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Posts: 8831
| A few things I have learned over the years....
On the way up:
DO: Have passports and I.D.'s ready, and be prepared to explain in detail where you are going, how long you are staying, why you are going, where you are from, and what you do for a living.
DO NOT: When border guard looks at 6 combos in the passenger seat of your truck and says "so, you're planning on fishing while you're up there at Andy Myers Lodge??" do NOT say "what do YOU think!?"
DO: Be polite and courteous and honest in your answers
DO NOT: say "Aww, man, I was hoping for the hot blonde. Is she here??"
DO: Be prepared to list in detail, with specific quantities, any alcoholic beverages you are bringing along
DO NOT: say "well, I had two bottles of crown royal, but I finished the first one back about 20 km. Do you want me to declare the empty bottle? And is there a bathroom along 502 anywhere, because I'm gonna have to pee!" (They take DUI very seriously!)
DO: Ask them how they are doing today
DO NOT: Take out your camera and say "hey can I take your picture?" (Yes Samantha actually did that, and the answer was a very firm "NO!")
DO: Say "no" when they ask if you have any firearms in your vehicle.
DO NOT: look at your passenger and say "oh F---k!!"
On the way home:
DO: greet the guard with a nice "hello."
Do NOT: Say "home" when they ask you where you are headed. Other inappropriate responses would be "back to hell" and "you guys are a lot meaner than the Canada guys, and I'm coming back into my OWN country. What's up with that? They must pay you sh*t!"
DO: Declare anything you are bringing back, in detail
Do NOT: Say "Waiting in that line for two hours sucked a**! How's THAT for a declaration?!" when they ask if you have anything to declare.
DO: Tell them you have fish and food and a 6 pack in the cooler.
DO NOT: Say "excuse me... do you think you could you slam the tailgate any harder? I've still got a few of my teeth left...."
Feel free to submit your own!
Edited by esoxaddict 8/2/2012 6:29 PM
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Posts: 1039
Location: North St. Paul, MN | Don't overshare. My dad is no longer allowed to talk when crossing the border.
Example: Border Patrol: "Where you guys from?"
My Dad: "I'm from Prescott, WI. Just moved there from Cottage Grove, MN. Lived there for 25 years and finally made the move back to "God's Country."
Example: Border Patrol: "Where you guys going and for how long?"
My Dad: "Going to Chamberlain Narrows on Lac Seul. We'll be there 7 days. Is it 7? Should we count today? This is our 30th year going as a group to Canada. Really looking forward to fishing."
Another guy in our group also says to both border guards...multiple times over the years.
"Where you headed?" his answer = Canada (don't do that...no #*#*).
"Where you headed?" his answer = home (don't do that one, either).
JUST ANSWER THE QUESTIONS...DO NOT add on your own little story.
Edited by muskyroller 8/2/2012 6:53 PM
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| Do not jump out of the truck to open the rod/storage lockers if they happen to be locked. They will not think you are trying to be helpful and they will go for their guns. |
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Posts: 255
Location: MadCity Wisconsin | A few more. Remove your sunglasses. Make eye contact when answering questions. Have driver answer all questions unless Border personnel specifically asks a passenger a question.
Be polite. Answer questions with sir or ma'am.
Don't forget the name of the Resort that you are going to.  |
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Posts: 1530
| dont ask whers the guy in a red suit on a horse.
dont bring skis in july and ask wheres the snow. |
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Posts: 333
Location: menasha wi 54952 | The top things to do going both ways are:
1. Take off your sunglasses.
2. Roll down all your windows so they can see into your vehicle.
3. Look then straight in the eyes when listening and talking.
4. Know exactly where you are going and how long you are staying.
5. Let them dictate the conversation. If they do not initiate small talk, neither should you.
6. Never ask them any questions.
7. Keep your answers simple and to the point. |
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Posts: 140
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The first year that I went into Canada I was very nervous about crossing the boarder due to some horror stories that I had heard.
My buddy and I get up the window, I turn off the radio, take off my sunglasses and begin to answer the Boarder Patrol's questions with "yes sir & no sir" ... As we started to drive away my buddy started laughing like crazy. I asked what was so funny and he said, "Man, that dude was a chick ... You kept calling her sir"
2nd time crossing the border I had misinterpreted the law as far as how much alcohol you could take into Canada. I thought it was a case of beer AND a 5th of hard liquor instead of a case of beer OR a 5th per person. So when we got to the window the Border Patrol guy told us that we were over your limit as far as what we could bring across into Canada. He told me that it was either/or ...
