Canada Never Again

[Jim_and_Barb]

A friend and I were accused of being drug dealers at the boarder by the Canadian BP. Here is what happened We were flagged by BP to secondary because of my friends past 42 years ago when he was 18. When they were searching the Fiver they found three bottles of medications that belong to my wife. Who was scheduled to fly up and meet us in Anchorage next week. She put her Meds in the fifth wheel so she would not be without while touring Alaska. The Canadians were going to fine us for her Meds and accused us of being dealers. They stated that the fines would be in the thousands just for possession and hundred`s for each pill over 200 count, not hard when she gets 90 day supply. Then they wanted to fine me $500 for the pepper spray I had in my door that has been there for years I had forgotten about. In the end they took my spray and returned all of the Meds and asked us if we paid $3000 to see a group of supervisors they might or might not let us in and the fee was not refundable. My question is if we were the bad criminals the treated us as. Why did they give us back the drugs and asked us to leave Canada ??????? So BEWARE IF YOU OR YOUR SPOUSE TAKE MEDS MAIL THEM TO YOUR FIRST STOP IN ALASKA. This is why I will never again will I ever set foot in Canada. :M This was a poor attempt to shakedown us for $$$$$$$$$

[BobsYourUncle]

Well, I do understand protecting your turf from threats and all that stuff, but seriously, a teenage indiscretion from over 4 decades ago? Get real, really - get real. A teenager makes a mistake and they hold it against him when he is 60? What a crock of stuff that falls behind the horse!

The border guards really do get carried away with things. I went across to the US a number of years back, with my wife, my daughter and her husband and a friend, and we were detained, searched, had our car searched and we were held up for hours because we dared to bring cold pizza for lunch! Seriously, we got treated like criminals because we had this deadly toxic life threatening substance in our possession - cold pizza.
We were forced to put the pizza on the counter and pluck off every single piece of pepperoni and place it in their "contaminated substance" bags! No! I am not making this up!
Then we were allowed to keep our cold pizza, minus the pepperoni, and continue our trip to Portland. And it was US beef to begin with!

Yeah, the border guards have a job to do, protecting us from the criminal element, but some of them must drink their own bath water, as they get carried away with the stupidity of treating honest travelers like criminals.

If they had any brains they could look at the registration of an RV, see who the owner is, look at the name on some meds, the age of the owner and driver and realize that these folks are at the age when they need a few pills to sustain them. It is not rocket science.

Meanwhile, they let "others" through who are a genuine threat to the well being of the country.

And pepper spray? Really? There are bears where we go camping. A little common sense and using your head for something other than a hatrack would make you realize that older folks in an RV have some self defense stuff in case of a problem out boondocking somewhere.....

Here is another one. I hope this doesn't get things deleted, but here goes:
About a dozen years ago, we hosted a student from France in our home. One of his dreams was to visit the US. My wife, a couple of my children and this teenage student, complete with all the right papers to prove himself, went to cross the border at Blaine Wa. The US border guard directly asked my wife and the student if they were going down to the US to kill the president. True story, no lie. These guys are flamin' idiots!

Protect our respective countries, yes, but for crying out loud, stop being a bunch of total idiots, both US and Canada.

[Murminator]

Good thing you weren't travel back you woulda got the rubber glove treatment and guns in your face during the shake down just for the pepper spray not to mention the meds

[Sinterior]

Hmmmm, I'm not saying I don't believe you, but...........I certainly don't understand the $3000 extortion attempt. Canada's border guards would have to be pretty stupid to try something like that. Next time something like this happens (which frankly I highly doubt) ask to see a supervisor immediately.
As far as your wife is concerned, she wasn't there and how would you prove where she was and why she wasn't with you?
Seems strange she would keep a weeks plus meds on her and leave the rest in your 5th wheel, why not take them all?

As far as I know, Canada doesn't recognize your RV as a secondary home for certain things, ie, don't even think about bringing a handgun across the border, your RV and gun WILL be seized, no ands ifs or buts, you arrested there and then, and expect a long trial and maybe jailtime.

