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12/12/2012 05:49:30 AM · #1 |
I know you Americans love your borders, so this'll probably end up in rant.
//www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20649024
Personally, I enjoyed the vid as I've never heard so many Canadian accents in the same place at one time.
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12/12/2012 09:59:45 AM · #2 |
| I understand the need but I think it's sad that the communities are torn like this. I can't imagine how complicated this is for both sides to manage. |
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12/12/2012 10:25:47 AM · #3 |
As long as the facade of security is maintained, the US will be happy. The Department of Homeland Security, the TSA, the infinite bills passed restricting rights, and the countless other measures implemented since 9/11 shows the genius behind those attacks. There are more ways to harm a country than simply killing their citizens. Bankrupting them works wonders and it's a lot more difficult to fix. Watching their citizenry lose rights all in the name of security makes for good campfire jokes.
I absolutely dread travelling to the US. The inanity of the border police drives me nuts. I once got turned away when I was doing work for LANL because, apparently, I was taking away an Americans job. |
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12/12/2012 11:03:22 AM · #4 |
Originally posted by Venser:
...I once got turned away when I was doing work for LANL because, apparently, I was taking away an Americans job. |
I was going down to Utah just for the day to accept an Earth Day award at a US Government ceremony.
At Toronto airport US customs:
US Customs Guy: "What's the purpose of your trip?"
Slippy: "To receive an award."
US Customs Guy: "What for?"
Slippy: "For doing a good job of reclamation after a gold exploration program."
US Customs Guy: "Couldn't an American do that!?!?"
Slippy: *shrugs* "I guess not."
US Customs Guy: *silence*
Slippy: *shrugs*
US Customs Guy: *passes passport back and motions me away*
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12/12/2012 11:07:05 AM · #5 |
Vermont's big complaint about Quebecers is that they're lousy tippers. If you go to a Vermont restaurant and have an accent, they will add the gratuity to your bill.
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12/12/2012 11:11:37 AM · #6 |
| My complaint with Vermont is they give crappy service. |
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12/12/2012 11:28:50 AM · #7 |
| The whole thing is sorta absurd, but I think our respective countries are just assholes to each other, so far as border is concerned. The guy I dealt with crossing to go to Vancouver was a huge asshole, while the US guy was incredibly friendly and jovial with my friends and I. |
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12/12/2012 12:28:08 PM · #8 |
Originally posted by Venser:
I absolutely dread travelling to the US. The inanity of the border police drives me nuts. I once got turned away when I was doing work for LANL because, apparently, I was taking away an Americans job. |
I've had the same issue everytime I teach a class in Canada. NAFTA...
I've learned that if when asked at the border why I'm coming to Canada that if I say "For the beer", my border crossing goes much smoother. |
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12/12/2012 12:41:21 PM · #9 |
Oh, that Canadian/U.S. border.
Once upon returning from Toronto, the USA guy asked: "Did you buy anything in Canada?"
I said, "No."
"Are you sure?" asked the guard.
"Well," I replied, "I bought a birthday card, but I left it up there."
They let me back in. |
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12/12/2012 12:50:10 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by spiritualspatula:
The whole thing is sorta absurd, but I think our respective countries are just assholes to each other, so far as border is concerned. The guy I dealt with crossing to go to Vancouver was a huge asshole, while the US guy was incredibly friendly and jovial with my friends and I. |
This has been my experience too with numerous border crossings Derek. You would think that with my birthplace being Canada the Canadian customs agents would would treat me a little better even though I have an American passport. But I almost feel like they want to punish me for giving up my Canadian citizenship (my parents made this decision for me). The Americans always treat me cordially even though my passport says I was formerly Canadian.
I know all my Canadian relatives aren't treated well by Canadian customs either where being difficult has more to do with taxing them for every possible penny (and the agents act like it is going into their personal bank accounts).
I'm sure there are good and bad agents on both sides of the border, but it seems a bit of a stretch to suggest the Canadian's are the more polite in general ;) |
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12/12/2012 01:08:13 PM · #11 |
As an employee of CBSA (Canada Border Service Agency) I can state that there are many things examined when people pass through both ways and attitude is the top thing I have found to be an indicator for residential vs commercial crossing.
BSO's at the border don't want a life story and they don't care for petty purchases.
What's happening here is on a whole other level of absurdity in my opinion but is what the powers-that-be have decided.
One large hypocrisy is that the USCBP blames Canada for being as easy-in for terrorist crossing to the US but it's the USCBP that are responsible for checking incoming people, not Canada to check outbound people. |
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12/12/2012 01:35:45 PM · #12 |
Originally posted by Brent_S:
...I know all my Canadian relatives aren't treated well by Canadian customs either where being difficult has more to do with taxing them for every possible penny (and the agents act like it is going into their personal bank accounts)... |
I cross regularly and find US border guards are professional and polite, while Canadian border guards are 75% [jerks] looking to collect taxes. However, I think the last time I crossed back into Canada, the guard was asleep... sleeptalking to me. My wife and I had a good laugh at that!
Message edited by frisca - language language language! ;) . |
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12/12/2012 01:37:16 PM · #13 |
Originally posted by Brent_S:
Originally posted by spiritualspatula:
The whole thing is sorta absurd, but I think our respective countries are just assholes to each other, so far as border is concerned. The guy I dealt with crossing to go to Vancouver was a huge asshole, while the US guy was incredibly friendly and jovial with my friends and I. |
This has been my experience too with numerous border crossings Derek. You would think that with my birthplace being Canada the Canadian customs agents would would treat me a little better even though I have an American passport. But I almost feel like they want to punish me for giving up my Canadian citizenship (my parents made this decision for me). The Americans always treat me cordially even though my passport says I was formerly Canadian.
