Printer Bandit
Lifer
- Mar 16, 2005
- 13,864
- 108
- 106
It's only your fault that you don't have a passport. Be an adult.
New laws? What do you mean by new? As far as I can remember I've needed a passport to leave the country.
Not true. Montreal was about an hour or so from where I went to school in NY. Made many trips there and back without a passport. This was sometime around 2007/8ish.
It's only your fault that you don't have a passport. Be an adult.
It may have been accepted, but it wasn't required.The first time I went was in Aug 2000, I know for sure we needed a passport then. We were crossing in by the Niagara Falls.
Well, all I said was "as far as I can remember" which definitely IS true (you certainly can't know what I remember)... it's just that my attempts to get into Canada don't stretch beyond 5 years ago. That's all I've known, and nobody has ever mentioned the ability to go in and out of the country with just an ID before so that's all news to me.
It's not newer than 5 years that's for sure. Based on responses here you might have had a special license (NY is one of the few states that have them) which is why you got in/out so easily.
The change wasn't "a few years ago"-it was a decade or longer.
I did it 4 years ago with the wife and kids.
my daughter lives in El Paso, she goes into mexico nearly every weekend and has no problems getting back into the country with no passport.
How do people not have passports?
I travel to Canada fairly often for business. If I recall correctly, the actual year when it became a requirement to show a passport at the US/Canada border was 2009. The legislation was passed earlier than that (shortly after 9/11 probably) but like most government things it took some time to get implemented.
Even before that, having a passport made things much easier.
from what i'm reading it started in 2009. when i went to college in Rochester we would go to Canada all the time. all i ever had to show was my ID.
I was hoping to take the kids across. they are bummed. ohwell..its going to be a busy weekend anyway.
Fair enough... but who said I said it was easy? :sneaky:
How do people not have passports?
You used to be able to go to\from Canada with only a state ID or birth certificate.
Honestly I've never really understood the change. If you really want to sneak in there is plenty of un-patrolled boarder and lakes that you could cross. The new laws are more feel good that something that would deter dedicated terrorists
You didn't even need a driver's license prior to 9/11. You got to the Canadian border, "country of origin?" "United States." "Why are you heading into Canada today?" "Going to see Niagara Falls, do some sight seeing, and stop at a few shops." "Okay, have a nice day." The ONLY time I was ever hassled at the border, I was taking my kids over for something to do - it was a dreary day at the lake, we were camping, and wanted dry, non-lake things to do. "Does there mother know they're going into Canada with you?" "No." Wrong answer. I explained that we were on a week long camping trip about 15 miles from the border, and wanted something different to do, given the weather. I was out of the car. The kids were grilled with question after question. 5 or 10 minutes later, we were in Canada. I remember the awesomeness of the concept of dollar stores. They were dollar stores in Canada too. But, $1 American got us around $1.30 or $1.40 Canadian.Well, all I said was "as far as I can remember" which definitely IS true (you certainly can't know what I remember)... it's just that my attempts to get into Canada don't stretch beyond 5 years ago. That's all I've known, and nobody has ever mentioned the ability to go in and out of the country with just an ID before so that's all news to me.
It's not newer than 5 years that's for sure. Based on responses here you might have had a special license (NY is one of the few states that have them) which is why you got in/out so easily.
And, like others above, I don't have a passport. What kind of moron spends money on a passport if he has absolutely zero intention of traveling outside the country? If I decide to travel somewhere, I'll get a passport. What kind of moron thinks that everyone travels outside the country? I drive under the Peace Bridge (from US to Canada) at least once a month. Every once in a while, I do wish I had an enhanced driver's license so I could cross the border, just to see the Canadian side of the Falls - not that I haven't seen it 100 times prior to the strict border rules.
The change wasn't "a few years ago"-it was a decade or longer. You used to be able to go to Canada, Mexico and certain Caribbean countries without a passport. That was done away with as part of the Homeland Security Act changes.
Back in the sixties I went to Niagara Falls as a kid. All we needed to cross the border was a quarter to put in the turnstile. I had to break down and renew my passport for my last trip to Canada.
You didn't even need a driver's license prior to 9/11. You got to the Canadian border, "country of origin?" "United States." "Why are you heading into Canada today?" "Going to see Niagara Falls, do some sight seeing, and stop at a few shops." "Okay, have a nice day." The ONLY time I was ever hassled at the border, I was taking my kids over for something to do - it was a dreary day at the lake, we were camping, and wanted dry, non-lake things to do. "Does there mother know they're going into Canada with you?" "No." Wrong answer. I explained that we were on a week long camping trip about 15 miles from the border, and wanted something different to do, given the weather. I was out of the car. The kids were grilled with question after question. 5 or 10 minutes later, we were in Canada. I remember the awesomeness of the concept of dollar stores. They were dollar stores in Canada too. But, $1 American got us around $1.30 or $1.40 Canadian.
And, like others above, I don't have a passport. What kind of moron spends money on a passport if he has absolutely zero intention of traveling outside the country? If I decide to travel somewhere, I'll get a passport. What kind of moron thinks that everyone travels outside the country? I drive under the Peace Bridge (from US to Canada) at least once a month. Every once in a while, I do wish I had an enhanced driver's license so I could cross the border, just to see the Canadian side of the Falls - not that I haven't seen it 100 times prior to the strict border rules.