SoundGuy wrote:
SoundGuy wrote:
All this said I was berated a couple of years ago coming back into Canada because our trailer had "too much American dirt" on it. :S I kid you not ... we had been camping at 4 Mile Creek State Park in NY state in early spring when the ground was still saturated with water and I had such a difficult time getting on to a site towing our trailer with our 2wd drive Avalanche which spent most of it's time spinning it's wheels. :M It took numerous tries, eventually I got on to a site, but a friend with a 4wd Expy had to pull me off. I even gave the trailer a quick rinse at the campground dump station before leaving but apparently this wasn't good enough and it was only because the Cdn border agent decided to be "gracious" that he let me go BUT not before reminding me he had every right to deny me entry into my own country and instead send me back to the US to wash my trailer. Absolutely 100% true story. :R
RobWNY wrote:
I believe it. I am a retired Police Officer and have an enhanced drivers license that I use to cross the border. It has a chip in it and pretty much tells your life story. Once, while I was still working, I went to Toronto to watch a couple of baseball games with a buddy of mine. When I was asked the reason we wanted to enter Canada, the Border agent didn't believe me and kept badgering us. It wasn't until I showed him the game tickets that we were allowed to enter but then I had to pull to the side to have myself and vehicle searched because they didn't believe that I didn't have a gun with me as an officer. I kept telling the guy that you'd have to be a complete idiot to try and cross the border with a concealed handgun and without the proper declaration forms filled out in advance. In the end I was allowed to enter. Sometimes I think they just like to be the marionette and control the puppet strings. It's no different with U.S. customs either. I understand we live in troubled times but there's no reason to treat people poorly.
One of our good friends is an OPP officer, is also on an ERT team (SWAT to those of you in the US). Last weekend while standing around the campfire we were all trading border crossing horror stories and I was astounded to hear that his were some of the worst. I found that hard to believe, considering his profession and status in the community ... and I'm not saying he deserves preferential treatment but he certainly doesn't deserve to be singled out repeatedly by border agents who in many cases have that job because they themselves have no chance of ever being a member of the police community. Amazing, and disappointing.
That might be exactly why members of Law Enforcement are singled out. Kind of a "Screw You" thing, as misguided as those thoughts/opinions/actions might be.
