Worst US/Canadian border crossing

2 very different stories from me. Both returning to Canada at Oroville/Osoyoos.

First time was with a 8 month old trailer (so looked brand new). CDN Dollar was much better then so I was bringing back about $1600 of stuff I knew I would have to pay something on so had all the receipts and a list made. Plus (and this was our mistake) we had stopped at Wal Mart for beer and wine on the way down (2 weeks earlier) and just didn't drink much so were bringing back 2/3rds of it. Over limit on the liquor. So pulled aside and asked for keys etc. They went through the truck and trailer from front to rear bumper. Opened everything including looking under the hood of the truck. 45 mins later they came back, said thanks for being honest and sent us on our way without any fees or anything.

Last year, similar trip but the CDN dollar was not so good so I didn't spend much. Maybe $200 of stuff at most. Again, had all the receipts and we drank every last drop of liquor, so had none on board. 2 questions and waived through in under a minute.

I've had bad experiences at airports, but that's another set of stories.

steveh27 wrote:
Coming back into Detroit a few years ago the US customs guy asks where I'm going. "Detroit" is the answer. From his booth he asks if I have any guns. "No" I say. He reaches under his desk and lifts up 2 handguns to hand to me saying, "You'll need these then".

Just a little levity here.

Probably more truth to that then humor.

Coming back into Detroit a few years ago the US customs guy asks where I'm going. "Detroit" is the answer. From his booth he asks if I have any guns. "No" I say. He reaches under his desk and lifts up 2 handguns to hand to me saying, "You'll need these then".

Just a little levity here.

A few years ago the wife and I were taking separate vehicles to Lakeport State Park in MI. I towed the trailer earlier in the day and she came from work with our adopted Chinese daughter, (The wife and I are unmistakably Caucasian), then aged about 7.

There's a tricky bit on I-94 close to the Blue Water Bridge that crosses to Canada where, (if you are busy dealing with a 7 year old in the back seat), you can find yourself on the bridge with no way to turn about and heading directly to Canada... Which the wife managed to accomplish.

Nonsensically, there is nowhere you can turn around when you get to Canada if you have made a mistake so you are forced to interact with the immigration chaps there. So my wife finds herself with no documentation for her or our daughter and, possibly worse yet, no proof that the small Chinese girl lashed into a childseat in the back of the truck is legally adopted.

There was much "umming" and "aahing" and about half an hour later my wife was handed a "Refused Entry" form all dutifully filled out and was directed to turn around and go back from whence she came.

If they would just put a little turn around area before you get to immigration that allows you to cross back it would save those who make a mistake and their immigration chaps a lot of time and effort.

colliehauler wrote:
I did have one interesting crossing going to Thunder bay. Evidently we came during shift change. They had us pull over to the inspection area and no one ever came out. After about 20 min we went inside to ask what was going on. The people inside thought we had already been inspected from the prior shift. They apologized and inspected the vehicle and sent us on our way.

Funny, I had a similar but funnier (IMHO) version of that same story.

Crossing into Sarnia ON from Port Huron MI coming back from Oshkosh WI and by the time I hit the border at about midnight I was exhausted so I wasn’t upset when they sent me into secondary, the instructors were “park over there and stay in the vehicle and someone will come out to you’.

Around 6am there was a knock at the door which woke me up. I answered the door and a border agent told me I shouldn’t be parked there. I explained I was still waiting for inspection and must have dozed off.

I presented my paperwork and the “inspection” took all of about 5 seconds.

This is a very interesting topic! We as a family used to cross at the Peace Bridge from Buffalo every year to take the kids to the Falls and sometimes the Big City (Toronto). That stopped as soon as we needed passports.

But way back (the 60s) - when I was a kid I did the usual kid that always tells the truth thing... When asked at the border coming back to the US my parents were asked if we bought anything in Canada and they said NO. I piped up and said - "What about the beach ball?" You know - we went to Crystal Beach. Gotta have a beach ball. :)

mike-s wrote:

SDcampowneroperator wrote:
Seems an escaped murder felon in Ca. ...

From context, I'm guessing you mean Canada. "Ca." is an abbreviation for California, which is how I first read it. I've never seen Canada abbreviated to "Ca." The ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code for Canada is CA (all caps, no period), although it also ambiguously refers to California.

"Can." (or CAN or CDN), to be less ambiguous, but simply spelling it out isn't much effort to avoid confusion.

The TLD for Canada is .ca eg cbc.ca so I'm sure many folks know it by that proper abbreviation.

Wasn't all that bad, just ate up half the day. Must be 12-15 years ago, crossing over in Detroit, Canadian agent asked if I had any firearms. Obviously, answer was no. Then asked me if I had any at home. Kinda took us by surprise. Answered what difference does that make, so long as I'm not bringing anything into Canada, but for what it's worth, yes, have two non-useable antiques, an 1800s European grouse shotgun with Damascus barrels and an earlier 1800s musket. Had me pull into the inspection area where after a 2 hour or so wait a couple of other agents took the car apart looking for whatever they could find. Dumped everything, luggage contents included, on the pavement, gave me a permission-to-cross paper and walked away. Don't recall that either of them said a single word. Was asked same question our last trip to New England (2015)(wonder if it was the same agent?) crossing over in NY (Cromwell). I lied. Other than that only difficulty/issue/whatever was waiting in line to get processed through.

I did have one interesting crossing going to Thunder bay. Evidently we came during shift change. They had us pull over to the inspection area and no one ever came out. After about 20 min we went inside to ask what was going on. The people inside thought we had already been inspected from the prior shift. They apologized and inspected the vehicle and sent us on our way.

Long time ago my buddy and I used to make beer runs to Sarnia for our couple cases of good Canadian beer. Never usually an issue but one time we were invited to go inside while they looked over my truck. Was asked the usual questions and to hand over our drivers licenses while the nice agent went into an office with a one way mirror so he could observe if we got a bit nervous or something. Asked how much money we had with us and to show him our wallets. They ran the dog over the truck and looked in the usual smuggling places. Heck, all we wanted was some beer, THEIR beer. While there we saw a young fella and his girl led into separate rooms. One agent in the office said they were invited in for a body search. After about 20 minutes we were politely told to get the hell out of their office.