Canadian/US border

David_Hayward (RIP) · #1 01-11-09, 09:35

My son and I are fascinated by the satellite TV series on the US Border Patrol. The Mexican-US border is interesting but what about the Canadian border? We have seen an Alaska-Canadian border post with zilch traffic and the Windsor Tunnel post, where there seems to be huge queues all the time. Is this always the case? How long does it take to get through and do people commute? The nearest thing we have is the Channel Tunnel where you can be subject to checks in batches on the UK side, but then it can mean you can go straight on to a train. In reverse, on the French side there are French posts, then UK, then possible customs searches, and then you can get on...and queues at times!

Adame · #2 01-11-09, 10:07

High traffic areas have customs on each side but most of the country has very little to NO marked border it is very common that People walk over the border without even knowing it.

Adame

Barry Churcher · #3 01-11-09, 15:22

David, when Dirk and Stefan come from Holland Brian and I have taken them to the old car flea market (boot sale) in Hershey PA. When we cross at Gananoque there is never any lineup. We must go in to US Customs and Homeland Security where Dirk and Stefan fill out forms that are supplied in Dutch. A small tracking device is attached to their passports, they pay ten bucks, and off we go. The tracking device is activated once we leave Customs. All said and done we are out of there in about fifteen minutes. Of course this does not include our time in the Duty Free on the Canadian side of the border where we load up on beer.

The photo is on the Canadian side of the border at the Duty Free.
Cheers,
Barry

David_Hayward (RIP) · #4 01-11-09, 20:46

We don;t have Duty-Free here now except between the UK and the Channel Islands. Jersey prices used to be cheaper than the mainland but now they're higher! Cigarettes are much cheaper on the ferry than back home!

I have only been to the US once, in August 1989, and we landed in Orlando. We had to wait to go through to passport control but we had the necessary visas even though they were not required by then.

I suppose I have this crazy idea that to go from Windsor to Detroit you just go almost straight through. Now the Dept of HS are saying that you need to give 72 hours' notice of entering and exiting the US. On TV a Canadian got into trouble because three/four months previously he had not given the necessary notice when leaving to go back home. For us in the UK I gather that you have to give an online notice 72 hours before flying over.

Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP) · #5 01-11-09, 20:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by David_Hayward

I suppose I have this crazy idea that to go from Windsor to Detroit you just go almost straight through. Now the Dept of HS are saying that you need to give 72 hours' notice of entering and exiting the US. On TV a Canadian got into trouble because three/four months previously he had not given the necessary notice when leaving to go back home. For us in the UK I gather that you have to give an online notice 72 hours before flying over.

Two weeks ago I went down to Norfolk Virginia for a 4-day weekend - no notice required coming either way, just state your destination and reason for your trip, show your passport and make the necessary declarations. Easy-peasey.

Alex Blair (RIP) · #6 01-11-09, 21:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geoff Winnington-Ball

Two weeks ago I went down to Norfolk Virginia for a 4-day weekend - no notice required coming either way, just state your destination and reason for your trip, show your passport and make the necessary declarations. Easy-peasey.

Jif
I too just got back through Windsor Detroit,with passports only ,and faster than snot..gotta pick your times as not to get caught in hi traffic movement time...But Then we are colonials..and Dave's from The "Olde sod"..and they DID burn down the white house back in'12...1812 that is and I think they are still pissed at Dave and his ilk..although we love 'em//
Actually it was us PRE Canadians that did the rascally deed back in '12 but because we didn't become "Canadians" until confederation in 1867 we can typically slip it to the Brits ..just one more time..Poor old POM's ..and then there is Charles and Camilla..
Enough said..LOL

japes · #7 01-11-09, 21:21

Not sure where your info came from but we travel back and forth to Detroit from Windsor on a weekly basis and there is no declaration or 72 hours or anything like that. As Geoff said...the purpose of your visit and how long are you going to be in the US, that's it.

J.P.

David_Hayward (RIP) · #8 01-11-09, 22:18

Yes it was on US BORDER PATROL or whatever it's called. The chap was an Iraqui-born Canadian!

My son Stuart, 12 was asking about did we win the last war with America earlier today. I mentioned that in 1812 we were at war with the US and we burned-down Washington DC. I seem to recall however that the US had a rather successful naval raid on us though!

I don;t think we have yet been at war with Canada...perhaps we could and get beaten and then you can take us over?

Seriously, I gather that Harold Wilson, the then Labour Government Prime Minister actually asked the US to take the UK over in 1968 as we were so broke. This was however when De Gaulle kept vetoing us joining the Common Market (later EEC) and just before we went cap in hand to the IMF to bail us out.

cletrac (RIP) · #9 01-11-09, 23:58

A few years ago my brother and daughter and I were coming back from the States and crossed at a minor crossing in SW Manitoba. The border guard kept us there about 20 minutes. I couldn't see any reason other than she was lonely and wanted to talk! We had garbage bags full of stuff in the back of the pickup and she didn't even ask what was in them. She found it hard to believe that anybody would be down south for 10 days and not bring anything back with them.