Border crossing advice July 15, 2018, 08:40:44 am A friend of mine told me he was crossing into Canada and the border guard asked if he had any guns with him. He said no I don't. The guy looked long and hard at an NRA sticker at the bottom corner of the driver side front window and then told my friend to pull over into a side lot. They spent over an hour searching his RV top to bottom. Just something to think about if you are planning a trip to Canada and have one of these NRA stickers on your LD. Mine came with them front and rear and I'll probably scrape them off before heading north. 1 Likes
Re: Border crossing advice Reply #1 – July 15, 2018, 09:39:58 am The last five to six years of my working life I was employed by an large German international company. On any given week I could be in just about any place on the globe. Having crossed the Canadian borders and many many other borders I can say this without hesitation ..... you never know what, when, or how a border control person thinks or will do on any given day or time. My advice is to respect the laws of the country your are visiting. Don't lie when ask a question. Do what they ask even if you think it's stupid. If pulled over or out of line smile and enjoy your rest stop in customs. BTW IMHO the US border agents are the worst. Over the years I've had more delays when them then any other country.
Re: Border crossing advice Reply #2 – July 15, 2018, 09:46:03 am Quote from: colddog - July 15, 2018, 09:39:58 amThe last five to six years of my working life I was employed by an large German international company. On any given week I could be in just about any place on the globe. Having crossed the Canadian borders and many many other borders I can say this without hesitation ..... you never know what, when, or how a border control person thinks or will do on any given day or time. My advice is to respect the laws of the country your are visiting. Don't lie when ask a question. Do what they ask even if you think it's stupid. If pulled over or out of line smile and enjoy your rest stop in customs. BTW IMHO the US border agents are the worst. Over the years I've had more delays when them then any other country. I used to go to BC quite a bit even for day trips to ride MT bike trails around Nelson. It was a courtesy wave through both directions. After 9-11 everything changed and it seems like it continues to be more and more of a hastle.
Re: Border crossing advice Reply #3 – July 15, 2018, 10:43:34 am A friend recently crossed the Canadian border on his motorcycle. The border agent inquired " What drugs are you carrying?" My friend responded that he wasn't carrying any drugs. The prompted a stop and a search. It turns out that the border agent was asking about pain killers. A subsequent agent said "All you motorcyclists are carrying drugs; aspirin, Advil, Motrin, etc." When that was clarified he showed them the Advil and he continued down the road.Motorcycles are a wonderful way to see the world, but at my age, anti-inflamatory drugs are just part of the package before, during, and after every ride. Border agents know this as well. Tell them when you cross.We live adjacent to the Mexican border and my kids go down there. (My son is presently just north of Guatemala traveling alone in his truck, and yes his mom and I are nervous and will be until he crosses the border to the USA) We tell them: Be polite and smile. Do not bring anything of a plant or animal nature that you didn't drive south with. Answer all questions truthfully. Don't try to be humorous. Don't argue if they want to see anything or if you go to secondary for a more thorough search. "Yes sir, no sir, thank you sir (or Ma'am, as the case may be).