I know all my Canadian relatives aren't treated well by Canadian customs either where being difficult has more to do with taxing them for every possible penny (and the agents act like it is going into their personal bank accounts).
I'm sure there are good and bad agents on both sides of the border, but it seems a bit of a stretch to suggest the Canadian's are the more polite in general ;) |
My anecdotal experience is opposite spatula's. In general I fear the Americans on the way back rather than the Canadians on the way up. I've been across the border at Aldergrove more times than I can count. Funny how we build up impressions in our minds. |
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12/12/2012 01:39:38 PM · #14 |
Originally posted by DrAchoo:
My anecdotal experience is opposite spatula's. In general I fear the Americans on the way back rather than the Canadians on the way up. I've been across the border at Aldergrove more times than I can count. Funny how we build up impressions in our minds. |
This has been my experience too, going home the american crossing guards are pricks, while the canadian ones are nice and get everyone through quickly. |
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12/12/2012 01:49:32 PM · #15 |
| In my experiance I've found that the Customs and Border folks are actually people. Sometimes you meet nice ones, sometimes not so much. It doesn't seem to matter which country they work for (to me at least) |
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12/12/2012 01:50:50 PM · #16 |
| I guess maybe I might have a chip on my shoulder regarding Canadian customs since eighteen years ago when they took my bowl of fruit salad away before they let me enter. I hardly think there was an insect threat with my salad but it made a nice compliment to that customs agent's lunch that day ;) |
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12/12/2012 01:53:58 PM · #17 |
Originally posted by Brent_S:
I guess maybe I might have a chip on my shoulder regarding Canadian customs since eighteen years ago when they took my bowl of fruit salad away before they let me enter. I hardly think there was an insect threat with my salad but it made a nice compliment to that customs agent's lunch that day ;) |
LOL. That's one long grudge! ;) Let it go Brent...let it go. Doesn't that feel better? |
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12/12/2012 02:00:25 PM · #18 |
Originally posted by DrAchoo:
Originally posted by Brent_S:
I guess maybe I might have a chip on my shoulder regarding Canadian customs since eighteen years ago when they took my bowl of fruit salad away before they let me enter. I hardly think there was an insect threat with my salad but it made a nice compliment to that customs agent's lunch that day ;) |
LOL. That's one long grudge! ;) Let it go Brent...let it go. Doesn't that feel better? |
I'm trying to let it go Jason, but I really like fruit a lot ;) |
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12/12/2012 02:01:23 PM · #19 |
Originally posted by Brent_S:
I guess maybe I might have a chip on my shoulder regarding Canadian customs since eighteen years ago when they took my bowl of fruit salad away before they let me enter. I hardly think there was an insect threat with my salad but it made a nice compliment to that customs agent's lunch that day ;) |
If it helps, a US Customs agent stole my Sub Sandwich 3 years ago... Come to think of it maybe that explains why Canadain Border agents look like they are in better shape... The US agents steal unhealthy foods while the Canadians are stealing salads. |
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12/12/2012 02:15:28 PM · #20 |
| The Canadian Border Patrol have never pulled their guns on me or detained me for over three hours. I'm a little biased you could say. |
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12/12/2012 03:00:05 PM · #21 |
| Nothing to do with Canada, but when I came back from Italy once, I saw a guy sitting on the floor gnawing a salami. He noticed me staring and said, "They're just going to take it away and eat it themselves." |
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12/12/2012 03:02:07 PM · #22 |
After crossing the border as a child, Dad drove by the long row of parking spots under a shelter, with tables and drawers at each spot. I asked Dad what the drawers were for. Without hesitation he replied, "Those drawers are where they put the severed heads of the people that get in trouble."
Some months later, our family made the same trip. Only this time Dad was told to pull in. At one of the slots with a drawer. He went into the office and left my Mom, brother, and me in the car. I burst into hysterics. Mom didn't know what was going on, so I told her how Dad was about to get his head chopped off and they were going to put it in that drawer.
Wow, did Dad ever get shit from Mom when he got back!
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12/12/2012 03:04:04 PM · #23 |
I probably shared that anecdote here once before, but there it is again.
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12/12/2012 04:09:51 PM · #24 |
Originally posted by Strikeslip:
I probably shared that anecdote here once before, but there it is again. |
Slippy, from that story I can see that whatever you are, you come by it honestly :) |
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12/12/2012 04:49:54 PM · #25 |
Originally posted by frisca:
Originally posted by Strikeslip:
I probably shared that anecdote here once before, but there it is again. |
Slippy, from that story I can see that whatever you are, you come by it honestly :) |
Haw, haw, haaaaw! It does 'splain a lot, doesn't it?
OK, here's my Canada-US border story:
Back in the mid-1990s I made a business trip to Canada. I did not have a passport at the time, and so I used my birth certificate (perfectly acceptable at the time, try it now... O.o). On my way back, I got to the Canadian customs agent, whose cheerios had evidently been pissed in vigorously at some earlier moment. I handed him the certificate, which he immediately held up in a manner such that I could not see the front side. He asked me several questions about the nature of my trip, whether I had any samples of value, yadda yadda yadda. Then, out of the blue, he stared at me intensely and barked "What is the attending physician's name on your birth certificate?" Just as fast as he'd spat out the question, I fired back "Baldigo." He gave me a disappointed look, shoved the document back at me and waved me on my way. Little did he know, the physician had been a family friend ;-)
ETA: I'm pretty sure i've told this story here before as well.
Message edited by author 2012-12-12 16:52:10. |
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