Border Agents rude and difficult at Nogales

qtla9111 wrote:

USARMYCW wrote:
Everyone is a suspected terrorist.

X2

X3

Link

Next time, slip 'em a twenty and ask "can I go now?"

The rule is to declare and then let quarantine question you a little bit more to decide that you really didn't need to declare that anyway.

Reading this forum and the one relating to Canada and Alaska, it is quite obvious that far too many honest, god-fearing people travelling across borders have very convenient memories and morals when it comes to taking stuff across the border that they know very well they shouldn't - so it is no wonder the Border Protection people treat them the way they do.

Once again we have the don't/won't-ever-go-to-Mexico-because.... crowd chiming in with their proclamations of doom and gloom. Guess they don't realise that they are just providing us with a bit of amusement by forever being intensely curious about what we get up to south of the border.

As for not travelling abroad because you haven't seen the whole of your own country. That was my view too for many years when we couldn't travel much because of work and family - but then I realised that I can still see more of my own country when (because of failing health and reduced mobility) I'm past travelling to more exotic places.

That way you can see the whole world instead of just one fairly familiar part of it.

Sounds to me like it was a simple YES or NO question - I don't see how one can misunderstand that.

If you answer NO and they find some, guess what... you lied to them! If you lied about that, they need to wonder what else you are lying about or trying to hide. That's how it goes. At that point, to them, you could be a drug smuggler for all they know, and they're likely to treat you as such.

Tough lesson to learn, and I don't think it's unique to any one particular crossing.

qtla9111 wrote:
Okay, I respect these guys and their jobs (somewhat) and I am not a smarty pants and never refuse anything. It's their turf and their day so I answer what they ask me. But how do I respond to these frequently asked questions:

How is it you were born in the U.S.? (and I have my U.S. passport in hand or better, they do)

Why do you live in Mexico and not the U.S.?

Aren't you afraid? (here is a guy who is Hispanic and most likely has relatives in Mexico and speaks Spanish all day at home and at work)

Now, don't they sound a bit smarty pants? Then, it's some vague order to pull over into "X" lane and circle around and then wait in line. Make one false move and they are on you like white on rice and say, "now what did I just tell you?"

It's there job, they know it better than I do. I don't live there, I try not to cross too often and so I have no earthly idea sometimes about what they are talking about.

Then you go through all that, then the routine X-ray machine and they send you on your way only to have to go through a mandatory secondary checkpoint before leaving the bridge where they want to check you for drugs. WTH!

So you get on the road, and now you are supposedly in the U.S. when all of a sudden there is a checkpoint (location depends on each state, I believe it is supposed to be 21 miles north of the border but now they are much further than that) and you again have to prove your nationality. Why? Didn't we just do that 20 miles back?

Doesn't make sense.

They ask those kind of questions to guage your reaction and to guage who you answer them...they care more about how you react to answering than they care about your answer

Okay, I respect these guys and their jobs (somewhat) and I am not a smarty pants and never refuse anything. It's their turf and their day so I answer what they ask me. But how do I respond to these frequently asked questions:

How is it you were born in the U.S.? (and I have my U.S. passport in hand or better, they do)

Why do you live in Mexico and not the U.S.?

Aren't you afraid? (here is a guy who is Hispanic and most likely has relatives in Mexico and speaks Spanish all day at home and at work)

Now, don't they sound a bit smarty pants? Then, it's some vague order to pull over into "X" lane and circle around and then wait in line. Make one false move and they are on you like white on rice and say, "now what did I just tell you?"

It's there job, they know it better than I do. I don't live there, I try not to cross too often and so I have no earthly idea sometimes about what they are talking about.

Then you go through all that, then the routine X-ray machine and they send you on your way only to have to go through a mandatory secondary checkpoint before leaving the bridge where they want to check you for drugs. WTH!

So you get on the road, and now you are supposedly in the U.S. when all of a sudden there is a checkpoint (location depends on each state, I believe it is supposed to be 21 miles north of the border but now they are much further than that) and you again have to prove your nationality. Why? Didn't we just do that 20 miles back?

Doesn't make sense.

harold1946 wrote:

Steeljag wrote:
On a side note- I wonder how many times a day people "misunderstand" the rules there?

We cross 3-4 times every year. There is only one rule that I am aware of. DON'T LIE

...and ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AS ASKED - NOTHING MORE AND NOTHING LESS

EVERYONE WHO CROSSES THE BORDER IS VIEWED AS A "TERRORIST"

BEFORE CROSSING PREPARE YOURSELF AND YOUR RV TO BE BOARDED - IF THEY DON'T THEN THAT'S A BONUS

So far no problems in crossing...

The list of ag products allowed changes from time to time. When I cross north and they ask about food I always tell them that I have food in the fridge and pantry. I don't know what is allowed and ask them to check for me. They inspect, take what should be taken, and I go on my way.

Nice, clean, and very professional.

Cross often, never a problem thus far. Sometime they can be a bit terse/short but look at their job. I wouldn't want it. They have to interact with hundreds, thousands of people a day and some are not nice/polite. Tough to have a social director attitude 24/7. Give them a break. Also I can tell you your past crossing experiences/answers are input into the computer. If you don't answer correctly and statements don't match with past inputs, you are going to have a problem. They have noticed in the past when I got a new pickup, had a break in crossings and a couple other small differences. Your crossing experience depends on you & your history. Also remember who has the power of the moment. It sure is not you so don't try to act like you do, you will lose! This is a good rule for any time SOB, NOB, in USA or anywhere. Will keep you out of a lot of trouble.

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

We will pass on Mexico only because I have not seen all of this great country yet.

That should take, oh I don't know, until I die?