Also IIRC wasp spray is more acceptable than bear spray. Just get the spray, good for 20+ feet, not the mist spray.

IMHO 2+2 just don't equal 4 here, or am I missing something?

[kalynzoo]

Please note: In the USA it is illegal to transfer many prescription medications to a second person. Granted, it is/was your wife's prescription, but if you were stopped for a traffic violation the officer could hold you in custody until you could prove that you are authorized to transport your wife's prescription. If the medication in not in properly labeled containers you could be held until your pharmacy and/or doctor can be contacted to verify your right to possess the medication. In my experience as a California and Nevada licensed pharmacist I have been contacted at least half a dozen times by law enforcement officers to verify the authenticity of a prescription. Once a frantic wife had to go to numerous pharmacies to get copies of her husbands prescription because after a traffic stop, and some foul statements to the officers, her husband was detained over the weekend in jail until all the medications he kept on his person in an unlabeled bottle could be identified and shown to be legal prescription.
I'm not implying your actions caused excess scrutiny; however, this same situation could have easily occurred in the USA if the officer had probable cause.

[Jim_and_Barb]

Please note my friends problem was over 40 years ago and he paid for his indescretions 40 years ago . Here in the States people are given a second chance and not thrown out with the dishwater. What does Canada do with their people who have paid for their problems ?????? kick em out an tell them don't come back?

[winnietrey]

Well, the part you are leaving out is, my guess is your friend had a serious felony conviction, back in the day. You use the term indescretion, I doubt he tped someones house. And that was the crime, for which Canada barred him

Canada tends to take a dim view of such things as felonies. Had your friend not lit up their computer screens, you would have been waved through with a friendly nod. I live in Seattle I have crossed that border at least a 100 times. So I have some experience.

Think it's tough getting into Canada, Nope getting back into the USA is the tough part

[Jim_and_Barb]

We are trying to salvage what we can . We are currently in Washington State we will travel our northern states and spend our $$$$ here in the states on fuel, food, camping fees and all of the tourist traps we can find ,and keep the money in the states. We will fly next time and rent an RV to tour Alaska next spring. Happy travels to all of you. Remember keep your friends close and keep your northern friends closer !!!!! JIM

[daveB110]

Welcome to Border Troubles 101. Your friend will join the throng of inadmissables that overfly specific countries that won't let them in. I know half a dozen or more who have moaned about some past episodes, and say exactly as your friend, "Never Again," and they just don't go. They enjoy Mexico, Cuba - the world in fact, except USA.

Your friend could have gracefully exited your company and done what thousands do, overfly what has become their stumbling block. Or perhaps mentioned previous to your travels that he might be stopped at the border. Time does not automatically change things, not in Canada nor in your own country.

There are pardons to be had if acted upon. Too bad the border trouble likely has gotten in the way of that.

[Jim_and_Barb]

While traveling the Fifth Wheel as well as a Motorhome`s are considered a your secondary residence that's why there are specific laws that address search and seizure in the states ,you would think Canada would follow the same. Did I forget to say the Fifth Wheel also my wife`s too as she is on the registration.

[BobsYourUncle]

ScottG wrote:
Post #4 indicated SUMAS.

That came in while I was typing my reply

[ScottG]

Post #4 indicated SUMAS.

[BobsYourUncle]

Sumas, gee thats a small crossing too. Somebody must have had their knickers in a knot that day. That is unacceptable.

The $3000. thing has me bewildered too. This is not Mexico. Something isn't right there.

[BobsYourUncle]

Wow, that is unusual for a Canadian border crossing.

I would write a carefully worded polite letter to the head of the border crossing feds, outlining your experience and ask them if this is considered acceptable behavior for treatment of US tourists. Something sounds very out of line here....

And I too would like to know which border crossing it was.

[ScottG]

The $3000 extortion sounds like something you'd be subjected to in Mexico. I would never expect this of our Canadian "friends".

[Jim_and_Barb]

SUMAS