4 ms·

This is completely normal inside the EU. You barely notice you're in another country sometimes.

by jupp0r 4y ago

cmrdporcupine 4y ago
It's gone the opposite way between US and Canada since 9/11. Used to be able to cross the border with just a driver's license. Now you need a passport and the border agents are often incredibly hostile. As a result I make a habit of not going to the Hostile States of Overarmed Americans despite it being only an hour away. The people are super nice, the government... not so much.
- mise_en_place 4y ago
  If it makes you feel any better, the government isn’t very nice to its own citizens either.
- midoridensha 4y ago
  >Now you need a passport and the border agents are often incredibly hostile. Are the Canadian agents hostile as well, or only the American ones? >The people are super nice, the government... not so much. The Americans that tend to go into law enforcement jobs are not super nice people, quite the opposite really. It's really eye-opening going to other countries outside the US and interacting with cops and other law enforcement agents (including airport security and customs agents) and seeing just how differently you're treated. Even as a US citizen, entering the US is not a fun experience at all.
  - cmrdporcupine 4y ago
    The Canadian agents are comically friendly, but that's because I'm coming back into my own country, where I'm a citizen, and, y'know, they have to let me in. Cuz it's my country. I hear from Americans that they're often not very nice, but it sounds not nearly as terrible as "please stand in this room for an hour AND DON'T TOUCH YOUR PHONE while we tear your car apart for no reason because, I dunno... a hunch or something... oh, all's fine have a nice day bye enjoy your tourist trip to the USA"
    - midoridensha 4y ago
      >The Canadian agents are comically friendly, but that's because I'm coming back into my own country, where I'm a citizen, and, y'know, they have to let me in. Cuz it's my country. Returning to your own country doesn't mean the agents have to be friendly to you. I'm American and the agents there are not friendly when I return. They don't just do it to non-citizens; they're assholes to everyone. Of course, there's a lot more limitations on what they can do to US citizens than to foreigners, but they don't turn into nice guys when they see a US passport. Every time I've visited Canada, the agents there were reasonably friendly to me too. To me, this shows that the two countries simply have extremely different standards in what kind of people they hire to be agents, and how agents are allowed to act.
      - iggldiggl 4y ago
        Purely anecdotal and third-hand and a few years old by now, but this trip report to Estcourt (another slightly unusual border situation) also bears this out: https://mrgris.com/travel/blog/labrador/3/ https://mrgris.com/travel/blog/labrador/3/ Quote from the Canadian border guard about the neighbouring US customs officials: "ah yes, they have a... different frame of mind"
    - klyrs 4y ago
      I've experienced asshole power-tripping border guards on both sides. They're much less frequent on the Canadian side, and I have a US passport, but they exist.
bbbbb5 4y ago
Except if your car is registered in one of the wrong countries, then you might spend hours getting controlled on Schengen internal borders. Of course, if your car isn't registered in an Eastern European country you probably won't even know that this is a possibility.

This is completely normal inside the EU. You barely notice you're in another country sometimes.

by jupp0r 4y ago

This is completely normal inside the EU. You barely notice you're in another country sometimes.

It's gone the opposite way between US and Canada since 9/11. Used to be able to cross the border with just a driver's license. Now you need a passport and the border agents are often incredibly hostile. As a result I make a habit of not going to the Hostile States of Overarmed Americans despite it being only an hour away. The people are super nice, the government... not so much.

mise_en_place 4y ago
If it makes you feel any better, the government isn’t very nice to its own citizens either.
midoridensha 4y ago
>Now you need a passport and the border agents are often incredibly hostile. Are the Canadian agents hostile as well, or only the American ones? >The people are super nice, the government... not so much. The Americans that tend to go into law enforcement jobs are not super nice people, quite the opposite really. It's really eye-opening going to other countries outside the US and interacting with cops and other law enforcement agents (including airport security and customs agents) and seeing just how differently you're treated. Even as a US citizen, entering the US is not a fun experience at all.
- cmrdporcupine 4y ago
  The Canadian agents are comically friendly, but that's because I'm coming back into my own country, where I'm a citizen, and, y'know, they have to let me in. Cuz it's my country. I hear from Americans that they're often not very nice, but it sounds not nearly as terrible as "please stand in this room for an hour AND DON'T TOUCH YOUR PHONE while we tear your car apart for no reason because, I dunno... a hunch or something... oh, all's fine have a nice day bye enjoy your tourist trip to the USA"
  - midoridensha 4y ago
    >The Canadian agents are comically friendly, but that's because I'm coming back into my own country, where I'm a citizen, and, y'know, they have to let me in. Cuz it's my country. Returning to your own country doesn't mean the agents have to be friendly to you. I'm American and the agents there are not friendly when I return. They don't just do it to non-citizens; they're assholes to everyone. Of course, there's a lot more limitations on what they can do to US citizens than to foreigners, but they don't turn into nice guys when they see a US passport. Every time I've visited Canada, the agents there were reasonably friendly to me too. To me, this shows that the two countries simply have extremely different standards in what kind of people they hire to be agents, and how agents are allowed to act.
    - iggldiggl 4y ago
      Purely anecdotal and third-hand and a few years old by now, but this trip report to Estcourt (another slightly unusual border situation) also bears this out: https://mrgris.com/travel/blog/labrador/3/ https://mrgris.com/travel/blog/labrador/3/ Quote from the Canadian border guard about the neighbouring US customs officials: "ah yes, they have a... different frame of mind"
  - klyrs 4y ago
    I've experienced asshole power-tripping border guards on both sides. They're much less frequent on the Canadian side, and I have a US passport, but they exist.

bbbbb5 4y ago

Except if your car is registered in one of the wrong countries, then you might spend hours getting controlled on Schengen internal borders. Of course, if your car isn't registered in an Eastern European country you probably won't even know that this is a possibility.