Crossing the Canadian Border by car

[Jimmy_Russells]

That’s hilarious!

But no, once was a guard at the Detroit-Windsor crossing. And once just South of Montreal.

Same experience. First question - do you own guns? Yes.

Downhill from there.

Do you have them with you? No

Why not? They’re illegal here

How do I know you’re telling the truth? If I wanted to lie, I would’ve said no to your first question

And on to literally hundreds of questions, many of them repeated, over the next HALF AN HOUR

It's not any different entering the US. Friend from Ireland was here and we wanted to go to Seattle for a day, took easily 30 minutes to cross, and there were like three border agents for every person in the building. They even took her fingerprints.

 

[MNgopher]

I'm amused by the complaints about border crossing agents...

Would you be happy if our border crossing agents just waved everyone in without questioning? Their country, their rules...

Always been direct and respectful while answering questions. Have had agents on good days and bad days. And if you pay attention, the way they ask questions are often designed to see what your reaction is or get the off the cuff reaction rather than a rehearsed answer.

Our typical questions are firearms, booze, and live bait...

 

[IndyIan]

That’s hilarious!

But no, once was a guard at the Detroit-Windsor crossing. And once just South of Montreal.

Same experience. First question - do you own guns? Yes.

Downhill from there.

Do you have them with you? No

Why not? They’re illegal here

How do I know you’re telling the truth? If I wanted to lie, I would’ve said no to your first question

And on to literally hundreds of questions, many of them repeated, over the next HALF AN HOUR

Yeah, probably the agent doesn't want to be the guy who let in a bunch of illegal guns up here.

You weren't dressed up like this guy, while driving your SL600? You might expect some extra questions about your activities...

 

[uc50ic4more]

Same experience. First question - do you own guns? Yes.

Correct response while at border: (GASP!) B... B... But guns *kill people*.

Brother, I used to play in a hair metal band in the very early 90's in Detroit. Me and an idiot buddy would cross the border frequently with a 15-year-old beater of a truck loaded with thousands of watts of idiot amps and idiot guitars, no visa. We would just budget in an extra 45 minutes each day for the grilling from Joe Friday.

I have always found, from both my side and from accounts from American friends, that getting into Canada is stupid easy, while earning passage into the U.S. is a more involved affair, whether you're coming into a country or coming home. With that said, "border agent" is a job that probably is specific about NOT having a really warm, affectionate customer relation; and I have encountered about the same ratio of pleasant agents as hard-noses as I might anywhere else that involves scrutiny or vetting.

 

[Astro14]

Yeah, probably the agent doesn't want to be the guy who let in a bunch of illegal guns up here.

You weren't dressed up like this guy, while driving your SL600? You might expect some extra questions about your activities...

View attachment 99735

I was driving a Volvo wagon in both cases.

Short hair. Collared shirt. US Passport.

Clearly suspicious.

 

[dlundblad]

I just visited 2 weeks ago. 2 questions about where im from and where im going..
and 39 questions about do i own guns and their location.
Was comical. Was trying super hard to remain respectful.. the 3rd time he asked me if I was sure there were none with me.

American side 5 questions including why am I wearing steelers gear when I'm from ohio (lol) (she had a bills hat on)

Also passed some car getting strip searched.. one tiny guy and 4 huge dudes.. I'm guessing he was the under dash guy lol

If I ever felt the need to go to Canada, I would definitely fly for this very reason.

Many of the customs/ border folk take their jobs too seriously. This can happen anywhere though.

I dealt with a guy when coming back into the US because he didn’t like my coyote tan backpack. He said it looked militant. Me being the smart ass that I am, I thanked him and said it looked liked his. He had a smaller version.

 

[Rand]

I would never tell them I dont own guns because I do.. and its probably shared... but I dont carry.
Home defense and target shooting at my cabin.

I've had good and bad in both directions.. maybe because I'm from USA but always seems better going home than going to Canada
not always true.

The first part of arrivecan you prefill anytime you want ie vac card pic and passport info

The "questionaire" part has to be completed within the 72hours of crossing window.

 

[Sam_Julier]

This thread is helpful as I’m passing through Canada to Michigan in a couple of weeks.

Fortunately, I’ve never owned or even fired a gun.

 

[Wolf359]

This thread is helpful as I’m passing through Canada to Michigan in a couple of weeks.

Fortunately, I’ve never owned or even fired a gun.

Been a few times, good to know about the guns question. Didn't pay attention to what they were asking, went through pretty easy. Don't own any guns though. I did have a lifetime FID card once though, it expired.

Probably go later this year.

 

[JHZR2]

I was driving a Volvo wagon in both cases.

Short hair. Collared shirt. US Passport.

Clearly suspicious.

I remember going up in the early 90s, and my non smoking parents getting grilled over how many cigarettes and cigars they were bringing into Canada… ummm… none?

Once I drove over myself for Canadian Henley and they didn’t believe us. It was stupid.

Do they want us to spend money there or not?

 

[uc50ic4more]

I remember going up in the early 90s, and my non smoking parents getting grilled over how many cigarettes and cigars they were bringing into Canada… ummm… none?

Once I drove over myself for Canadian Henley and they didn’t believe us. It was stupid.

Do they want us to spend money there or not?

Being one of "they", I will say it again, from years of experience living in a border city that lives eats breathes and sleeps cross-border activity, and with a lot of dual-citizen friends: It is orders of magnitude easier and more pleasant for an American to cross into Canada by land, sea or air than vice versa. For every one of your stories about being treated **with the scrutiny one should probably expect when entering into another country** I have twenty. And for every story I'd have about being treated discourteously at the border I have two or three that involve the process being quick and entirely painless. I've done it hundreds of times.