Re: Border crossing advice Reply #4 – July 15, 2018, 10:55:25 am I've never driven into Mexico and have no intention of ever doing so! I have crossed the Canadian border several times with mixed results.But there was one border where I had cold sweat running down my back and that was the East German/Soviet border before the wall came down. It's not a comforting feeling to have the muzzle of a sub-machinegun six inches from the end of your nose, nor is it any easier to surrender your passport to a foreign agent not knowing if it will be returned to you. 1 Likes
Re: Border crossing advice Reply #5 – July 15, 2018, 11:00:23 am My dear departed Gram lived the cooler months of the year on Martinez Lake in Arid-zona. On one particular crossing back from Mexico (this was 50+ years ago), she was asked what she had to claim. She mentioned that she had some sandals that she had purchased.After opening the trunk of her car to reveal a dozen pair of sandals, she was asked if she had a resale license. When she said no, she was told to pull over. She explained that the sandals were for her private use. The border agent didn’t buy that. “No one buys a dozen shoes for themselves”, he said. She then proceeded to show him that all the sandals were exactly the same, the same color and the same size and that they fit her feet. “Why would a retailer buy a dozen of the same exact sandal”, she asked. This stopped his inquiry but not before quite some time had elapsed. She was then allowed to cross back over the border. She was indeed a brave women and always stood her ground.I wonder if she was smiling the whole time. 🤨Kent 3 Likes
Re: Border crossing advice Reply #6 – July 15, 2018, 12:48:30 pm I spent 7 years living on a motorcycle, traveling the world.38 different countries were visited.As mentioned above, motorcycle travel is a great way to see the world.And I agree, that US border guards are the most annoying.The most annoying part of border crossings is in places that they want to shake you down for a bribe.Learning to deal with that can be frustrating, but you have to let them know that you are not going to pay.I took my Lazy Daze to Baja once. 6 military check points on the way down.About a couple hundred miles apart, every one, they went through the RV, thoroughly.It was crazy after having been waved through on my motorcycle all those years.Same thing on the way back north. That was my last venture into Mexico with the RV.
Re: Border crossing advice Reply #7 – July 15, 2018, 08:39:47 pm Quote from: Lazy Bones - July 15, 2018, 10:55:25 amI've never driven into Mexico and have no intention of ever doing so! I have crossed the Canadian border several times with mixed results.But there was one border where I had cold sweat running down my back and that was the East German/Soviet border before the wall came down. It's not a comforting feeling to have the muzzle of a sub-machinegun six inches from the end of your nose, nor is it any easier to surrender your passport to a foreign agent not knowing if it will be returned to you. Steve, I had a similar feeling crossing into Bethlehem & back during a trip to Israel a few years ago, as the cocky young fully-armed Israeli guards boarded our bus full of middle-aged to geriatric (96 y/o man) tourists. Having worked in a prison I was perfectly aware of the importance of security, but it gave me a tiny inkling of Palestinian life, if they treated tourists old enough to be their grand- (or great-grand-) parents--spending money in their country-- that way. But it was indeed, "Yes, sir" & no smiling or small talk.The best (courteous/thorough/professional) airport screeners I've seen have been at Tel Aviv & Frankfurt.Kent--I've become your Gram ...I'm at a point where I hate shopping, especially for shoes, and when I find a pair I like, I also buy it in multiples. ...I also have boxes full of boxes in the basement (mine & my Little Red-Headed Mama's stash), because I always hate having to go in search of a box for wrapping/etc. Someday somebody will haul a dumpster up to the house & heave four generations of stuff into it (including shoes & boxes ), & wonder, "Why did she keep all this stuff?"--but I won't be around to fret over it... Lynne 2 Likes
Re: Border crossing advice Reply #8 – July 15, 2018, 09:34:00 pm "...as the cocky young fully-armed Israeli guards boarded our bus..."Not having been to Israel I have no standing to comment but I believe I would feel far more safe under them than I was under the East German Police and Soviet Military! On the return trip from Berlin I took advantage of the first rest stop in West Germany to let my frazzled nerves calm down. I could have flown to Berlin or taken the troop train but where's the adventure in that? As it was I was a U.S. Military member, traveling in civilian clothes under Diplomatic Orders. Can you spell the word Spy?
Re: Border crossing advice Reply #9 – July 15, 2018, 11:48:01 pm “But there was one border where I had cold sweat running down my back and that was the East German/Soviet border before the wall came down”.😰Guess my brother Mark and I smiling and waving at the border guard didn’t help much 😇 1 Likes
Re: Border crossing advice Reply #10 – July 16, 2018, 12:18:05 am Quote from: Sawyer - July 15, 2018, 08:40:44 amA friend of mine told me he was crossing into Canada and the border guard asked if he had any guns with him. <snip>It is no big deal to transport firearms into Canada. You fill out paperwork ahead of time and declare them at the boarder. Of course, their laws are different so certain firearms that are legal here in the US are not in Canada. They classify them as non-restricted, restricted, and prohibited. RCMP - Firearm Users Visiting Canada 1 Likes
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