration, but when I've crossed the border by road in Montana I noticed the same assholery with the US customs guys. One of themy accused me of trying to import contraband seashells (solely based on the fact I had traveled from Italy via Calgary!).

by bruceb 10y ago

VygmraMGVl 10y ago

In my singular experience crossing this border, the US guards were way more relaxed than the Canadian guards. The Canadian guards seemed very concerned that my plates were from the East Coast and asked us about 10 questions down that line, while the US guards asked us maybe 2 questions total.

mahyarm 10y ago
I think your experience depends on your citizenship. As a canadian the canadian border guards are nice to me. With a work visa, the american border guards aren't as nice. Also the border guards start becoming nicer once they see a history for your passport in their console if you never had any shit happen. Also a NEXUS / Global Entry card makes them far more nicer.

wangchow 10y ago

Honestly the day trip people would annoy me if I were a border patrol officer. Commuting in and potentially exploiting economic loopholes or something. That or smugling drugs across the border. Especially given the strength of the USD over CAD these days

jdavis703 10y ago
Then perhaps you shouldn't be a border patrol officer. It would be like waiters being annoyed at being asked what's in the food they're serving.
- wangchow 10y ago
  True. :) I suppose that's why I'm not!
pjc50 10y ago
There is a similar border near Basel, between the EU and a small country with a very high currency, that people routinely commute across. Last time I went through it (admittedly many years ago) I barely noticed it.
- rjsw 10y ago
  Switzerland is in the Schengen Area so the border guards won't usually check your passport. There are sometimes customs checks though, you are only allowed to bring really small amounts of meat into the country for example.
  - saiya-jin 10y ago
    On the way to EU, no problem at all. Entering CH, depends on your plates, they check these first. When with Swiss plates, you have much better chances of hassle-free slide. Once I was stopped, checked thoroughly for about 40 minutes, in the middle of the night. They did some sort of exercise on me, taking away all my money, put them into envelope, then returning back and so on. Went through whole car, backpack, everything. Not a nice experience
    - rjsw 10y ago
      I went into CH at the Basel crossing twice this year in a car with GB plates, nobody was interested. Drove through Geneva several times too without being stopped.

dboreham 10y ago

I'm in Vancouver - flew here from Seattle yesterday and fwiw had zero hassle with immigration, but when I've crossed the border by road in Montana I noticed the same assholery with the US customs guys. One of themy accused me of trying to import contraband seashells (solely based on the fact I had traveled from Italy via Calgary!).