Does anyone else get nervous crossing the border?

[MaryannF]

I am always nervous. I always have all receipts ready. My DH says that we'll get pulled over one day because I am visibly nervous even though we are always totally honest and above board.
My dd and her friend took my car to Buffalo to shop one day. I told her to make sure she declared everything when coming back. I gave her a letter of permission for the car. Not only did they ask her for the letter but they also told her to go in and pay duty. While she waited to pay the duty a guard taunted her and her friend telling them that they could be stripped searched and there would be nothing they could do about it. This, after producing all receipts and being totally honest about what they bought.

 

[Bonnie40]

I am always nervous. I always have all receipts ready. My DH says that we'll get pulled over one day because I am visibly nervous even though we are always totally honest and above board.
My dd and her friend took my car to Buffalo to shop one day. I told her to make sure she declared everything when coming back. I gave her a letter of permission for the car. Not only did they ask her for the letter but they also told her to go in and pay duty. While she waited to pay the duty a guard taunted her and her friend telling them that they could be stripped searched and there would be nothing they could do about it. This, after producing all receipts and being totally honest about what they bought.

This is why instead of being 'nervous', I get annoyed.....I know I would have had something to say if a guard said something like that to me! My husband just asks me to say nothing, if at all possible. He's nervous because he's afraid I'm going to say something to tick them off!

I have no problem with the questions.....it's just the attitude that just rubs me the wrong way....and that goes for both sides of the border! Actually headed down on Saturday!

 

[glenpreece]

This is why instead of being 'nervous', I get annoyed.....I know I would have had something to say if a guard said something like that to me! My husband just asks me to say nothing, if at all possible. He's nervous because he's afraid I'm going to say something to tick them off!

I have no problem with the questions.....it's just the attitude that just rubs me the wrong way....and that goes for both sides of the border! Actually headed down on Saturday!

I totally agree the attitude is the worst. When driving back from the BUF airport we had to sit on the rainbow bridge for 2 hrs because of construction and 3 tour buses ahead of al the cars. So instead of moving the buses up and into separate lanes they kept us all waiting there. So when finally drove up the guard put her hand out as we drove up and got all mad cause it meant "stop" even though her light was green. She was mad cause she was supposed to go for break!!! Really!!! You literally sat there for 2hrsw and did NOTHING and you need a break!!!! I was PEEVED. They treat us all as if were criminals and how dare we come and go between the countries. Same goes for when I fly which is usually solo I get put through the wringer every time.

 

[LSmith]

I totally agree the attitude is the worst. When driving back from the BUF airport we had to sit on the rainbow bridge for 2 hrs because of construction and 3 tour buses ahead of al the cars. So instead of moving the buses up and into separate lanes they kept us all waiting there. So when finally drove up the guard put her hand out as we drove up and got all mad cause it meant "stop" even though her light was green. She was mad cause she was supposed to go for break!!! Really!!! You literally sat there for 2hrsw and did NOTHING and you need a break!!!! I was PEEVED. They treat us all as if were criminals and how dare we come and go between the countries. Same goes for when I fly which is usually solo I get put through the wringer every time.

This reminds me of a few weeks ago when we were crossing back into Canada. There was a massive amount of cars (March Break). It appeared that the border guards all get relieved for break or whatever at the exact same time. The guards that were switching in our line decided to have a 10 minute yap session right there in front of everyone with not a care in the world. They were laughing, talking, flirting.

I was getting more livid by the second and really had to put myself in check when the gruesome twosome finally said their goodbyes and she waved us ahead. Talk about your abuse of power. Then, she gave us a bit of attitude just to let us know who was boss. When we told her how much we spent (we'd been in the US for almost 2 weeks) she says dryly, "must be nice". She was a peach.

It been my experience that some of the Canadian border guards are on more of a power trip than the most of the US guards whom I find quite friendly.

 

[mommytodarlings]

Not really.
We never have any problems coming back into Canada, however we are usually crossing after a least 3-4 days away and with 6 of us, we are never over our limit. One time the Canadian border guard looked at my kids birth certs (before passports were needed) a few times, then looked at us and said, "your kids are all like a year apart". Yep, thanks for reminding me, lol.

The last time we crossed into the US, the agent opened the van door and addressed our kids, asked them each their names and matched them up with their passports, then said to them "who is this guy?" and pointed to dh. My older 2 kids responded "that's Joel" instead of "our dad". The border agent just looked at us, I shrugged and then he said "well, what do you call him?"
My oldest (she was 9 at the time) caught on that he wanted to hear that it was her dad, lol. My kids were like, "we thought he wanted to know your names, cause he was asking us our names," lol

 

[rjan67]

No, but I work in Michigan and cross 5x per week. My dh doesn't do it as often and will let me drive if we are going over.

 

[papertraveller]

We find generally that passing into the U.S. is a straight-forward affair. Pre-clearing customs at Pearson's Terminal 3 at March Break the official chatted with me for ages about my job. And generally at the Peace Bridge they will always take a close look at DD in the backseat, which we appreciate.

