3 ms·

> while commuting each day to a developed country Must be a fully automated border or something? That kind of commute would be unthinkable between e.g. Canada

> while commuting each day to a developed country Must be a fully automated border or something? That kind of commute would be unthinkable between e.g. Canada and the USA for most folks

wmanley 8mo ago
US borders are awful. I guess you get away with it because the USA is so large that most people rarely leave, so rarely have to experience it.
- mikestorrent 8mo ago
  I'm north of the line... most of my troubles have been on the way back up except for one random search on the way down. On the way back they always give me the third degree for some reason, often searching, despite zero record and always declaring stuff. I must inspire contempt in the CBSA heart
JamisonM 8mo ago
There are actually a fair number of folks that commute from Canada to the US for work. They will generally have TN Visas, it is certainly not "unthinkable" - it really does happen, although I will confess that the only folks I have ever met that did it were not recommending it to anyone else!
hn_acc1 8mo ago
Where are you located? Lots of such crossings used to happen, anyway, many years ago via Nexus or similar. Get the pass, just drive right on through over the bridge at Windsor/Detroit. Also similar things in Vancouver, I believe.
- kevin_thibedeau 8mo ago
  I reentered the US from Windsor a few months ago and the Nexus line was backed up but could just sail through the regular line once they inched enough past the tunnel.
  - hn_acc1 8mo ago
    Sure, all bets are off as of January 2025. In the past, it wasn't a big deal.
    - jazz9k 8mo ago
      Have you actually crossed the border since Jan? I have, and it's just as easy.
    - Spooky23 8mo ago
      It varies depending on where and when you cross. TBH, I’ve gotten a lot more shit over the years from Canadian authorities at the border. The Canadians are tough about foreigners with convictions entering the country, and if you share a name with someone with a DUI, sometimes you get flagged. All border police do random tit for tit enforcement or look for specific things for reasons.
Grimburger 8mo ago
Woodlands is the busiest immigration checkpoint on the planet and it's only 1 of 2 crossings. It's fairly seamless for regulars apart from Friday afternoons when it gets clogged up by escaping Singaporeans keen for the weekend and the quality/value offered by their poorer neighbour. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodlands_Checkpoint https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodlands_Checkpoint
- sien 8mo ago
  Fascinating. It appears to be the world's second busiest checkpoint now though if you count the Macau to China checkpoint. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Border_checkpoint#Busiest_checkpoints_in_the_world https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Border_checkpoint#Busiest_chec...
  - Grimburger 8mo ago
    I stand corrected, interesting, I assume its the same and for work?
pezezin 8mo ago
I don't know about the USA, but such an arrangement is extremely common in Europe thanks to the Schengen area.
- Muromec 8mo ago
  Schengen has no borders at all, but JB and Singapure do have one
mr_toad 8mo ago
I had an unplanned short stop in Singapore in December after missing a connecting flight. I just filled in an arrival form online (no Visa), went through the electronic gates, an officer glanced at me and let me through without a word. Whole process took about ten minutes, and it would have been quicker if I’d filed the paperwork beforehand.
jhbadger 8mo ago
There's people who live in Tijuana, Mexico and work in San Diego, California and that's way worse than Canada/USA in terms of time and hassle. Not something I'd want to do, but then I wouldn't want to live in Connecticut and work in NYC, which many people do either.
delta_p_delta_x 8mo ago
> Must be a fully automated border or something? Oddly enough, not until very very recently (~2024). Traffic jams of several hours are still quite normal for vehicular traffic, and it is the busiest crossing on the entire planet, with up to half a million crossings a day.
jen20 8mo ago
Plenty of people commute from Windsor (Ontario) to the Detroit Metro Area daily.
JimDabell 8mo ago
They’ve introduced facial recognition at this border, starting with motorcyclists. You just scan a QR code to get in. If that’s not an option, the gates are automated – you scan your passport and you can walk straight through. Singapore has the smoothest border controls I’ve ever experienced; it takes me less than half an hour between stepping off a plane at Changi to stepping into my apartment.
- indemnity 8mo ago
  Whenever I fly to Europe (from New Zealand), I always go via Singapore, I just zip through, everything is convenient and clean. Transiting through the American shitshow that requires clearing immigration again on the other hand…
Muromec 8mo ago
Borders in some places look more like a gate to enter metro, if you earned (or born with) trust bit

