Never really realized how much of a hassle it is to go to the US

[OutHouse]

the crossing going up to Vancouver is something else. the Canadian side is all landscaped, pretty flowers and maple trees all over and nice rock walls with a waterfall really well done. coming back into the states it looks like a fucking dump. looks like a gas station but with like 50 cameras pointed at you per lane!!. honestly it made feel like i was going into a prison and makes me sad every time i go through that crossing.

 

[Born2bwire]

I'm Canadian. I was born about 1 mile from the US border. I've lived within a short drive of the US border my entire life. I've never been in trouble with the law, and have been to the US a few times a year, both through the air and via ground crossings.

Most of the time I get asked many questions: Where are you going? Are you meeting anyone? Show me the tickets for the football game you claim to be seeing. When are you returning?

Once I had to submit my car for inspection and waited around for 30 minutes while they went through the trunk.

I never really realized how comparatively paranoid the US border control agents are until I came to Hong Kong for business. I landed in the airport, went to customs, handed my passport over, they scanned it, stamped it, and let me in. No questions, no anything.

I haven't done much travelling to other countries, but is this experience typical?

What type of border experience to Americans have when coming to Canada?

They want you guys to keep taking more Hong Kongers in.


Mmmmm... flowing sands bun...

 

[OutHouse]

That's nothing! They're just doing their job.

What I'm talking about is when an officer demands you sing the Stars Spangled Banner. Or you hand the officer your passport, and he scans it, looks at the passport, looks at you, and tells you to take your hat off. Five minutes later, you put your hat on...and the officer yells "did I fucking tell you to put your hat back on?" Or when the officer questions your American citizenship. Or when he ask you where you work and how much you make?

umm yea i would tell the officer to fuck off and to get his supervisor.

 

[Svnla]

I have never made a trip to Canada but I did travel to many countries and as long as my visa/paperwork was up date along with my passport, I was good to go without any problems. Some minor at developed countries but mostly were due to corruption (money).

@ Six - I never experienced such things as you did. I did meet a few jerks at the border with attitude but nothing as singing or asked me how much I make.

 

[sdifox]

I get harassed at the border. Once the agent asked me why I was carrying so little cloth and my response was "How much cloth should I pack for 3 days?"

 

[jme5343]

9/11 changed a lot with Canadian/USA borders. I also grew up on the border (the Massena, NY/Cornwall, Ontario border) and remember in the late 90's being able to cross through some of the lesser known crossings without even talking to anybody (Trout River crossing). Now it certainly is a bit more of a pain, although I have only have my car taken in to be looked at once, and it was crossing into Canada, not the opposite way.

This is where I've crossed (and bless you for growing up in that area).

I had more trouble going into Canada than I did come back because I didn't have my letter of introduction. Next time I'll have one that says "Hi, I'm jme5343, nice to meet you. Signed//jme5343.

 

[jme5343]

I get harassed at the border. Once the agent asked me why I was carrying so little cloth and my response was "How much cloth should I pack for 3 days?"

So you sew your own attire once you cross? I don't get it.

 

[sdifox]

So you sew your own attire once you cross? I don't get it.

...

 

[theknight571]

I remember crossing into Canada just for lunch (Tunnel BBQ...usually) It was always why are you entering Canada... For lunch at the Tunnel BBQ. Ok.. enjoy...Have some ribs for me.

Then on the way back. Why were you in Canada.. For Lunch at the Tunnel BBQ. Ok... have a nice day.

Then 9/11. I went once to the Windsor Casino and it took 5 min to cross into Canada but on the way back it was the inquisition. 30 min of waiting in line and then 15 min of questions, including "Why did you go to the Windsor Casino when there are 3 of them here in Detroit?"

I haven't even tried to go back.

I do, however, have a friend that lives in Windsor and works in Detroit and has very few problems making the commute daily.

 

[Cookie]

US Customs is definitely the worst I've seen. Also the slowest. If you're going to take (comparatively) forever to let each person through then maybe have more than 25% of the available lanes open?

Fwiw, the most efficient entry point I've encountered is definitely at Narita airport in Tokyo.

