POE Review

[Krikit 1,165]

I'm... not sure...? The border guard kept saying, "enter into door #2! Make sure you go into #2" then 2 seconds later "door #2!" so I was wondering whats behind door number 1. I didn't actually see a door labeled #1 so your guess is as good as mine. They just processed my visa at the main counter where they have all the other guards working, I didn't go to a special glass room..

Oh, okay. We ARE talking about two different doors. :lol:

Door #1 is Customs. Door #2 is secondary. Inside Door #2 is the waiting area. Directly in front is the door they take bad people. To the right is the glass door where you go inside and process you when your name is called. They keep it locked and buzz you in.

Right?

[Hugglebuggles 60]

Oh, okay. We ARE talking about two different doors. :lol:

Door #1 is Customs. Door #2 is secondary. Inside Door #2 is the waiting area. Directly in front is the door they take bad people. To the right is the glass door where you go inside and process you when your name is called. They keep it locked and buzz you in.

Right?

Ohhhh Ok yes, I think we are on the same page here! I went to the door to the right, and now that you mention it, there was a door directly in front. I was processed right there in the waiting room, but I noticed there was another little glass room at the far end of the building, which is what I assume you are talking about with the glass room stuff.

Sorry to completely hijack the thread Peachey

[Krikit 1,165]

Sorry to completely hijack the thread Peachey

I was thinking the same thing! Sorry Peachey.

[trailmix 77]

Oh, okay. We ARE talking about two different doors. :lol:

Door #1 is Customs. Door #2 is secondary. Inside Door #2 is the waiting area. Directly in front is the door they take bad people. To the right is the glass door where you go inside and process you when your name is called. They keep it locked and buzz you in.

Right?

Locked...buzz you in - wow!

At the POE in Sweetgrass, there are no locked rooms etc, it's just a regular waiting room and a big desk you go up to - like a bank kind of. The only thing I saw locked was the washroom

Mind you, it is a brand new building, maybe they take the crims to the rooms with bars in the back

You know, after reading POE reviews on VJ, I have like zero desire to cross the U.S. border.

[TimandJoyce 1]

Vancouver International seemed like easy secondary too. No locks that I could see, but I wish it all took 45 minutes like Peachy!! Course I guess had I DRIVEN across, instead of fly, it would have been different. * Wasn't going to drive from BC to SC though*

GREAT review Peachy AND Varba!! Love both of your sense of humours when you write!! Have a great wedding and New Year!!! Can't wait to hear how things are going for you.

[Revenesque 2]

Congrats on successful POE! Once again, congrats on your wedding!

[Carlawarla 1]

I'm late to the show Peachy, but glad to hear that your POE was successful! Congratulations on your recent nuptials as well!

[darkchilde794 5]

Congrats on a successful POE! And marriage!

[ScooterMac 2]

Congrats on the move and the wedding!! Sorry you had to deal with McFail/Mcn00b...at least he didn't try to send you on without activating your visa!

[Rustbelt 0]

Ohhhh Ok yes, I think we are on the same page here! I went to the door to the right, and now that you mention it, there was a door directly in front. I was processed right there in the waiting room, but I noticed there was another little glass room at the far end of the building, which is what I assume you are talking about with the glass room stuff.

Sorry to completely hijack the thread Peachey

Sorry to continue the hijack, but the Peace Bridge POE was completely updated within the past year. Now you go into door #2 for everything - customs, immigration, the lot. There is a glass room all the way down at the far end of the (much, much larger) room. The waiting room can seat around 100 people (if you last went through when immigration was door #1, you had standing room only after 20 people). And there's two TVs in there too, usually tuned to something really dumb like ESPN and Nickleodeon. I think they stress door #2 because people are so used to going into door #1 for immigration.

- Steve's wife

[Krikit 1,165]

I almost want to be pulled into secondary to see the new room now. lol

[lgg 2]

Oh no thank you! there could be Shangra-la in there and unicorns with rainbows coming out their butts and I'd still opt for no secondary, thank you!

I almost want to be pulled into secondary to see the new room now. lol

[Hugglebuggles 60]

Sorry to continue the hijack, but the Peace Bridge POE was completely updated within the past year. Now you go into door #2 for everything - customs, immigration, the lot. There is a glass room all the way down at the far end of the (much, much larger) room. The waiting room can seat around 100 people (if you last went through when immigration was door #1, you had standing room only after 20 people). And there's two TVs in there too, usually tuned to something really dumb like ESPN and Nickleodeon. I think they stress door #2 because people are so used to going into door #1 for immigration.

- Steve's wife

Ohhh! You're totally right Steve's wife, it did look very new and fancy now that you mention it, but I didn't realize this was a new change. Over 20 years crossing at the Peace Bridge and I had never been inside the secondary building until the day I crossed on my K-1. I believe they were planning CNN when I was waiting

Thanks for clearing that up!

[Sc0tt28 26]

The only thing I saw locked was the washroom

For those that don't understand - the reason there are "No public restrooms" at the border is because people have been known to smuggle drugs taped to their bodies or smuggle drugs internally. If the drug smuggler is sent to secondary, he can rightly assume that he's been caught, will ask to use the bathroom before he gets inspected and proceed to flush the drugs down the toilet, eliminating the evidence against him making him a free man. That is best case scenario. Worst case scenario is largely the same except that the person is a terrorist with bomb making material strapped to himself. Locks himself in a stall, assembles the bomb, walks back out into the lobby and blows up the family on their way to Disneyland waiting in line for their I-94's.

[trailmix 77]

We were in a U.S. border crossing office, I completely understand why they had the doors locked. However - it was a public washroom, you just have to ask to be given access.

Edited January 6, 2010 by trailmix