OT- Crossing into Canada

"One of the guys took me and searched me he tore up my wallet and check my phone calls, text messages and pictures."

In the US, at least, this is not legal.

"Im pretty sure they went through my laptop too since it was on."

Neither is this (well, it's iffy), but I've heard of customs agents doing it.

EDIT: I mean, I know Canada is a sovereign nation and all, but you'd think they'd just have kicked you back to the US if you are US citizens.

Is all of this 100% true? If so, yes. Are you just bitching because you hate "the man" and he patted you down and checked your wallet? Then no.

The freep vendetta has gotten out of hand. Attacking MGoBlog readers? That's just too far.

Not sure if you have any grounds on 'punishing them'. I know it is difficult but if you have never done any drugs and they are searching for drugs, co-operate, don't give any attiude. The quicker they are done the quicker you can go. I have been searched before, I do what they ask and move on. I must look guilty or something.

Im pretty sure they went through my laptop too since it was on.

Your laptop should be password protected! Make your password F Canada, so when he asks, well...you know.

Did he find out about mgoblog? Is he reading this thread now?

In all seriousness, I'd say about 60% of the time, I have some sort of issue at the border. Never to this degree, but they once kept my friend's registration for his car. Which was a dandy to explain when we reached the NY/Canada border.

because you couldn't sit up ...

They stripped searched us...

... now you can't sit down.

He continually undresses the Michigan program.

You guys are snowboarders. A drug sniffing dog supposedly smelled something on you. I assume you're under 21 or else you wouldn't bother to hit Canada. You're surprised they searched every nook and cranny?

who crossed the border every other weekend as a kid(came to michigan to visit my dad)... i can tell you that the customs officers can be pricks... from what i have been told is that they are govenerment employees and have the right do whatever they want... in the time that i've been able to drive myself across the border i've been pulled over once and got let go right away... i got hauled in because i was 22 and the customs officer didn't believe that i had declared everything... i've also heard stories from friends that they've had their cars ripped apart because of the suspicion of drugs... since 9/11 they are doing a lot more random searches... but i have a question for the OP were you around anyone that was smoking joints before you crossed into canada??? the only reason why i ask that is because drug sniffing dogs just don't bark at people for no reason... they had to have smelled something on you in order to bark...

You could probably complain to the US State Department, but I doubt it'll get you anything. I've had similar interrogations at the Windsor crossing. They held me for 3 hours and gave me this crap about not having to let me into their country.

Give me a break, I'm just heading over to hang out with a bunch of frat guys in Toronto for a banquet. I'm going to spend a couple hundred dollars on your economy and then leave. Just let me pass, but no... nothing is ever that simple.

Windsor has detained me three times for similar crap. Now, I find it's worth the extra 20 minute drive to go the Blue Water Bridge instead of any crossing in Detroit. I've never had any problem at any other crossing point, or even any attitude for that matter.

As a Canadian who has crossed into your lovely country many times, I can say that this happens going the other way too.

I remember when I was 19 years old and in the military. I was stationed in New Brunswich and we decided to go to Boston for the weekend. We were all between 18 and 23 and when we crossed the border the guy asked us if we planned on leaving anything behind when we came back (first and only time I got that question when crossing the border).

My buddy replied, "I don't know.....maybe a few gaseous emititions." We got pulled over, searched and interrogated for about 2 hours before they let us go.

I learned right there that you don't screw around with poeple with authority like that.

Yeah the Detroit crossing is a bitch. I was detained because I had a Michigan student ID in my wallet, yet I had PA plates on my car and a PA driver's liscense. The Canadians were convinced I had forged documents because I had IDs from two different states.

I finally talked one of them to calling across the river and asking American Customs about it, who explained that students retain their homestate residency even if they go elsewhere for college.

The fact my girlfriend asked them "What are you guys anyways? The Mounty rejects?" likely didn't help us out either.

I don't know why people with authority become such pricks, but they do.

My favorite foreign country to visit is British Grand Cayman. I actually don't care for the island, but getting onto the island is hilarious.

"Did you come here on a cruise ship?"
"Yes."
"Okay. Off you go."

Yeah, it really doesn't pay to put on the all hardass "fuck you, I'm innocent so I don't have to take this shit from you" attitude. They can fuck with you a lot harder than you can fuck with them.

Honestly, I've never had any trouble crossing into Canada. Was driving through with a carload of my stuff during my move and customs couldn't have cared less about any of it....took me less time there than it did to pay the bridge toll. It's coming back I've always had issues.

