Harsh welcome at Detroit border

**ASR89** · April-11-10, 10:20 AM

I've only travelled over to Windsor twice, and both times were pretty recent. The first time was horrible. They said I was "suspicious" and I had to go inside the station and wait a very long time, and talk to more border police. Finally, I was let go, but I felt like a criminal.

The second time wasn't bad. I was with a friend, and I had to pull over into a line of cars on the side for about 10 minutes. The border police had their dog sniff everybody's car. The guy in front of me told the officer that the dog was looking like it was having fun. The officer agreed, told him her name and said a few other things to him. Then the dog jumped into the van ahead of us and I could see what the guy meant. Anyway, the officer asked us some questions and then the dog sniffed my car. The officer was calm and nice with us too. Then we were free to go.

**Bobl** · April-11-10, 01:42 PM

Sixteen Saudis, members of a Saudi group that received funds from Saudi mosques and businessmen attack us with planes.
Our response: Attack Iraq. Make border crossing inconvenient to most. Question: We have spent billions and reduced cross border traffic. Who won this battle?

**wolverine** · April-11-10, 01:56 PM

Maybe someday technology replace these border agents. Humans make mistakes and fall out of line in their jobs. Computers don't.

**softailrider** · April-11-10, 02:13 PM

Originally Posted by Bobl

Sixteen Saudis, members of a Saudi group that received funds from Saudi mosques and businessmen attack us with planes.
Our response: Attack Iraq. Make border crossing inconvenient to most. Question: We have spent billions and reduced cross border traffic. Who won this battle?

Arabs absolutely won it. They won it in many more ways then you mentioned.

Bullet · April-11-10, 04:01 PM

Did they find your crack stash?

**eno** · April-17-10, 03:00 PM

http://www.boingboing.net/2010/04/16...e-us-bord.html

Ran across this incident at the Blue Water Bridge. Thought it might be of interest to this thread.

**Leo B** · April-17-10, 05:02 PM

In the 60's our Dad built our Canadian cottage largely by smuggling building supplies over the bridge, one piece per trip. We once passed our cottage neighbors attempting the same thing. They were stopped at the Canadian customs, hood up, with the Customs guard scratching his head at the new toilet seat duct taped to the family wagon's air cleaner! I think they all got a laugh and were sent on their way. Can't imagine what would happen today, but then the dollars are at par....

Leo B

**English** · April-17-10, 07:12 PM

Had trouble returning from Canada post-9/11 in the following cases:

--when I was traveling with my then-teenaged sister [[she didn't speak up fast enough, so we were asked "does she speak English?")
--when taking out-of-town guests from overseas over to the Windsor area for shopping and dinner [[Guard: "Don't we have stores and restaurants in the United States?")
--when my ex forgot his passport and ID, and then proceeded to interrogate the border guard about his right as an American citizen, and what he was prepared to do if he was not let back into HIS country [[this is one example of why he is an ex; I thought we were going to be arrested).
--for shopping and a better currency exchange rate before taking my HS students overseas [[selected for secondary screening)

I haven't been to Canada in a few years, so another reason for the trouble crossing may have been my age. I was 21 when I started going without my parents, and in my mid twenties the last time I tried. Looking back from a more mature vantage point, I'd say that we were rightfully selected for screening in each case. However, I don't even consider crossing that particular land border any longer. I've had nothing but luck going through customs at airports, so I think I'll continue along the path of least resistance.

It's sad. The best place to get dim sum in the metro area is in Windsor, in my opinion.

**SWMAP** · April-22-10, 01:12 PM

Banned for five years for lying about going shopping instead of to yoga class!
http://detnews.com/article/20100422/...-yoga-students

**eno** · April-22-10, 01:18 PM

And no more Maple Leaf fans sneaking over to catch a game at the Joe.....

**Detroitnerd** · April-22-10, 02:57 PM

It's just gross that you can't go to Windsor to eat or shop without running the chance of some hyped-up, 100 percent American, aviators-wearing, Big-Mac-eating, overweight law enforcement ~~~~~~ bag roaring at you, or some drug-sniffing dog jamming his head in your crotch.

**softailrider** · April-22-10, 03:48 PM

Originally Posted by eno

And no more Maple Leaf fans sneaking over to catch a game at the Joe.....

Not so sure about that - plenty of obnoxious Blue Jay fans at Comerica when Toronto comes to town.

**Bobl** · April-23-10, 12:23 PM

Does anyone seriously believe that a well financed terrorist group will be prevented from an attack by the secure card or passport requirement?

**gazhekwe** · April-23-10, 12:27 PM

I have a friend coming across the border here today, Canadian citizen who now lives in New Mexico. It will be interesting to hear how she does at the border. She's driving a huge fancy pickup with all kinds of storage compartments.

Update: My friend just called, she had no problems at the border. She reports it was slow but she did not get hassled at all.