I haven't driven through a US border crossing in a long time, but my experience with flying to the US is that it's very quick to get through. It may be because from Calgary, and other major cities, you go through US border security BEFORE you get on the plane.

The worst border crossing by far for length of time was Casablanca, Morocco. It must have been at least 2 hours to get through due to the lines.

That's nothing! They're just doing their job.

What I'm talking about is when an officer demands you sing the Stars Spangled Banner. Or you hand the officer your passport, and he scans it, looks at the passport, looks at you, and tells you to take your hat off. Five minutes later, you put your hat on...and the officer yells "did I fucking tell you to put your hat back on?" Or when the officer questions your American citizenship. Or when he ask you where you work and how much you make?

My British guy was like that too! "How did YOU make enough money to afford this trip?!" At 4am I was too tired to be anything but stunned.

 

[Howard]

One time an American fucktard border dude asked me why I put on the parking brake in my minivan.

Couldn't believe how stupid the question was.

 

[mmntech]

CANADA IS WORST!!

I was on a business trip with my partner to Vancouver Canada and we were detained. I was allowed to enter Canada but my partner had a DUI dropped to an infraction 10 years ago AND they still wouldn't let him in... while being held, I saw that fat dude actor from LOST TV show detained with his mom and they wouldn't let him enter Canada...

Your friend should have claimed he was a refugee. Say that and they'll let you in even if you blew up ten busloads of orphans.

These border guards have next to no training. Combine that with the fact that most of them are likely failed cops and that's where the attitude comes from.

 

[JamesV]

I've been to Toronto a few times, and used to drive across to Windsor. Usually no issues, but once the Canadian police went ballistic on my car, and pretty much acted like they'd toss me in jail if I complained.

I guess it might have looked a bit shady; older Honda that had a broken rear side window (the little extra panel window was broken by thieves when they stole things out of my car), and I was a pretty brash guy @ 22 fresh out the army.

Had planned to bring my girlfriend up there for a night or two for a while, and couldn't get the window fixed, so just covered it. Well... they roughly 'inspected' my car by banging all over the panels and literally throwing stuff out of the glove compartment and other areas (I was 22, had alot of junk in my car).

They made us stand away as they did this, so when I saw it... looked like someone just deliberately beat my car up and threw shit everywhere, I made a snide remark being pissed at the mess, and their response was to the effect if I wanted to complain they'd toss me in jail or kick me out of the country.

Oh, and I also got pulled over leaving Toronto once, by police that said the same make and car had just been involved in a bank robbery (my gf's blue mustang). Luckily they didn't find the cash! (j/k let us go after a minute)

 

[Exterous]

Its always hit and miss. Sometimes you go right through with no problems. Other times you have to answer 20 inane questions. That goes for Canada to America and America to Canada

 

[silverpig]

Its always hit and miss. Sometimes you go right through with no problems. Other times you have to answer 20 inane questions. That goes for Canada to America and America to Canada

So maybe the OP should refer to both Canada and US borders? HK was stupidly easy to get into.

 

[Born2bwire]

So maybe the OP should refer to both Canada and US borders? HK was stupidly easy to get into.

Did you go in on a business visa? Honestly, they don't seem concerned with Westerners in terms of overstaying and whatnot. I never got carded in the years that I lived in Hong Kong, but my Mainland friends would get carded a few times a year.

 

[coloumb]

Yep - it's a pain in the ass to get back into the USA...

Vancouver BC connecting flight to overseas - 1 agent. Usually asks "Where ya going, eh?", looks at my passport, hands it back, and wishes me luck.
Return trip back through Vancouver BC - 6 agents ask the same questions [4 of the agents are within 10 feet of each other]. Last thing I want to deal with after a 12 hour flight are 6 custom agents with attitudes...

China, Ireland, Israel - no issues and usually no discussion.

What I did find humorous - I told our company taxi driver in Israel that it was extremely easy to pass through customs. He said "It's because you're a white boy from America".