Personal funny story: Drove back through the Windsor Tunnel one time with a couple of six-packs I'd bought at the beer store. US customs asked me if I had anything to declare, which of course I did since it was sitting there in plain sight on the floor below the passenger seat. Telling him I had beer set off all kinds of alarms in his head and he asked me a zillion questions and then proceeded to try and open one, I guess to check and see if it really was beer. At that point his supervisor stepped in and said "uhhhh, you might want to think about that for a second." (Obviously I'm not allowed to drive around with an open container and customs isn't really allowed to confiscate anything that I'm legally allowed to have.) Moral: Sometimes these guys ain't so bright, but they still wield the handcuffs.

I got stuck in customs for an hour the last time I tried getting into Canada because my buddy tried entering with a DUI conviction on his record. That got us a police escort back to the vehicle and a threat of jail time if we tried returning without clearing it up.

The time before that, though, a bunch of our 19 year old selves were headed over to Windsor to get plastered and the lumberjack looking customs agent asked us in complete seriousness "You guys headed over to see your fucking boyfriends or something?"

We didn't know how to react.

"...n-n-no sir. We like women. We're not coming for men."

"On your way."

It was surreal.

with the Michigan broomball team for tournaments in Canada and upstate NY and never had a problem. Hell we even most times had trunks full of Molson XXX for the weekend and we always just maintained a pleasant, calm demeanor. Got inspected a coupel times, but no issues. The worst I ever got was when coming back after a night in Windsor, when asked if we had anything to declare, my buddy in the back seat (whose dad is FBI) said in the loudest voice possible, "Yeah, my weiner". 2 hours later we were back on the road.

AS a person who travels internationally for work a lot, I can tell you that you will never win against border guards in any country at any time. Most nations have laws that allow for the immediate searching of person and items (including a scanning and copying of your laptop hard drive) by border agents, so another reason to stay off the kiddie porn websites and keep the naked photos of your girlfriend on a thumb drive. The best strategy at all times when crossing a nation is to just answer questions, stay calm, AND DO NOT TALK BACK TO THEM! If you feel threatened, respectfully ask for legal counsel (if crossing back into the USA) or for an embassy / consulate representative (if in a foreign nation), but be advised if you do this most foreign nations can detain you indefinitely until that representation shows up and the embassy / consulate guy is going to be REALLY pissed off.

I just went into Canada on Sunday for the Olympics and the girl working the border crossing was hot. I wish I had to get searched!

the legalities of any of this, but I do know that any time that I've ever given an attitude to any type of law enforcement type (cop/border/etc.) they make things 100 times worse for you. So, anytime I get pulled over/stopped at border I just play the "yes sir, no sir, thank you officer" game and things typically run much more smoothly. Even though I despise a lot of these people and think that many of them are power-hungry pricks, playing the "respect my authoritahh" (Cartman voice) game goes a long way.

..Remember this Canadian phrase:

"I'm heading to the casino, eh"

I've crossed nurmous times in my life, for partying, Lasik, toronto trips, etc... I've given all sorts of excuses for entering and have been stopped before. But i've never been stopped when they thought I was heading to Casino Windsor..

It works as your excuse coming back into the US also, but not with as surefire results..

I used to go through Canada on the way back from school every time I went home from school. However after a few trips by myself I have found that the Canadians are the single most obnoxious people to deal with at the border. I was held for 20 minutes once because the guard didn't believe that I had never been arrested, this was on my way out to Michigan. On the way back to New York 6 officers and a drug dog went through the car and dumped all my stuff out on the ground while I had to go inside for a background check and questioning, then the just left all my clothes and stuff lying on the ground and made me put it back myself. Both trips the American guards simply asked a few questions and took a quick look in the car and I was on my way. Because of the jerks at the border I now drive through that asshole of a state known as ohio to get home.

from Chris Rock:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gCCjFbFXn8

Ok, to preface: I've been crossing the Canadian border 12-24 times a year for 40 years.
I cross through the Windsor Tunnel, the Ambassador Bridge, The Blue Water Bridge, and The International Bridge. Not just on occasion, but actually ALL those routes (and more) each year.

I could give you my take in an exhaustive list of when & where to cross for the most or least amount of hassle. But it doesn't really matter because one new asshole trying to be "Mr. Recently-Divorced-SuperCop" will inevitably ruin your day.

I will say that pre 9/11, the Canadian customs officials had a well deserved reputation for being somewhat more prickish . . . at almost all crossings. Since 9/11 the US side has had a massive growth in agents/officers/bureaucracy and much like airport security, there have been a lot of bad hiring decisions. I find the pendulum has swung in the U.S.s favor now, and we can claim the majority of current border Asshats.

As a U.S. citizen I appreciate the difficult job they do, which unfortunately makes the occasional professionalism-fail all the more apparent.

The rules are pretty simple however.
1. be respectful.
2. be honest.
3. document everything including names and I.D. numbers.