Does anyone else get nervous crossing the border?

[MamaLema]

I do. Every time. I get nervous and anxious every time we cross the border.

The funny thing is we never try to smuggle extra alcohol, or food that's not permitted so I have no idea why I feel like that. We are always within our spending limit, but there's something about crossing the border that makes my heart beat out of my chest

 

[Mickey1Fan]

Me too! and we are always within the spending limit and don't smuggle anything.

 

[My 2 princesses]

OMG, same here too I have no idea why either. They once asked my DD 'is this your mom and dad' and I was like what if she thought they were joking and she said 'no'.

The worst was the first time we were flying from BUF. I felt like I was cheating on Canada and somehow thought the border security guards might have the power to make me feel worse, LOL!! Or wose still, send me back.

Glad to know I'm not the only one.

 

[MedicGoofy]

Never?

I'm over there weekly, if not more sometimes. I love travelling into the US. I go as often as I can. Not only because gas is so much cheaper (I save $25 a tank) but because they have better items to buy. There selection is so much better.

I am usually over the daily limit and don't fret about it. I know that if they choose to, they can make me pay duty. If they feel nice, they let me through. They are just another person doing a job.

The only time I was stressed, was when a friend was purposefully not declaring her items. Do that and your screwed it they catch you. Im not into that.

Just smile and be polite. I love chatting them up if they are cool. If not, good day to them

 

[momof2gr8kids]

We go across the border a couple of times a month as we live close to the border.

I do get nervous because on a few occasions they've asked some really wierd questions going into the US. I've heard lots of horror stories and am worried it will be our turn to be searched and interrogated. They wouldn't find anything, but just the stress and hassle of having that done worries me.

Last time we came into Canada we were being asked a kazillion questions and it was really quiet and my 7 year old blurts out "Akward ..." LOL Had to contain my giggles and thought for sure they would think we were lying about something!

 

[Step]

On our way back to Canada in 2008 they searched our car.

I had all the details written out about what we purchased but they seemed really surprised we didn't have alcohol.

It was raining and cold. We had to stand outside while they searched... not a fun experience.

Next time I'm buying a bottle of rum, lol

 

[Disney Addicted]

Oh my yes! The first time (since kids) was on a trip to Disney.

The border guard asked where we were going. I said Buffalo (with the intent to explain more) as we were flying from Buffalo. At the same time, my husband says Walt Disney World. Well.. we both stopped talking and looked at each other. I remember thinking "we are screwed now"!

I guess the guard knew we must be flying from Buffalo because he/she (forget) never commented. Just asked to open the van door to talk to the kids and let us through.

And here I thought our kids would say something stupid and get us pulled over!

 

[Bertie9396]

Always! Going there, I worry there will be glitch in the system and they'll say I can't go across. Coming back, I worry we'll get pulled over. Before our trip to Cuba I kept having a recurring nightmare that they wouldn't let me board. No real good reason why that anyone would tell me. I was shaking at the airport check-in counter, but of course everything was fine. Paranoia or what? LOL

 

[lizabu]

No never. I grew up in a border town and probably crossed over hundreds of times. (Late night liquor run when the LCBO is closed?...lol). My Mom is American too and it always just seemed like a familiar thing to do.

 

[ChisJo]

I too always get nervous. I've pushed my boundaries in the past with not claiming some items that I've purchased (I was young). I now claim everything, and have even brought WAY more than the allotted amount of alcohol back from California, but I had a list of everything and because I was honest, they were good to me. I am honest about other purchases too as I always go over the $750 amount - sometimes they just pass me through, other times I pay the taxes.

However, I have had really mean border crossing people too. And these are the ones that make me question my being. I have to remind myself that I am an honest, legal binding person with nothing to worry about....but, I worry sometimes that they might single me out and take me into a room and question me for no reason. I tend to get my bag searched every single time....I don't know what I take in my bags that encourages them to look through my belongings in front of everyone else. I have had my checked bags searched through at least 3 times.

 

[dntd]

For shopping I keep my costs under $150, I live 15 mins from the boarder so do it sometimes weekly. I used to get worried but I'm not now. We haven't been checked yet!

