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Vancouver Off-Topic / Current EventsThe off-topic forum for Vancouver, funnies, non-auto centered discussions, WORK SAFE. While the rules are more relaxed here, there are still rules. Please refer to sticky thread in this forum.
Fathered more RS members than anybody else. Who's your daddy?
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 24,751
Thanked 11,512 Times in 4,904 Posts
Decided to go drive down to Seatle/Tacoma area to do some RC/Model shopping. Got to border at around 6 am to face a 30+ minute lineup. Frick, should have taken truck crossing, which was 20 minutes. Anyway........ gas at Pilot in Ferndale was $3.29/gal for regular. Gas at Burlington Costco was one cent cheaper. So, if any of you are going to get gas in the US, it's way more efficient to go to Ferndale.
Anyway, car related news...... Mobil 1 is on sale at Costco for $27.99 for 6 quarts. They had 10W30, 5W30, and 5W20 at the Burlington Costco (I'm assuming all US Costco carry the same stuff). Sale is on till the 27th of this month.
On the way back, I was listening to AM traffic station and heard there was a 2 hour wait northbound into Canada at Peace Arch and a 1.5 hour wait at the truck crossing. I was like Sumas was reported as 15 minutes. I was just outside Bellingham when I found out, so I took the Sunset Drive exit and headed to Sumas via Nooksack. Took the backroads to the border crossing and got across into Canada in 5 minutes.
__________________
Quote:
"there but for the grace of god go I"
Quote:
Youth is, indeed, wasted on the young.
YODO = You Only Die Once.
Dirty look from MG1 can melt steel beams.
"There must be dissonance before resolution - MG1" a musical reference.
Fathered more RS members than anybody else. Who's your daddy?
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 24,751
Thanked 11,512 Times in 4,904 Posts
My drivers license is set to expire this month, so I receive info from ICBC about renewing it and all the options and features you can add to a new license. Since I cross the border two to three times a week, I thought applying for an enhanced drivers license would be beneficial. I really don't like carrying my passport around, so if my drivers license can take care of that, it's a bonus.
Anyway, I went in on Monday of last week to apply and received the EDL this past Friday. Fast or what? I immediately activated the card, but could not use it for 72 hours. This morning, I crossed over to Sumas and tried out the RFID, and sure enough, it worked. While talking to the border guard, I was told that Sumas crossing has a "ready lane" effective as of June 2013. That means with my newly acquired EDL, I can go through the Nexus Lane! Damn.
The ready lane is not available until 11:00 AM and shuts down at 6:00 pm on weekdays and is open from 8:00 am till 6:00 pm on weekends. NICE!!!
When crossing back into Canada, no such luck. When I asked the CBSA agent about a ready lane he started to go a little squirrly on me and proceeded to tell me if I ever go into the Nexus lane, blah, blah, blah.......... After the hundreds of times I've crossed the border back into Canada, I finally ran into a jerk. He claimed I didn't answer his question a couple of times, when in fact, I did. I think he was trying to get me to lose my cool, LOL. I was about to get the guy's badge number, so I could report him, but didn't.............. because I'm not an a$$hat.
The only issue with the Nexus lane at the Sumas/Huntingdon crossing is that when there is a huge ass lineup, nobody with a Nexus card can get anywhere near the beginning of that lane. I'm sure there are other ways, like cutting in from the subdivision there and whatnot. Anyone use the Nexus lane at Sumas know how it's done?
__________________
Quote:
"there but for the grace of god go I"
Quote:
Youth is, indeed, wasted on the young.
YODO = You Only Die Once.
Dirty look from MG1 can melt steel beams.
"There must be dissonance before resolution - MG1" a musical reference.
Last time I crossed at Peach Arch with my nexus, I asked the guard what the "RFID Ready Lanes" (or something) are for, and he said they're for Nexus and EDL's, and that I can use that lane if I want. He then said the EDL drivers have to wait in line with everyone else, but can proceed to the Ready Lane when they've reached it, instead of fanning out to the other open lanes.
IMO, Nexus is a better deal than EDL. IIRC, it's $50 for Nexus vs $35 for EDL, but with Nexus, you get the priority Nexus lane where it is usually much faster.
Also, one time when I accidentally pulled out my EDL instead of my Nexus card, and used it at the Pt Roberts Nexus lane, the RFID scanner picked up my card, but the US border guarded immediately proceeded to grill me about how the lane was for Nexus only and that I didn't have a Nexus card. Realizing my mistake, I showed him my Nexus card and it was all good again. But the encounter suggests to me that the Nexus lane is really only for Nexus only, not for EDL.
Yeah, RFD thread also reveals experiences of people, Nexus lanes (both at border and the dedicated lane to the right) are for Nexus card holders only, not EDL.
You save a bit of time by going through the crossing in the Ready Lane, but you must still line up.
Fathered more RS members than anybody else. Who's your daddy?
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 24,751
Thanked 11,512 Times in 4,904 Posts
I like the EDL because I can leave my passport at home.
At Sumas, the ready lane is the same as the Nexus lane, so that is a bit of a bonus for guys like me who use that particular crossing most of the time.
I wAnder when the CBSA is going to get on board with the iead.
__________________
Quote:
"there but for the grace of god go I"
Quote:
Youth is, indeed, wasted on the young.
YODO = You Only Die Once.
Dirty look from MG1 can melt steel beams.
"There must be dissonance before resolution - MG1" a musical reference.
Fathered more RS members than anybody else. Who's your daddy?
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 24,751
Thanked 11,512 Times in 4,904 Posts
So, here is the explanation according to the promo sheet I got from US Customs agent this morning.
Quote:
In our continuing efforts to facilitate the traveling public and enhance U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Trusted Traveler Programs, CBP announces that effective Monday, June 10, 2013 the NEXUS program at the port of Sumas, WA will include a Ready Lane for travelers holding Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) documents; the hours will be from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday through Friday. On Saturdays and Sundays, the NEXUS Lane will be converted to a Ready Lane from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. In addition, the new hours for Nexus participants at the port of Sumas, WA will be from 8:00 am to 11:00 am Monday through Friday. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we seek out the most effective and efficient lane management strategies.
__________________
Quote:
"there but for the grace of god go I"
Quote:
Youth is, indeed, wasted on the young.
YODO = You Only Die Once.
Dirty look from MG1 can melt steel beams.
"There must be dissonance before resolution - MG1" a musical reference.
Make sure you check for cancellations when waiting for your nexus appt.
My buddy's initial appt was in 2014. He kept checking for cancellations and got an appt this week at DT office.
I have an appointment next week...
Do you get the card right away?... No more pains in seeing asses pretending to go to the duty free... Posted via RS Mobile
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today!
The banners on the left side and below do not show for registered users!
Sumas was reported as 15 minutes. I was just outside Bellingham when I found out, so I took the Sunset Drive exit and headed to Sumas via Nooksack. Took the backroads to the border crossing and got across into Canada in 5 minutes. 