> while commuting each day to a developed country Must be a fully automated border or something? That kind of commute would be unthinkable between e.g. Canada and the USA for most folks

wmanley 8mo ago

US borders are awful. I guess you get away with it because the USA is so large that most people rarely leave, so rarely have to experience it.

mikestorrent 8mo ago
I'm north of the line... most of my troubles have been on the way back up except for one random search on the way down. On the way back they always give me the third degree for some reason, often searching, despite zero record and always declaring stuff. I must inspire contempt in the CBSA heart

JamisonM 8mo ago

There are actually a fair number of folks that commute from Canada to the US for work. They will generally have TN Visas, it is certainly not "unthinkable" - it really does happen, although I will confess that the only folks I have ever met that did it were not recommending it to anyone else!

hn_acc1 8mo ago

Where are you located? Lots of such crossings used to happen, anyway, many years ago via Nexus or similar. Get the pass, just drive right on through over the bridge at Windsor/Detroit. Also similar things in Vancouver, I believe.

kevin_thibedeau 8mo ago
I reentered the US from Windsor a few months ago and the Nexus line was backed up but could just sail through the regular line once they inched enough past the tunnel.
- hn_acc1 8mo ago
  Sure, all bets are off as of January 2025. In the past, it wasn't a big deal.
  - jazz9k 8mo ago
    Have you actually crossed the border since Jan? I have, and it's just as easy.
  - Spooky23 8mo ago
    It varies depending on where and when you cross. TBH, I’ve gotten a lot more shit over the years from Canadian authorities at the border. The Canadians are tough about foreigners with convictions entering the country, and if you share a name with someone with a DUI, sometimes you get flagged. All border police do random tit for tit enforcement or look for specific things for reasons.

Grimburger 8mo ago

Woodlands is the busiest immigration checkpoint on the planet and it's only 1 of 2 crossings. It's fairly seamless for regulars apart from Friday afternoons when it gets clogged up by escaping Singaporeans keen for the weekend and the quality/value offered by their poorer neighbour. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodlands_Checkpoint https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodlands_Checkpoint

sien 8mo ago
Fascinating. It appears to be the world's second busiest checkpoint now though if you count the Macau to China checkpoint. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Border_checkpoint#Busiest_checkpoints_in_the_world https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Border_checkpoint#Busiest_chec...
- Grimburger 8mo ago
  I stand corrected, interesting, I assume its the same and for work?

pezezin 8mo ago

I don't know about the USA, but such an arrangement is extremely common in Europe thanks to the Schengen area.

Muromec 8mo ago
Schengen has no borders at all, but JB and Singapure do have one

mr_toad 8mo ago

I had an unplanned short stop in Singapore in December after missing a connecting flight. I just filled in an arrival form online (no Visa), went through the electronic gates, an officer glanced at me and let me through without a word. Whole process took about ten minutes, and it would have been quicker if I’d filed the paperwork beforehand.

jhbadger 8mo ago

There's people who live in Tijuana, Mexico and work in San Diego, California and that's way worse than Canada/USA in terms of time and hassle. Not something I'd want to do, but then I wouldn't want to live in Connecticut and work in NYC, which many people do either.

delta_p_delta_x 8mo ago

> Must be a fully automated border or something? Oddly enough, not until very very recently (~2024). Traffic jams of several hours are still quite normal for vehicular traffic, and it is the busiest crossing on the entire planet, with up to half a million crossings a day.

jen20 8mo ago

Plenty of people commute from Windsor (Ontario) to the Detroit Metro Area daily.

JimDabell 8mo ago

They’ve introduced facial recognition at this border, starting with motorcyclists. You just scan a QR code to get in. If that’s not an option, the gates are automated – you scan your passport and you can walk straight through. Singapore has the smoothest border controls I’ve ever experienced; it takes me less than half an hour between stepping off a plane at Changi to stepping into my apartment.

indemnity 8mo ago
Whenever I fly to Europe (from New Zealand), I always go via Singapore, I just zip through, everything is convenient and clean. Transiting through the American shitshow that requires clearing immigration again on the other hand…

Muromec 8mo ago

Borders in some places look more like a gate to enter metro, if you earned (or born with) trust bit