What are weirdest questions you have been asked at United States Customs

[briarberry]

The last time I crossed at Sarnia/Port Huron the U.S. customs guy asked both my sister and I what our occupations were which I thought was odd. Then he looked at me and asked me who wrote "O Canada". I was so surprised I said a French Canadian wrote it but I couldn't remember his name.
The customs guy just laughed at that point and told me he thought a teacher should know that (my occupation). It was rather funny!

 

[SaraMc]

Dh and I cross over lots to Buffalo and Niagara Falls. We always cross at Lewiston except for when it was under construction last summer We always try to go on a weekday because the malls arnt as busy and normally you wont be sitting at the border forever.

We have been asked so many things, some funny some scary and some just plain wierd.

Highlights include:

1. Why arnt you at work?
2. What other than your money is staying in the country?
3. Who owns this car? ( My answer, Ford Credit and I do)
4. Im in the car with my mother going across, how do you know each other? ( We also look very VERY much the same) My mother says I felt sorry for her and picked her up about 30 years ago and she wont stop calling me mom.
5. Driving to the Buffalo airport to go to Walt Disney World. Why would you want to go to Disneyworld in Feb? WHy not was my answer.


Coming home, its the same thing every time, Do you have any cigarettes or Alchol? No, have a nice day. Unless its a girls trip and no matter what we have or dont have 4 women in thier late 20's early 30's in a car or mini van together we have got pulled over and searched on our way back into the country.

 

[Scratch42]

Highlights include:


4. Im in the car with my mother going across, how do you know each other? ( We also look very VERY much the same) My mother says I felt sorry for her and picked her up about 30 years ago and she wont stop calling me mom.

I love this one!

j

 

[Scratch42]

This reminds me, upon our return from NYC, Canada Customs asked what I had purchased. My usual, Souvie T's, BAB's, some clothes............

He seemed surprised that I did not have cigs or alcohol? He even asked that IF he was to have my luggaged X-rayed that they would not find any of these items!?! I said no! Thinking to myself, not this time!LOL

Then he asked how much luggage we had with us and wrote it down on the Customs Form. When I handed the form in the other Custom's Guard looked confused when she looked at it!?! She then asked how long we were gone for and I said 5 days! She just shook her head and waived us thru!

j

 

[Donald - my hero]

I can't resist this one! Got 2 wierd and almost scary ones.

Our kids were babes : oldest not quite 3 and youngest not quite 1. We had been in Quebec for about a month with my hubby while he worked and we decided we would cross the border at a small crossing and drive under Lake Ontario since it would be a more direct route. The crossing turned out was a HUGE mistake. only one booth on a 2 lane highway, both directions of course were slanted into the booth at an incredible angle. Poor guys were even in the SAME booth! This was before passports were big thing ... I had NO picture id for my kids. He knocked on the window with his big clunky flashlight then shone it in son's eyes as he asked him who he was with. Great screaming started which then woke his sister ... he asked HER who was driving the car and she wouldn't look at him. Told us to get them outta their car seats and put them on the ground WhAT? she can't stand up yet. Son clung to my leg screaming WHERE'S SAMMY?? (his teddy bear) At this point he asked how long we would be in US we said the shortest period possible. Oh then just get going.

Skip to last Thanskgiving ... Going to DC for cousin wedding since he is in Secret Service we all had passports. Going in the guy almost swelled up when we told him why going. Coming HOME ... good grief, the woman asked us the name of a specific store on the main street and who owned it ?!?!?!? What did they sell?

 

[PrincessTrisha]

Last Nov/Dec I took my god daughter with me to WDW and we crossed at Detroit, we got some really strange questions.

He asked:

How much cash do you have on you right now? ($300)
How much space do you have on your credit cards? ($20,000)
Who is watching your house while you are gone (my brother and my friend)
Why would you have your friend watch your house? (because she lives 5 houses up from me and I am taking her daughter to WDW)
Where is her (meaning my god daughter) father? (her mother has full custody of her and I have both her custody papers and a notorized permission letter I obtained from her mother and signed by my lawyer.)

