Strange, Weird, Funny Border crossings

[_WW_]

Something I discovered as I was coming back from Canada last spring. I had taken a bunch of US bought bananas up with me but was returning a few days early because our dog died. The US guys asked about the food I might have and I mentioned the bananas. If you look at bunches of bananas at the store you will notice that not every banana has a label on them. While I was up there I'd eaten all of the ones with a label so what was left didn't have any. They were immediately confiscated because they had no sticker that identified the country of origin. Apparently they don't want bananas from Indonesia over here in N. & S. America. Some disease thing or something.

And since we're here, can you take bear spray across?

 

[Robert Engleheart]

I took bear spray in 2019 but it was in my trailer which was never searched on entry. Coming back into states the USA team went through the trailer and agent looked into the refrigerator and pulled out a loaf of bread, the kind with a dusted flour top; she proceeded to lecture my about spoiled food until I corrected her. She left in a hurry and waved me on….

 

[Salmo_g]

can you take bear spray across?

Yes; I do so routinely. But you cannot take mace, like a postal carrier has to ward off aggressive dogs. Go figure. You can carry bear spray on planes and helicopters, but you have to store it in the floats or other storage that is not inside the cockpit, which makes sense. You can buy bear bangers at Canadian Tire and take them everywhere in Canada, but supposedly you can't bring them into the US. You can't buy them in the US either, apparently.

I also fly to AK with bear spray and you're supposedly not supposed to do that, which is stupid since bear spray - if you can find it - costs twice as much in AK.

 

[Peyton00]

1995. Blaine border crossing.
We pushed a girls car from our motorcade thru customs because the battery died while waiting in line. They did a quick looksie, we charged the battery and we were homebound.

 

[_WW_]

Came back in from Castlegar and the crossing looked like one of those small third world crossings. Just a tiny shack and a painted barricade that went up and down like at a railroad crossing. It's not there any more, or at least I can't find it on google maps. We were pulling my 14' boat which had a few rods poking out of it when we pulled up. One guy there and we handed our passports over and he asked "What were you doing in Canada?"

Shocked in to motionless at the question, and I'm sure looking at him like he was from Mars, when my friend finally answered while glancing back at our boat, what was plainly obvious, "Fishing."
For some reason that seemed to piss him off.
"Catch any?"
"Yes."
"How many?"
"We didn't count 'em."
"Where are they?"
"We threw 'em back."
"So why did you come?"
Long pause..."It's what we do."

Those passports got the longest scrutiny I have ever experienced. In silence he handed them back and pointed down the road as the barricade went up.
Fucking weird.

 

[Brute]

A long time ago coming back from Vancouver to WA…they wanted any Cuban cigars or rum…that’s it…

 

[Cabezon]

In gradual school four decades ago, two friends and I were traveling in a classic VW bus back to the U.S. via the M.V. Coho ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles. We had been camping on Vancouver Island and looked pretty disheveled. The border patrol agent was grilling us when he thought he had an "aha" moment as he looked around the cab of the bus. "What is that suspicious object in the ash tray." "It is a tire gauge. What did you think it was?" "Just go on your way."
Steve

 

[Eastside]

You took bananas on a fishing trip?!!!!!

 

[Driftless Dan]

Okay, I apologize in advance to WW for the blatant hijack, but it's related to Customs and Immigration, honest!

I used to live in Indonesia. My wife was still in China with our 9-month old and flew directly to Bali, where we were to meet for vacation. I got there way early, as is my nature, and started chatting to the guard outside the baggage claim. I asked if I could go in to assist my wife, as she had a little one, a baby carriage, and luggage. He sadly shook his head. I understood, because it was an int'l flight. We sat there chatting in my pidgin Bahasa Indonesia, and he said to me, "Those are great sunglasses!" I smiled, took them off my head, and handed them to him, saying, "Here, try them on." "They look great on you, please keep them."

He waved me through customs and to the baggage claim. That's how it works, most places.

 

[Chris Johnson]

Last spring buddy and I went to B.C. trout fishing, I always take the dog with me. He's a Yorkie, 8.5 pounds of fury! We pull up to the border and the agent says "Has the pup been vaccinated?" I answer yes and he says do you have records so I hand them over, "Do you have the most recent ones?" I say those are them, " These are expired, I can't let you in. So we spin around and get on the phone looking for the nearest vet you will give him the shots. Bellingham was the closest, so we drop the trailer and beat feet for the vet. 2 hours later we are back and a different agent is in the booth, she says " did you try to cross earlier?" We explain what happened and she says do you have the " certificate of vaccination?" So I hand her the receipt the vet gave me that clearly shows I paid for 3 vaccinations. "This is not a certificate of vaccination" I try to explain but she will have none of it. She makes us pull over, call the vet and have him email it to me and then I have to go inside and show another agent. I was so fuckin mad I nearly lost it. The first time we got spun the US border agent said "what's going on?' We told him and he said " you're shittin me, Jesus Christ." I felt the same way. I guess they figured an 8.5 pound Yorkie was gonna take down Canada.

 

[Tallguy]

If they are folding up the clothes you were just wearing in the border station, it's officially a weird crossing. When in Central America, if you are a young man in your 20s, it's a good idea to shave and look presentable when crossing borders, even if you have been living in the jungle for weeks on a surf trip.

 

[Tallguy]

July 98, Haines AK into the Yukon. Tiny one man guard shack crossing at that time. Absolutely no traffic on the road in the evening.. Border guard was sound asleep when we rolled up, never stirred when we knocked on the window. We shrugged, and drove on into Canada.

It was definitely pre-9/11 times.