Trying to add some humor into the situation, I stupidly said, "well just turn your back and give us a couple minutes - We'll get rid of the whiskey.
He didn't crack a smile but let us through with the extra booze. |
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| you can take a pic of them if you like... i dont think it makes them very happy tho! |
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Posts: 20248
Location: oswego, il | Don't take pics of the border crossings and agents going into or out of mexico, they really don't care for it there either. |
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Posts: 618
Location: Michigan | Just be polite and honest with your answers and you shouldn't have a problem |
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Posts: 200
Location: Minnesota | If you're ever coming back from a rugby tournament in Winnipeg with 12 large, hungover men packed into a tiny minivan because the bus left early:
Do: Smile politely when they ask for your id's.
Don't: Hand over a stack of ID's as thick as War & Peace and expect to be waved right through
When asked if you've ever been convicted of a crime, DO NOT reply "Only if breaking hearts is a crime, Ma'am"
Also, there is no need to offer the border guard your box of Wheat Thins. They may suspect you of trying to bribe them with food. |
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Posts: 5874
| If you are taking crawlers into Canada, when you are asked , "Are they are in bedding or dirt?", don't answer "Yes".
When returning from 7 days of hard fishing, don't stand directly behind the hot, blonde, US Border Agent when she's lifting the boat cover to have a look inside. |
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Posts: 1901
Location: MN | When asked by the agent if you have any firearms, don't let your buddy be a smart nice try and ask "Does Mace count?"
And after they've pulled you over to the side to look for the Mace (he was just kidding, really) and they find your stack of girlie magazines and confiscate them, don't give your home address as where you want them sent. They'll get there before you return and your wife will see them. |
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Posts: 8831
| I did not do this, but a friend of mine was on his way up with a bunch of friends in 3 different vehicles, and decided to put all the beer in one vehicle. I guess it was a bit of a circus trying to explain and prove that they were all together and that one guy was carrying all the beer. |
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Posts: 462
Location: Syracuse, Indiana | Do - Create a neat, written list of your alcohol provisions, and present the list in response to the appropriate question. Doing so won't prevent you from paying the duty, but is (at least so far) much appreciated by the border guards. Not recommended but I do it - Answer the question of what do you intend to leave in Canada for more than 7 days with "American money"! |
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Posts: 1039
| Don't: When asked if you've ever been convicted of a felony, do not reply... "Convicted? No."
My uncle is no longer allowed to talk at the border. Upon returning from Canada, with our 4 person limit of 16 walleyes, my uncle was coached for thirty minutes on how many fish we had. Yet he still told the guard we had 18 walleyes. That one cost us about a half hour.
On the way back, do not drop a very silent, but deadly, fart. True story, we were coming back in the middle of the night and were stopped on the border. They made us empty out the station wagon and leave the car so the drug sniffing dogs could come in. Before we left the car, I dropped an absolutely horrific SBD. Then I left the car and shut the door. They opened up the tailgate, the dog jumped in, whimpered, and jumped right out. The border patrol guard tried to drag the dog back to the car, but the dog wouldn't go. So the guard stuck his head into the car and let out a loud "Oh. My. God". So, I raised my hand and said, "That's me!" "I did it." They let us go after that. |
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Posts: 1749
Location: Mt. Zion, IL | vegas492 - 8/3/2012 12:02 PM
On the way back, do not drop a very silent, but deadly, fart. True story, we were coming back in the middle of the night and were stopped on the border. They made us empty out the station wagon and leave the car so the drug sniffing dogs could come in. Before we left the car, I dropped an absolutely horrific SBD. Then I left the car and shut the door. They opened up the tailgate, the dog jumped in, whimpered, and jumped right out. The border patrol guard tried to drag the dog back to the car, but the dog wouldn't go. So the guard stuck his head into the car and let out a loud "Oh. My. God". So, I raised my hand and said, "That's me!" "I did it." They let us go after that.
