REVscene Automotive Forum - Bellingham Residents take out anger over Canadian shoppers online

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They should come across the border, spend their hard earned money at our costco's and help our economy that would learn us.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GLOW (Post 8002045)

but the gas lineups at the costco in bellingham...

Fred Meyers isn't that bad? just down the street off W Bakerview Road road.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TypeRNammer (Post 8002356)

The Richmond Costco is already a nightmare to shop in :heckno:
I've never been to the Costco in Bellingham but it sounds very unpleasant.
.......

Bellingham: 81,862 - Jul 2011
Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Surrey: 468,251
Population (2011 Census)

Problem?:fuckyea:

Milk at the Shell on D St in Blaine is only $2.79/gallon with gas purchase. That only ends up being 40c (on 2 jugs) more than Costco (which I think is $4.98 for 2 gallons) That's what I usually do if I'm just going down for a gas run and package pickup and don't feel like going that far past the border.

Cheaper to buy that milk than spend the gas to drive to Bellingham. People who think the cost offset is worth it are lying to themselves.

It's worth it for those who live in South Surrey and White Rock. Not so much if you live in Vancouver on a weekly basis.

Quote:

Originally Posted by falcon (Post 8002493)

Cheaper to buy that milk than spend the gas to drive to Bellingham. People who think the cost offset is worth it are lying to themselves.

They might save a few bucks...

But like was mentioned before, how much is your time worth?

Even if I lived on the mainland, MY time is worth more than the hassle of saving those few bucks.

IMHO it's only worth going to US Costcos if you are already going to the states for another reason (shopping, camping, vacation) or if you are doing a big shopping trip. Almost every item sold in US Costco stores is a savings over local prices. If the price is the same you may get 20-100% more, anything from cheese to meat, detergent to appliances. To make it worth my time I'm going to spend hundreds or tie in some Target and other shopping too. Not worth my time just for milk and gas.

Bellingham isn't that far... especially if you live in white rock/surrey

its basically the same distance from ridge to ubc compared to ridge to bellingham

and bellingham is closer for people in white rock than it is for white rock->ubc etc

Quote:

Originally Posted by MindBomber (Post 8002363)

I drink unpasteurized Canadian milk all the time; I have complete confidence in Canadian farming practices.

Do you live/know someone who lives on a dairy farm? I thought unpasteurized milk can't be sold in Canada legally

Quote:

Originally Posted by twitchyzero (Post 8002643)

Do you live/know someone who lives on a dairy farm? I thought unpasteurized milk can't be sold in Canada legally

In my case, I get raw milk from dairy farm owners who are family. Owners or employees of dairy farms are allowed to consume raw milk themselves and share it with family members, but they cannot sell or give it away to friends. A dairy farmer or employee caught doing so face the possibility of fines, jail time, seizure and destruction of their heard... kinda silly

I've read that Unpasteurized milk is actually better for human consumption.

Quote:

Originally Posted by falcon (Post 8002493)

Cheaper to buy that milk than spend the gas to drive to Bellingham. People who think the cost offset is worth it are lying to themselves.

It takes about 15 minutes To go to the Shell gas station across the boarder at night. Get gas and pick up milk, cheese, butter. eggs and a case of beer. It takes about 15 minutes to go to the nearest Superstore in the day when there is traffic. The savings are there. Going to Costco my sisters friend buys for both my sister and here family and they buy in bulk, $200 to $400 easy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by willystyle (Post 8002753)

I've read that Unpasteurized milk is actually better for human consumption.

It can also make you very sick.

im guilty of raping the bellingham costco,

I go once a month, fill up 4 jerry cans and my car,

grab a bunch of milk and cheese and groceries and my packages.

I calculated the savings for me and its roughly 45 dollars in total for the month for all the jerry cans and car fillup.

not including the groceries and mail pickup, total including all the groceries n shit, its probably like 100 bucks a month in savings.

a brown guy I work with who lives in surrey, saves about 200 a month in gas and groceries going to bellingham.

shit in vancouver is just too fucking expensive, when a 30 minute drive nets you half price on everything.

hell, even going on vacation, I fly out of bellingham, its like 30% of of the cost of our flights too.