 

[charles sullivan]

I Like it when they let me cross the border.

 

[Smalma]

nearing fifty years ago a buddy, his nephew and I headed to BC for some trout fishing. Both my buddy and I were fly tyers, so I mention as let the house whether he had removed the seal fur and polar bear hair form his fly-tying gear. Yes he had and we thought no more about it until coming home through the border as the agent asked for our driver's license the nephew popped up with you should check their fly-tying gear (he was trying to be funny?) we were immediately directed to pull over to the side and fifteen minutes later everything had been taking out of the truck and very bag and box emptied on the pavement with everything in a huge pile. Not finding anything we were scolded to pick our stuff and get out of there.

Lesson learned the custom agents (at less when on duty) don't have a sense of humor.

 

[EB590]

The drinking age in Canada was/is lower than the drinking age in the states. One night (early morning) when I was 18 or so we were driving back to the states with 5 people in the car and one in the trunk (all very tuned up). The agent asked if there was anything in the trunk and someone said just a tough guy. The agent went and opened the truck, asked to see our licenses, then shut the trunk and said "get home you fucking idiots". We had less than a mile drive from the bridge, that's probably why he didn't give us a hard time.

Pre 9/11. None of that would fly now. Matter of fact the bridge I always used is nexus only (which is actually pretty convienent). Growing up (probably starting around age 12) I would ride my bike to Canada a couple times a week in the summer. They never asked for ID or anything.

 

[Stonedfish]

Going across the border into Canada back in the mid 80’s on our way to Tunkwa. Well before BC was green.
Canadian crossing guard asked us if we were carrying anything illegal.
My buddy who was driving jokingly says, “yes, mass quantities of graphite”. The guys sees all the fishing rods, laughs and waves us through. I’m just glad he didn’t search the car.
The fishing was very good and we also got our cabin door kicked in by a drunk Canadian named Brian.
SF

 

[SculpinSwinger]

Returning from a pike fishing trip in Manitoba, overnight in Winnipeg on the way home. 3am wake up, coffee and repack. My buddy hands me 2 beers from the mini fridge “got room for these in your bag?” I put them in my carry on as I don’t want them to possibly explode in my checked bag.
4am airport, it’s not until after my bag is on the conveyor and I am standing in a line in my socks that my error in thought registers…”who’s bag is this?” I come forward, acknowledge my error, he opens my bag pulls out the beers “icy cold, want to go over there and slam them?”

 

[Yard Sale]

We were supposed to fly to Portugal on 9/12 for the 505 sailboat worlds. Obviously everything was shut down for a week, and when they did reopen the airport you had to get dropped off by a cab, no private vehicles allowed on airport property.

The problem was we had shipped our boat over 2 months earlier and our new custom centerboard(fin under a sailboat) wasn't ready yet. These things are 6' long, 8" wide and built from carbon and super delicate. No way were we going to ship it so the plan was to bring it on the plane with us.

So when the airport reopened we drive to the cab pick up area and grab our stuff. No way was the centerboard fitting inside the cab so we roll the windows down. Its sticking like a foot or so out of each side in this long skinny cardboard box. Of course we get an Arab can driver, complete with a turban. As if this poor guy wasn't worried enough he now has to drive us up the the departure area with a giant box sticking out both windows. Past all the military vehicles. Through like 3 check points, each one grilling us WTF was in the box. He fully had sweat rolling down his face when we finally got there. We were pretty broke at the time but spotted him and extra $20 for his efforts.

Flight home was at 6 am the night after the regatta. Huge party afterwards so we just brought our gear with us to the bar. Got sloppy drunk and almost didn't leave in time. Had to run as fast as we could through pouring rain to get to the cab pick up spot. Carrying two huge bags each I can't say we both didn't fall down a few times en route. Finally get in the cab absolutely soaked. Get dropped off at the airport and our only move is to go to the bathroom and change clothes. Our old ones were completely ruined so we just trashed them. Lets just say airport security was highly suspicious of two guys showing up and immediately changing their entire outfit and throwing their old clothes away. Still made the flight though!

 

[t_law]

Went to a friends wedding in Whistler. Handed over my passport to the border agent. "Sir please pull over there and go inside". Wife (girlfriend at the time) looking at me with raised eyebrows. Pretty sure I knew what it was about. Walked up to the counter, counter lady was very unfriendly. "Sir I see you have a DUI on your record". Sheepishly I reply "yeah but it was from 5 years ago". Counter lady says something about Canadian law, blah, blah, blah. I explain to her multiple times that I'm a groomsman in the wedding. She relents, but points to the counter behind me. I walk up to the next unfriendly counter lady, "That'll be $250". The ultimate Canadian shakedown. I hand over my credit card and then proceed to Whistler. Wife (girlfriend at the time) is not happy with me.

 

[Buzzy]

In gradual school four decades ago, two friends and I were traveling in a classic VW bus back to the U.S. via the M.V. Coho ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles. We had been camping on Vancouver Island and looked pretty disheveled. The border patrol agent was grilling us when he thought he had an "aha" moment as he looked around the cab of the bus. "What is that suspicious object in the ash tray." "It is a tire gauge. What did you think it was?" "Just go on your way."
Steve

One of my college professors at Peninsula Jr. College was a part time customs agent at the MV Coho's Blackball Freight dock; in class he liked to regale us with how much fun it was to go through long haired hippie's cars, especially those classic VW buses! ;-) (1973-'74)

My wife and I have made that crossing many times without issue. On the otherhand the crossing between Northport an Rossland, BC hasn't been fun a couple of times (going north, not south).