Then he proceeds to ask:
Where is the rest of her family? (at home)
Why are they not with her? (they are not going to WDW)
Why aren't her parents taking her to WDW? (because she has three young siblings - 2 under the age of 3 and they can not afford to go)
Why are YOU taking her to WDW? (because I am an insane freak and I like to see children smile - I didn't actually say this I stammered something about I've known her since she was a baby and since I go to WDW a couple of times of year, I thought I would be nice and take her).

 

[Hockeychic]

And this past Feb while crossing again at the Peace Bridge (heading to Buffalo airport for Florida ) we were asked how much money we had????

I wonder if we crossed with the same guard. I thought that was really odd, we where heading to Jacksonville for a cruise.. then after he asked that he said where are you staying when you get there, I said on a cruise ship. He said OK have a great trip.

 

[F4disneyfan]

The best was going to a hockey game in Detroit with my dad and my step brother a number of years ago we were asked if we wanted to smuggle any imports home with us I am guessing they were asking about the illegals they had living there but back then I was oblivious to this question. That was the funniest thing I can remember having been asked.

 

[CdnMom2]

We have driven over the border with the kids a few times. We instruct the kids not to speak unless the Guard directly asks them something. And then they should definitely answer his/her question. We make sure any napping children are awake for the border-crossing.

A couple years ago we got extra very strange questions trying to enter the U.S.. "Had the driver (DH) been to doctors recently?" "No."
This was asked a few more times & in different ways.

Then, "WHY hadn't he been to the doctor's?" Umm, WTH? (Is this some kind of misunderstanding because we Canadians have universal health care?? This Dear Wife was getting alarmed now -- just what kind of magic info do their machines show on my DH & his health?). I'm sitting in passenger seat with all Birth Certificates on my lap (have passports now) & our reservations. More questioning.

Our DD has a medical condition & had been in hospital about month earlier we tell them about it. Nope, that's not it they tell us.

We heard the Border Guard say he'd never seen this before & called for others. But he was saying it as we pulled up to the booth -- we thought he was talking about previous vehicle. Now a supervisor & others had arrived. We're told to pull over to little building with car elevator, guards with dogs.... They tell us after a while that our "vehicle lit up like a Xmas tree" on their radiation sensors. We're left sitting for awhile. More activity around us. Soon as I see a Guard again I ask if the $ Store Glow-bracelets we had packed for the kids could be the reason. In which case, please take them! No, that's not it. We knew what was in our car & were trying to figure out what could possibly be doing this. After about 15 tense minutes they tell us the passenger in the car of the aisle beside us had been in for medical tests & her spill-over is what caused our glowing. And we were on our happy way, a little late, but with a story to entertain our waiting friends that eve. Phew.

We nearly head to Divorce Court every time we pack our vehicle for a family trip in our own driveway! Can't imagine the fun we'd have after a search at the border!

 

[CanadianPaco]

bump! Man this is great stuff!

 

[jenkh]

Got a couple stories to add.

Me and my friends go to the states all the time, so we've had out fair share.

Usually we got for day trips to buffalo to shop and eat, but one day at like 5pm we just decided to drive from T.O to buffalo to go eat dinner at olive garden. So guard asks us duration fo stay, we say 2 hours. He asks why, we tell him just for dinner. He then asks where were going, and then preceeds to ask us what makes olive garden so special (we don't have then here in ontraio anymore) And then asked what we were plannning on ordering, luckily we have that menu memorized and we always order the same thing. LOL

Another time we went for a day trip with a friend from school who was from the states. As soon as we said 2 canadians 1 american, the questions were just thrown at us. How we knew each other, how long, why we were going, why we weren't going to his house ( he lived in north carolina.. why would we drive there for dinner??) Then the guy asked my friend which one of us he was dating. He said neither. The Custom guy asked why, and my friend said straight faced "because they have issues dating a gay guy" The customs guy face was priceless, and were were immediatly waved though LOL

I have more to add, but eyes are getting heavy....

 

[mbb]

Flying through Pearson..

Our boys have their own passports, I think they were 6 at the time of this crossing..

We get waved through to a booth, and the Officer looks at DH and I and says:
"I need to talk to the children. Please let them step forward."

Oooookay.

"Who is this lady?" Points at me.