 

[pigletto]

It's always a little nerve wracking but we go often because we live close and it's never too bad.
In maybe 100 trips we've only had a problem once. We were going to the Adirondacks for a long weekend and used my parents vehicle. Because my mom crosses over in that vehicle often for school they pulled us in and questioned us quite a bit. It was about an hour of waiting. Other than that we always have our receipts ready and are only asked to pay duty on large purchases. 90 percent of the time we are waved through.

ETA) The one thing that really did bother us about the questioning is that once you are pulled in there are signs everywhere that it is illegal to use a cell phone, camera, or video equipment. Nothing says "You are about to have your civil rights violated" like making sure it can't be documented. That still bothers me. I wanted to call my dad so he would be at the ready if they needed to call and ask about the vehicle but didn't see the sign and got barked at for having my phone out. The whole process was a little creepy. They gave us no indication why we were being pulled in, kept our passports and we couldn't communicate with anyone outside the place.

 

[dancin Disney style]

I'm never nervous....I'm always 100% honest about what I have so there is no reason to be nervous.

I go over ever 6-8 weeks to shop and usually spend around $150. In November we always go over on Veterans day weekend (the sales are really good) and this past year we spent about $400 and got back across the border without being stopped. I fully expected to have to go in and pay, which is fine with me. I'm sure that those purchases here in Canada would have cost me over $1000.

 

[sstarke]

The irony of security is that it makes a sovereign state's citizen feel insecure when we are in the breadth of it!

If only they knew I just wanted to go shopping

 

[monkey30]

I tend to get nervous as well, not sure why but I do.

We have always been honest and usually there is no issues. We have had to pay duty once (we knew we would DH bought 8 cases of beer!) and they didn't really care about it at all he went in paid for the beer, and even though we were over our limit in goods they didn't make us pay for that.


We use to drive across often, not so much now as we are further north!

 

[Josh Hendy]

Most of the border-security people act like regular folks and make it clear that they're just trying to do their jobs in a reasonable and friendly way. But one does get the occasional [...] who is out to prove something. Or not really proving something, just someone who for whatever reason has decided to be more zealous than the average. That has a way of dampening my enthusiasm for crossing the border. And yes it does make me kind of nervous.

Just make sure you know who you are, who you're with, where you're going, what goods you're carrying, especially anything which resembles alcohol, tobacco or firearms, and how much it cost. Don't try to B.S. them, they meet 1000s of people every day and they can spot a liar from miles away.

Think of it from their point of view: they're doing their job if they can find people attempting to cross the border who are illegal immigrants, criminals, or who are importing stuff without giving the government what they (the government) consider to be their fair share. Make it easy for them to determine as quickly as possible that you do not fall into any of those categories and you'll be their friend.

It will save a lot of discussion and argument if you keep receipts for the stuff that you're bringing back into Canada ... once I purchased liquor in Delaware (tax free) that was only something like $10-11 dollars per 60-oz bottle and the tax collection guy gave me a very skeptical look when I told him this, and furthermore that I had lost the receipts. He let it go but I vowed to be more careful about receipts next time.

 

[fitmom3]

I felt a little nervous last year when we crossed for the first time with the kids. I was worried that my son would joke around and tell them he doesn't know us. LOL! We told the kids to act serious and not make jokes OR we could be held in a room for hours. The only thing the kids did was scream DISNEY when asked where we were going. The border guard had a big smile. We returned this year on Saturday night of march break. The guard didn't even ask us to open the van door so that he could see the kids. It was the quickest crossing.

 

[TaniaU]

I'm more nervous with Canadian Customs than pre-clearing US customs. And I have no idea why They've never been anything but pleasant and always talk and joke around with DS.

We've had some bizarre questions though lately, which throws me for a loop, especially when we travel with family who have stayed later or taken a different route home.

 

[KNovacovschi]

We try to go every other weekend for my weight watchers meals and every time my DH is nervous enough for the both of us. It takes a lot to get me nervous but him not so much. About 5 mins before reaching the border the radio gets turned off and my DD and I are not allowed to talk. I understand the nervousness but I think if you act to nervous it would look more suspicous to the guards. We have gone over our daily allotment many times and never have had to pay duty. I would pay without question though if made to. It would still be cheaper then buying the items here.

 

[tgropp]

I used to many years ago, but not any more. We are always over our limit so I always tell the truth and have never been pulled over. The key is not to go over the limit on alcohol