**fastcarsandfreedom** · April-23-10, 03:46 PM

Originally Posted by SWMAP

Banned for five years for lying about going shopping instead of to yoga class!
http://detnews.com/article/20100422/...-yoga-students

So they lied about their intended purpose of trip in order to get around a visa requirement? Sounds like a pretty simple case to me--they chose to lie and there are thus consequences for their actions. Now it sounds like the teacher is pulling the opposite trick--lying about the nature of her trips to Canada--which appear to involve her working illegally there.

**stephane** · September-01-11, 10:21 AM

Hi, I am reporter for CBC-French. I am doing a story about how 9-11 split two communities and i am looking for peoples who can share their experience at the border. Your experience is interesting. Would you be available for a tv interview? [[in english, unless that you speak french)
thank you
stephane.blais@cbc.ca
519-792-7653

**SWMAP** · September-01-11, 10:48 AM

Stephane: The archives at the windsor Star will have a story from last year about three Windsor residents have been banned entirely from the U.S for telling the Border patrol that they were going to Somerset Mall rather than telling them that the real destination was their weekly yoga class in Troy, MI. They lied because the weekly inquiries were getting too difficult. Turns out "educational establishments" have to have credentials to receive Canadian students and the yoga school is, by border agents, an educational establishment. So they are banned.

Also, you may not have seen this article from yesterday about the elderly Italian Canadians who were fined $300 at the border because they brought six tomatoes to their grandchildren and didn't have enough English to recognize the "fruits and vegetables" question:
http://www2.canada.com/windsorstar/n...4-9a84b0fd38c6

I also had a tomatoe moment last week. Who knew that now a single tomato for your lunch must be surrendered?

**msamslex** · September-01-11, 12:16 PM

A neighbor goes to somewhere just outside Windsor for fresh corn, been going to the same place for years. They also sell other farm market stuff. The owners get worried when my neighbor doesn't come soon enough during the summer. They know my neighbor always shows up. In fact she never had a problem but last year she was hassled about bringing back corn. I can't remember the whole story, but this year my neighbor called the place first to let them know what happened last year, so the owner said he would check and call her back, which he did. Told her it shouldn't be a problem and she didn't have trouble this time. But it makes you wonder or should I say leery.

**RickBeall** · September-01-11, 12:53 PM

This nugget bears repeating:

Lowell wrote:
Ironic part of it is that any terrorist can drive unobstructed onto the bridge or into the tunnel with ten tons of dynamite and blow them to kingdom come while "security" are prancing around your cars in their ninja uniforms pretending they are making us all more secure. Hello... your multi-million dollar Xray machines are on the wrong side of the roads.

Ha ha ha! I have halfway had that thought before, but never finished the thought, but it is so true. It is just like you said, after the disaster they will wring their hands and wonder how the disaster could have been avoided.

eriedearie Wrote
Now Carey - Not that I don't sympathize with your plight - like I said, we've been through it many times. But why did you have to mention the guy telling you where to look was overweight? What does his stature have to do with your story? If he was black with a peg leg, would you have mentioned that? What if he was extremely skinny and had a pock-marked face? Just because the guy is overweight does he not deserve to have a job? Just wondering why you put a negative spin on that??

Uh,eriedearie, I imagine if the guy had any unique or characteristic traits like a "peg leg" Carey would have mentioned them. It adds to the story, doesn't it?

Or maybe we should edit not only all our recollections on DetroitYes, but also scratch out all physicial descriptions of people in novels too? Great idea!

They are already sanitizing "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", this will give us an excuse to sanitize all literature.

And to bring us back the topic, it would be like harrassing people at the border, stopping them from reading.

**GPCharles** · September-01-11, 01:12 PM

We are getting close to the Canadian duck season. Try going back through the tunnel into Detroit with a shotgun. Talk about scrutiny!

The Canadian guards seem to understand that if I am dressed in green camo and have a shotgun in the car, I might be going to shoot some ducks.

The American guards just figure I must be a terrorist.

**Scottathew** · September-01-11, 01:14 PM

My experience crossing the border lately was that going into Sarnia the agents were serious, but not rude.

Going into Buffalo the agents were unprofessionally friendly and joked around a lot.

MojoRacer · September-02-11, 12:33 PM

yeah it all bushs falt ohbam woodn t treat u lik that

Steve bennet · September-02-11, 01:35 PM

I never have a hard time getting into Canada. Coming back I'm always met my pig border customs guy who asks pointless questions. It's their job I guess to be pricks, and they do probably lead a pretty bland passionless life, so unless I actually get my car searched, I'm not too bothered. Just going though the motions.

**Embee** · September-02-11, 10:03 PM

The editorializing is what bugs me the most. I'm Canadian and recently when I crossed over to see a Toledo Mud Hens game, I was questioned about why I would go see a "minor league" game.

It's not just at the Detroit border. I was pulled over at a border crossing in North Dakota for no reason at all and asked a hundred irrelevant questions - it can be worse up there because the border guards have absolutely nothing to do.

**tiorted** · September-02-11, 10:33 PM

I'm no expert but I think these seeming pointless questions by the border guards are actually designed in a specific way to evaluate the person crossing the border, I also think they are sometimes waiting for there computers to return info.