It is an individual on the other side of that glass and they have their own character, experiences and discretion in carrying out their job/ duty. They are not in customer service and they don't care about your feelings: They would stink pretty badly at their job/ duty if they did.

 

[uc50ic4more]

I was driving a Volvo wagon in both cases.

Short hair. Collared shirt. US Passport.

Clearly suspicious.

I am no expert but I am pretty sure that in paragraph 1 of page 1 of "Being a Bad Guy For Dummies" it says "Make sure you don't appear suspicious. Maybe drive a Volvo. Wear a collared shirt." I am not sure that "not looking suspcious" is alone enough to check any boxes in the mind of someone vetting incoming traffic into a country.

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

I should try going to Canada.

 

[Astro14]

I am no expert but I am pretty sure that in paragraph 1 of page 1 of "Being a Bad Guy For Dummies" it says "Make sure you don't appear suspicious. Maybe drive a Volvo. Wear a collared shirt." I am not sure that "not looking suspcious" is alone enough to check any boxes in the mind of someone vetting incoming traffic into a country.

I can’t tell if you’re joking - but I clearly tripped some serious boxes in the minds of the officials both times I’ve driven to Canada.

I used to live in Canada for cryin’ out loud! You would think that five years of playing hockey and surviving Winnipeg winters as a kid would count for something at the border…

I’ve been to Canada dozens of times as an airline pilot - zero issues. Courteous, efficient, service.

I’ve flown to Canada a few times as a tourist (Lake Louise/Banff* area is one of my favorites), and same experience; courteous and efficient.

So, no more driving into Canada for me. Problem solved.


*Used to vacation in the Canadian Rockies and at Lake of the Woods when we lived in Canada. Took my wife to Banff and Jasper National Parks before we were married, and proposed on the banks of Emerald Lake, in Yoho National park. We’ve been back many times.

 

[uc50ic4more]

I can’t tell if you’re joking - but I clearly tripped some serious boxes in the minds of the officials both times I’ve driven to Canada.

I used to live in Canada for cryin’ out loud! You would think that five years of playing hockey and surviving Winnipeg winters as a kid would count for something at the border…

I’ve been to Canada dozens of times as an airline pilot - zero issues. Courteous, efficient, service.

I’ve flown to Canada a few times as a tourist (Lake Louise/Banff* area is one of my favorites), and same experience; courteous and efficient.

So, no more driving into Canada for me. Problem solved.


*Used to vacation in the Canadian Rockies and at Lake of the Woods when we lived in Canada. Took my wife to Banff and Jasper National Parks before we were married, and proposed on the banks of Emerald Lake, in Yoho National park. We’ve been back many times.

I was certainly joking.

Keep in mind, too, that I have been told that there are policies in place at the (land) border(s), on both sides, that essentially randomize or make systemic (ie. "every 4th vehicle") who gets especially special treatment.

Have you tried mentioning that you've lived through at least (1) Winnipeg winter? I would expect that you'd not only be let through immediately but you'd be given a solid hug and a high five. :^)

 

[Snagglefoot]

So I crossed the border into the USA at East Gate in Northern Idaho. The officer didn’t want to see anything about vaccination, just my passport. He was professional and not overbearing. Coming back, the Canadian officer acknowledged my ArriveCAN submission ( which is easy to do once you download the App. ). He asked me about booze ( I brought back a bottle of rum and a dozen Coors.) I answered negative to guns, fruit and vegetables. Also asked how was the Sandpoint car show. It was excellent!

 

[earlyre]

We were stuck in over an hour long wait to cross into Canada near Detroit a few years ago. The border agent started questing me if I owned guns, when was the last time I shot guns, the current location of my guns., if I had any guns or ammo in the car, if I was going to shoot guns in Canada, etc. It was ridiculous. After the long delay, I was in no mood for stupid questions.

bridge or tunnel?

I personally Prefer the Tunnel. the US Guys have asked some odd questions, but you can tell, at least I could, that they were "seriously" messing with me, just b/c they could.
granted that was back in...2017?

the only time the Canadians looked twice at me was a misunderstanding over what the purpose of the trip was. which to be fair... was a bit odd in it self.

Back story:
Mom's parents were Missionaries, stationed in India. She and her sibs went to a Boarding school up in the Himalayas near Nepal.
lots of the other students were similarly kids of Missionaries, foreign dignitaries, foreign Gov workers, etc.

one of her school Friends Lives in Guelph, ON. I was Driving mom to Her house, then they would go over to Montreal, and pick up another class mate from a cruise ship, then back across the border into Maine, where yet another class mate has a house. (it was a mini-reunion "Girls Trip" given that the "girls" are in their 70's.)


so the Canadian border agent asks why we're crossing over,
"Taking My mom to visit a School friend in Guelph"
oh, did you go to school in Canada?
"India"
okay.... how long will you be staying?
"I'm coming back tomorrow, she's staying with the friend, and they're going across to Maine, Then in a week i'm coming back to Guelph to pick her up"
okay... you folks have a good day...


is that Arrive Can app something new since Covid? cuz i didn't fill anything out back in '17... if I was supposed to...oops!

 

[ecotourist]

Crossing the US border I was asked,
What is the purpose of your trip? Vacation.
How long will you be in the US? About 2 weeks.
Are you carrying more than $10,000? No.
Then how are you going to pay for your vacation? Umm, credit cards - like everybody else.
Okay, have a nice vacation.

I suppose unexpected questions trip up people with rehearsed but basically false answers.

 

[64bawagon]

They dont respond well to sarcasm, I am by nature sarcastic, so I stay here and avoid the issues.