I read it when he first posted it...but it was too long for me to remember what I read and didn't want to read the whole thing again...haha.

Canada Customs border guards are some of the rudest most inconsiderate people on the face of the planet. The problem starts that they hire young hot heads who feel they have been entrusted with the power of GOD when they are put in a uniform...

American Border Guards on the other hand are mostly polite and respectful... Some of their policies may be backwards but overall they are nice to the people who travel (from my experience and I have many as I used to cross weekly for music lessons for 5+ years)... Canadian Guards are your a-typical civil servants...

It is especially nice when they rip apart EVERY piece of your car and don't put anything back... I also like it when they threatened to seize my car when I was bringing back my OWN set of wheels I had stored in the states... (didn't want to have to go through cleaning the real set when I got down there for a show and didn't feel like crossing back with them since I have storage in blaine) Had full documentation for both sets (one on the car and one in the car)... I have a bonded warehouse in canada and know its not worth the headaches and/or risks of bringing things across illegally... Plus a set of wheels that are mounted and balanced in the US are considered to be made in the US... NO DUTY!!! Pay the GST and be done with it...

Canada Border Services Agents = Glorified Tax Collectors... we all know its the RCMP that actually protects the borders... :thumbsup: Not like the americans that are a dedicated force...

i have the complete opposite experience. With the CBSa I don't find them rude, they're just serious. With the American Border Guards though I really find them rude. BUT and a big BUT... I don't blame them they're just doing their job.

I find the older Canadian border guards are really nice people. They're friendly and one of them even joked around with me.

i 2nd that, i tried to complain , so i asked the girl, to whom i was paying, "whats the other girl's badge no.? she says "ill find out"

next thing

the supervisor comes to talk to me. says "u dont need to make a complain" ill make sure it goes in her records.

i said " that fine, but i still would like to make a official complain"

the supervisor tried a few times, and kept on discoraging me to make official comlain. eventually i got her badge no.

I did something similar around Christmas, we were bored and went to the 24/7 Walmart across the lake instead of the one here. Well on the way back I get stopped at a roadblock and get a whole "why are you in a rush (I wasn't...). where are you going? is this your car? your insurance? in your name? are you a new driver? let me see that license. follow my finger. stick out your tongue. lift up your tongue. ok fine slow it down."

apparently I look like a drug addict.

24 hour walmart in bellingham is always entertaining... especially because the parking lot is an RV park as well... :D

I just came back from shopping with a family friend from toronto who was visiting this weekend.

i was the owner of the car and driving the car when we got pulled to the side. i was questioned really quickly and was sent inside but my friend was questioned for a long time.

anyways i was wondering if border guards have access to police databases? my friend was at a friend's house in toronto when it got raided and was charged for some drug-related problems. the charges were dropped really quickly because they had no evidence, but i believe a record still stays? does that raise red flags on the system?

They would have access to CPIC, Prime,Prose,NCDB etc and it is possible your friend is in the database of one of these systems. Just because he was charged but they were stayed does not mean the incident vanishes. Customs officers look at things that show indications of criminal activity. Getting caught & charged at a drug house are things that would make me want to look closer.

What sort of information or detail about the incident would those databases hold? Would it tell them if the charges were stayed because, say, you were just the pizza guy or an appliance repairman who happened to be there at the time of the bust - some legitimate reason to be at the place?

It would depend on what database the information was entered into. Some of them give lots of details and others just the basic info. There may be info that the charges were dropped but that does not mean there was no basis for the file, just that circumstances were such that charges were not completed. Speaking generally and NOT specifically to this case..lots of times the suspects are totally guilty but they decide not to go ahead..and that could be up to crown, to the fact that witnesses back out, that "minor" charges are dropped and only the big ones go ahead...all sorts of things come into play.

Dude, that's awesome! :thumbsup:

Also, the US Border patrol has the right to stop and search a vehicle 100 miles inbound from any of their border (and the shoreline/oceans count as "borders"). It happened to me in New Mexico.

Not directly relevant to the thread, but could be useful information for some.

Customs on both sides have access to tons of files. If it's in a police database somewhere, they've got it.

Odds are you profiled because of your age, the smell of weed, short visit, someone else's car, etc. I bet because they didn't find anything you'll be fine next time you cross, but you never know, it's always a crapshoot crossing as to who you'll get and how you'll be treated. I've had both US and Canada Customs give me the gears, one side is neither nicer or more polite than the other.

This can't be true, otherwise the TR and DTD wouldn't be charging the duty for shipments up to Canada.

I don't think so, they go by where the item was made stamps as far as I've seen.

^^^I agree!