Now that is funny! |
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Posts: 1039
| That one was #2 on my top 10 list. #1 made a school bus pull over. |
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Posts: 688
Location: Northern IL | We take a small motorhome and that's been one of our thoughts, drop a good load in the holding tank just before crossing, we laugh about it but haven't done it yet. The problem is when they say go ahead with out entering, kind of feel cheated.... And we're stuck with it for the next 9hrs.  |
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| "Don't overshare. My dad is no longer allowed to talk when crossing the border. " |
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Posts: 68
| 1st time we came back into the US the agent asked me what country I was from. I guess I wasn't ready for that one. My reply was "Illinois". He let us in anyway. |
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Posts: 719
| In the occasion where the Canada Customs agent is over the top rude, or starts telling you you're a trouble maker because you're an NRA member, or starts probing about things that have nothing to do with your crossing the border, or asks why you can't just fish in the US, or becomes overall unprofessional as a tax payer funded agent....memorize their badge number, which should be visible (if not, ask for it) and pull into the secondary inspection area and ask to file a complaint with a senior officer... |
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Posts: 719
| In short...don't sweat it. |
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Posts: 137
| When they ask if you have alcohol tobacco or narcotics, and this is Canada side, do not say, "what do you need?" Because once they take everything out of your car, luggage, clothes, gear, spare tire, car seats!!!, they do not put it back together for you!
Also, if you go through the border, and this is the american side coming home, do not go with someone who has the same first, middle, last name and birth date as a felon from Kentucky. Ha Ha, luckily I was in the group stuck in line, maybe twenty cars behind my buddy and saw the people with guns come from everywhere to handle the situation, but we didn't know what exactly they were in high alert for. So we kept going...ha, ha, what are friends for. But apparently it took over an before they let him go, and the whole time they had him in cuffs explaining to them that he was not the same guy and the feds checking him out and interrogating him. Oh yeah, same guy as the one above too.
And this year, he was in another truck going up right next to us and looked over and crossed his arms simulating cuffs....he will never learn.
Also, don't save money by trying to wait to fill up with gas on the american side....It's a long drive across the sault sainte marie bridge on E when it is backed up all the way to the canada side....nothing like the stress of coasting back into the country with the engine off on the downward side of the bridge, hoping it doesn't die in front of the guard shack.
Also don't get flustered and say you have ten logs of chew and not ten cans.....they didn't notice it luckily.
Point is, don't joke, not even on the bridge or going up to the gates. Not worth the hassle, they don't play around. And if you know a guy named david wilson, watch out....he's wanted in Kentucky apparently.
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Location: Ontario, Canada | No matter which border your crossing if your pulling a 5th wheel trailer make sure the door (s), windows and any outside door type storage areas (where a small person can get into/hide are locked. In fact if you stop anywhere near a border prior to crossing ensure the trailer is locked. People who want to sneak into a country will try and hide in your trailer-they watch for out of state/country plates.
You don't need to unlock things prior to crossing for the guards convience. If the gaurds want to see in your trailer they will ask you to unlock it.
The guard may even ask if everything is locked prior to checking. Just say yes or no.
Don't wise crack on this one. |
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Posts: 1270
| Allen - 8/5/2012 7:46 AM
No matter which border your crossing if your pulling a 5th wheel trailer make sure the door (s), windows and any outside door type storage areas (where a small person can get into/hide are locked. In fact if you stop anywhere near a border prior to crossing ensure the trailer is locked. People who want to sneak into a country will try and hide in your trailer-they watch for out of state/country plates.
You don't need to unlock things prior to crossing for the guards convience. If the gaurds want to see in your trailer they will ask you to unlock it.
The guard may even ask if everything is locked prior to checking. Just say yes or no.
Don't wise crack on this one.
Another reason to take the boat cover off before crossing the border. My buddy was filling up before crossing back into the USA and went to the bathroom, when he came out the clerk told him that someone climbed under his cover of his Ranger. Sure enough there was a rather drunk person sleeping under the cover. He called the Mounties and they came and told the guy to wake up and go back home. Apparently this is a common thing for this guy to do. Can you imagine pasing ot in the back of a boat in Ft. Francis and waking up in Missouri? |
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| If you are driving a car that is not registered to you, know the name of the owner. I drove a company car through and luckily I knew the name of the company that it was regeistered to. Aparrently, they run a check on the plates and match it with your passport.
Brian
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Location: Not far enough north! | Coming back do not pull up to far and let the car sit in front of all those fancy cameras and sensors. We did that a few years ago and were told those were nuclear device sensors by the border guard. He scolded us a little and told us we were lucky the line was moving quickly because if we would have set there a little longer the thing would have automatically started. He then stated we would have had to come inside and help him with the four hours of paperwork for setting off the machines... |
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| Do: when they ask if you are leaving anything in Canada, say "just fishing memories". The guard will look at you like an idiot but let you through and you will have a good laugh for the next 20km. |
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Border do's and do not's