I have also found that the border officials at Pearson coming home are cordial and polite. We're going to be travelling with DD's BFF on our next trip, and one official was great about providing me with information for coming home with her. (For example, that she will need her own customs card even though she is a minor.)

The worst, by far, was the Fort Erie guy who asked if DD was our biological child. Whose business is that? She has a passport, she's a Canadian citizen. Poor thing also looks like me. Man I stewed about that question all the way to Hamilton before I cooled down.

 

[Ken_Breadbox]

I have never had any problems coming back into Canada: in fact, more than once, I haven't even had to show I.D.
Into the U.S. is another story. Strangely, the guy who made me the most nervous was the friendliest. He was in his late fifties and he had soooo many questions to ask us. All in a friendly, conversational manner, but...well, a great many of them had to do with my lack of a driver's license. I told the truth: my vision is too poor. He said "well, that never stopped anyone!" and for the life of me I thought he was going to drag out an eye chart. I mean, it was my life story he wanted, all with respect to my vision. Then he suddenly turned to DW and said "so, you're going to Florida for, what, a couple of weeks?" We'd told him a week, first thing and this was something like twenty minutes later. Big sighs of relief from the two of us once we were *sure* we were out of sight.

 

[Reese]

I'm always nervous when we are on our way to vacation. I pack everything very tightly and if they unpack my van our my suitcases it's not going back in, atleast not quick enough for me to make my flight. When we are flying if we do not have a good extra hour on top the two hours before our flight to arrive I am panicked until we cross the border.

The one time I realized I would have been in trouble if I had of been searched. We had rented a house and I was trying to be cheap so I thought I would bring baggies of homemade mixes with us. So I had ziplock bags full of assorted white powders - pancake mix, breadstick mix, cookie mix, baked oatmeal mix, ect. It seemed like a good idea at the time and I made sure that none of the food I put in the mixes was prohibited but an entire suitcase of it would have looked a little suspicious. I have since started just bringing measuring cups and recipes.

 

[silverhaze269]

I always feel nervous crossing the boarder, but more so when I'm going through the customs pre-clearance, or coming back into Canada and going through customs. I'm not sure if it's just our airport or what, but the people that work in customs are always stern, never smile, and almost never talk to you other than to ask their questions. I've never lied on the customs form and have always been within the limits, but I always get nervous because I feel like they could find any small reason to secondary screen you. It's like they're judging you or something, or they make you feel like you've done something wrong but you know you haven't and the whole process is just really uncomfortable. I find it the worst part about traveling to the US, other than the stress of flying .

 

[bdoyledimou]

We get "pulled in" every time we cross the border because my DW is not a citizen of Canada -- she is just a perm resident.

So going into the US, she has to fill out a i-94, get her photo and fingerprints taken, and asked a tonne of questions.

One agent asked her point blank right in front of me if she was only with me for a green card. that was rude but she was very cordial about it "i could have found a much better looking guy if all i wanted was a green card"

Funny thing is, she has been in Canada for 30 years and worked as an Immigration Law clerk -- helping thousands of other people get their citizenship.
She just never got around to getting it herself..

 

[Sue M]

Sometimes. When I drive to the US, and I get a mean Customs officer it makes me flustered, and feel like I've done something wrong, when I haven't.
No reason to be nasty, but guess they can be as rude as they want, no accountability. What are you going to do? Park the car and go in to complain?

At least in airports there are other people and other customs officers nearby, so they can't be as nasty.

 

[OntFamily]

Customs officials will try to use wording to guage people's reactions -- just to catch people off guard (no big deal, they're just doing their job).

For Canada Custom's agent's they're "damned if they do, and damned if they don't". If they push too hard, legitimate people crossing get harrassed. If they don't push hard enough, the wrong people can enter the country.

I try to keep in mind, Customs / Border agents have two goals: 1) make sure only legitimate people enter the country, and 2) those who are allowed to enter, pay the proper taxes and duties on good they are importing. For most of us on these boards, the concern by the agents are mostly point #2 (as if you're a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant, you will not be denied entry). So, it's not abnormal most of our conversations with those agents are respecting taxes and duties.

 

[Sue M]

Yes, i can understand using wording, but the guy I'm thinking of was just plain nasty. Totally uncalled for. Fortunatley he was the exception, most are just doing their job.

 

[SaraMc]

We go across quite a bit. I get a but nervous coming back into Canada, always have. I've never felt like that going into the US. We have had some great border guards, we've also had some odd questions from them too. I always have Wednesdays off, so that's when I will often go over then. I have been asked many times " why are you not at work?". When DH and the kids come along" who owns this vehicle?". My answer of the bank and I do usually get a smile. Best thing the US guards hae asked us was " is there anything, other than your money staying in the united states?". But coming home I'm always prepared for the worst and hope for the best.

 

[bfamily5]

On our first trip we were driving cross-border to fly out to Disney. The border guard asked a few questions. I explained we were flying out of Portland to Orlando. He asked me if I had any tickets. I said No...he says" no tickets at all?" I said no never...not even a parking ticket. Well of course he was referring to airline tickets My face turned 20 shades of red! So, ya, they make me kinda of nervous!