I dont think i've spent a single dollar in canada in like a whole year, except for restaurants, cant avoid that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by willystyle (Post 8002753)

I've read that Unpasteurized milk is actually better for human consumption.

Yes, I believe unpasteurized, 'raw,' milk has health benefits over the pasteurized, processed alternative. I won't go into the long list of benefits, including taste, because this is already way off-topic. The only benefit of pasteurizing milk to the consumer is that it lowers the risk of contamination, and sometimes is fortified with vitamins to a higher level than would be naturally present. Milk can only be contaminated one of two ways,

1. a sick animal being milked,
2. environmental contamination during the processing (most often an unclean udder).

Animals are frequently tested to ensure they are healthy and udders are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, regardless of whether the milk will be pasteurized or consumed raw so the risk is extremely minimal. If it were significant, the families of dairy farmers who consume exclusively raw milk would be getting sick, wouldn't they?

I tend to think that pasteurizing milk is mandatory partly because it ensures dairy farmers can only sell milk to large companies.

There are businesses called heard shares that effectively make you a farm owner, thereby entitled to raw milk, but since they operate on a technicality the only one in BC was shut down by the government.

I'm way off-topic....
My original somewhat on-topic point was, animal husbandry practices in America are often much lower than Canada which is one reason I would not consume milk or eggs produced by them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manic! (Post 8002778)

It can also make you very sick.

So can lettuce, let's pasteurize it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MindBomber (Post 8002786)

To add on top of this, in Canada, when cows are sick, farmers are required to throw out any milk coming out of a cow that's on antibiotics. The same goes for chickens. Growth hormones are only given to beef cattle, not dairy cows.

At least, that's what they're supposed to do.

I'll also drink unpasteurized milk if I come across it. I wont go out of my way to find it, but I also wont avoid it. Humans have drank unpasteurized milk for decades, and farmers and their families don't seem to be getting sick from it...

As for shopping down south, I've been to the Costco in Bellingham a couple times in the past. I don't usually go to the States just to head there; it's usually just one stop in many, and it's to buy a couple of dry food items that they don't carry up in Canada anymore. I personally don't think it's worth dealing with all the hassles of lining up and elbowing people to save a few dollars only to come right back up again. I'll make a trip of it and just spend the day being a tourist. Also, the amount of gas people use to drive down to Bellingham is silly since they can probably drive right to Pt Roberts or Blaine and save the same amount of money (especially once you factor in the gas you burn driving to Bellingham and back).

Quote:

Originally Posted by MindBomber (Post 8002786)

So can lettuce, let's pasteurize it.

But you do wash it before eating it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manic! (Post 8002830)

But you do wash it before eating it.

Yes, but ironically the e-coli outbreaks in the states have mostly been caused by pre-washed lettuce.

isn't it more expensive to drive down there and keep an active costco membership?

your canadian membership works in the US costco warehouse

i know but that money adds up right? you're buying chemically laced milk, driving 30 kms (at least) out of your way, and possibly paying duty on your purchases. not to mention the time spent in the lineups and the cost of the nexus card if you like shorter lines.

it sounds like that guy who would drive from richmond to point roberts to get gas. didnt someone calculate that he was only saving $20 a week but adding a TON of wear and tear on his car afterwords?

same principle.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ver.Mitsubishi (Post 8002860)

This guy?

http://www.revscene.net/forums/66509...+point+roberts

:troll:

The original page was deleted...

Guess the creator decided a page full of xenophobic, narcissistic, and racist comments, discouraging Canadians from visiting and propping up the Bellingham economy wasn't good publicity eh?

new page here..
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Thurs...08297142589323

and a spoof page is here..
https://www.facebook.com/BellinghamC...stForCanadians

:lawl:

Facebook video link died

Here's a youtube link

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ver.Mitsubishi (Post 8002860)

That's close ta $1000 a year. and I went 6 times in one week and bought back $100's of dollars of stuff and never got charged duty.