"My mommy!!" (Both kids giggle)

"And who is this man?"

"Our daddy, silly!!" (They giggle more...and Customs Officer is looking very stern..)

"What did Mommy pack for snacks?"

The boys shrug - who knows what could be for snacks?? Mom just pulls good stuff outta the bag, man!!

"What does Daddy do?"
This stumps them...do? They go silent.
And the Customs Officer relents a little, and asks where does Daddy work?

Oh!! The light bulbs go on, "he gives people drugs!"

Great, kids ..DH laughs, nervously, clears his throat..."Pharmacist."

*sigh*
"Have a good trip, folks."

 

[MamaLema]

Then he proceeds to ask:

Why are YOU taking her to WDW? (because I am an insane freak and I like to see children smile

This cracked me up!!!

God, I hate crossing the border.

 

[PrincessTrisha]

You know, with the way he was questioning me, my stomach was in my throat the whole time. All I could think of was "What if he doesn't let us cross?" I agree, I hate having to cross the border.

 

[briar_rose_59]

"What does Daddy do?"
This stumps them...do? They go silent.
And the Customs Officer relents a little, and asks where does Daddy work?

Oh!! The light bulbs go on, "he gives people drugs!"

Great, kids ..DH laughs, nervously, clears his throat..."Pharmacist."

*sigh*
"Have a good trip, folks."

AHHH! That's so priceless!!!

 

[ont/ohana]

Whenever we have crossed we always get asked the fruit question. Nothing too wierd but then we are always crossing at 3am to catch the 6am flight out of Buf.
One year we came home in the middle of a snowstorm. (Plane skidded on runway etc...) We got to the Canadian boarder and the guy said "welcome Home" It was very nice!

 

[coastgirl]

Not a question really, but an odd situation...in 1990 we moved from Ont to Nf, with our budgie bird. Don't remember where we planned to cross, somewhere in teh middle of nowhere, only b/c it made the drive shorter. Had gotten a letter from our (avian specialist) vet, and researched the requirements. Spent the afternoon racing from one station to another in the sweltering heat (no a/c) b/c the US vet wasn't there that day, he was 2 hrs down the road at the other station...So. Poor bird was ready to croak with heat exhaustion. We get there, and sit in the station with the guards while they get the vet. The guards LOVED the bird, and couldn't understand why we were calling it a budgie when it was a parakeet. (Did YOU know Americans call them parakeets??)

Eventually they brought in the vet, stained and smelly from the livestock barn. He was a large-animal vet, whose real work was making sure the cows, pigs and chickens crossing the border were healthy enough to become meat. He looked at the bird, shrugged, asked us if he was healthy, and signed the paper. He had NO CLUE how an unhealthy "parakeet" would present.

Coming back to Canada we were truly holding our breath, but got to the Cdn side, to a female guard who was solely interested in what we had purchased, and as she waved us through, just leaned down and said "nice bird".

 

[pxlbarrel]

Ok...interesting question?

Arriving in Orlando a few years ago and actually clearing Immigration there, I was asked if I had seen the last Lord of the Rings movie. The previous question had been, "When was the last time you were in the United States and why?" "I was in Nashville in November for a Buffy the Vampire Slayer convention." For some reason, the immigration fellow thought that meant I would be a Lord of the Rings kind of person (he was kinda right...I watch them but not religiously). LOL We talked a bit about the movie and stuff which held up the line and made my parents, who were behind me, worried...what could immigration be talking with me for so long???? Was I in trouble? hahahah...he waved us all through after that.

And here's a really funny one...

Crossing over to Port Huron from Sarnia and driving my dad's mini-van. I was with my friend. She's about 12 years older than I am and is a white anglo-saxon sort of person. I'm Chinese...(wait for it...this is important.)

"Who owns this car?"

"My father"

"Who's that with you. Is that your mother?"

At this point, I actually hadn't heard what he had said because I was fiddling with the passports but my friend heard it and burst out laughing. I think, at this point, the border guard realized his major faux pas and was majorly embarassed. He let us go through post haste. hahaha...my friend told me as I was rolled up the window and I laughed and laughed and laughed. I kept razzing her about her "age" after that.