 

[mugs]

I never really realized how comparatively paranoid the US border control agents are until I came to Hong Kong for business. I landed in the airport, went to customs, handed my passport over, they scanned it, stamped it, and let me in. No questions, no anything.

I haven't done much travelling to other countries, but is this experience typical?

The experience you had flying to Hong Kong is the same as I had flying from Spain to the US.

What type of border experience to Americans have when coming to Canada?

We just drove across a bridge with our birth certificates. But that was in the 80s.

 

[silverpig]

Did you go in on a business visa? Honestly, they don't seem concerned with Westerners in terms of overstaying and whatnot. I never got carded in the years that I lived in Hong Kong, but my Mainland friends would get carded a few times a year.

No visa or anything. Bought the plane ticket, flew over, handed my passport to the customs officer, she scanned it, stamped it, gave it back, and I was in.

 

[RbSX]

I'm Canadian. I was born about 1 mile from the US border. I've lived within a short drive of the US border my entire life. I've never been in trouble with the law, and have been to the US a few times a year, both through the air and via ground crossings.

Most of the time I get asked many questions: Where are you going? Are you meeting anyone? Show me the tickets for the football game you claim to be seeing. When are you returning?

Once I had to submit my car for inspection and waited around for 30 minutes while they went through the trunk.

I never really realized how comparatively paranoid the US border control agents are until I came to Hong Kong for business. I landed in the airport, went to customs, handed my passport over, they scanned it, stamped it, and let me in. No questions, no anything.

I haven't done much travelling to other countries, but is this experience typical?

What type of border experience to Americans have when coming to Canada?

Because American border guards are power tripping pricks.

I remember when I was flying to New York several years ago as a part of a high school trip. When I was passing through customs in Montreal on our layover, I submit my customs declaration card to this big burly white guy who spoke with a heavy southern drawl.

Apparently, I had it turned over the wrong way and he asked me to turn it over. I turned it over and the man says "Why did you do it like that?"

Me: Do it like what?

Him: Do it so aggressively?

Me: I just turned it over like you asked, is that a problem?

and out of no where...

Him: It's my job to keep people like you out of my country.

Er, what?

Me: So by people like me do you mean people that turn over customs declaration forms too heavily for you, or do you mean people with brown skin color?

At this point shit starts to get heated, so my teacher comes over.

Jokes on the border guard because the only person he probably hates more than me is gay people, and my teacher was flamboyantly gay wearing flannel shirt, bell bottom pants, handlebar moustache and spoke with a lisp.


As someone of colour I've been through so much shit, my mother (who's white) gets searched all the time because she travels with 1 brown guy and two halfer's. My ex-girlfriend who's white never gets searched but miraculously I always do while coming into the states.

In contrast, I've flown to HK as well, no problems. Fucking ridiculous.

 

[dmcowen674]

One time an American fucktard border dude asked me why I put on the parking brake in my minivan.

Couldn't believe how stupid the question was.

What's stupid about it?

Why did you engage the parking brake?

 

[Scotteq]

What type of border experience to Americans have when coming to Canada?

I don't have to travel any more, but years ago, there were no restrictions going into Canada for US Citizens. You didn't even need a Passport, just a driver's license. Coming Back, on the other hand, you had to have a Passport.

Nowadays, you'd likely get strip and cavity searched just trying to come home. D: Questioning and general harassment are pretty much mandatory.

 

[marvdmartian]

To be fair, 9/11 had a LOT to do with the attitudes, and will continue to do so, for some time to come (IMHO).

That, or maybe they watched the movie Canadian Bacon one too many times??

"Canadians......they're EVERYWHERE!!" :sneaky:

 

[gorcorps]

This was my experience getting into Canada:

"So, looking to come to the great white north eh?"

Yup

"Really?"

Yup

"Okay, eh *stamp* Here, have a donut... on the hoose"

Uh, thanks... eh

 

[NoCreativity]

Never had a problem with Canadian or American guards.

Did get racially profiled leaving British Virgin Islands. Only a handfull of white people out of about 40 getting on the plane and we all got "randomly" selected for the extra security search. It was really pretty amusing.