Land Border Questions / Ties to Canada

[S/B 0]

I am fortunate to only live about 40 minutes away from my fiance and cross the border 2-3 times per week. The customs officers usually do not give me a hard time but I was told by one officer to always carry ties to Canada in case I am asked. I always bring my pay stubs as well as utility bills etc from my home address, you could probably bring cell phone bills or something as well since you will be staying with a friend.

Edited June 21, 2011 by S/B

[ralyse 31]

In the interest of updating, I thought I'd share: my fiance crossed again today at Bluewater Bridge. He had with him a table, some DVD racks and a bunch of boxes of my stuff, car not quite as full as last time but pretty packed. He told them again how my lease was up before my visa appointment and I have nowhere to store the stuff, they asked to see documents so he showed them the printout of the visa interview confirmation and the NOA2 since that has HIS name on it too, instead of just mine. No secondary this time, they just let him through.

Glad to say that's the last time I'm sending anything (Down to a suitcase and my computer now!)

Edited June 27, 2011 by ralyse

[ralyse 31]

Well, had our border crossing experience last Thursday... first time I've ever had any trouble. In the car was my computer (Which I knew might cause trouble) a suitcase for each of us and some of our camping stuff (What I still had in Canada... namely two camping chairs, my sleeping bag and an empty cooler). I also had a grocery bag with some toiletries and makeup bag and my fiance had his sleep apnea machine.

At initial inspection he guy looked through all my K1 paperwork, but said he was sending us to secondary because of the computer.

In secondary we told them the same thing, that we're going to stay with friends and then camping in Minnesota (We had copies of the campsite registration, our friends info, etc.) The reason I had my computer was to do some gaming for the week we were at our friends. Showed all my K1 stuff. The officer flat out told us he believed I would be going back, especially with the interview so close, but he didn't like some of the stuff I had with me. He named my computer, as well as Ramon's sleep apnea machine and, bizarrely, my makeup bag which had about 6 things of nail polish in it.

He left us inside and went and tore apart the car a second time (We could see, they had already gone through everything once, this time they were going into every bag we had). We watched as about 5 border officers went through the car and stood around talking. They then came back and started asking Ramon all about the time he crossed a few weeks ago (already mentioned in this thread, when they took him into secondary.) They asked him what the officer said about my stuff and he told them "He said it was up to the officer's discretion."

At that, the officer got really rude with us, told Ramon that's not what was said according to the report and that he was told to never again try bringing my stuff across or he'd be in trouble. Now, I wasn't there for that conversation, but I know Ramon well enough to believe that if they'd told him that he would've remembered. He especially wouldn't have taken another carfull of my stuff less than a week later (Which he did without problem, or even secondary).

So Ramon reiterated that he hadn't been told that and the officer we'd been dealing with said he was going to talk to his supervisor, he didn't think I should be allowed through.

So, we're pretty worried at this point and Ramon's a little pissed that they're telling him he remembered wrong or something like that. Our officer comes back and asks for Ramon's driver's license and SSN and starts filling out some paperwork. He asks me for my DL, then basically tells me I'm an idiot when I say I don't have one. He just stands there typing for a while and then hands us a paper that we're supposed to give to Canada customs, because he's sending us back. It states we're not allowed to enter with my computer or nail polish. He then tells us he wanted to refuse me but his supervisor is making him only refuse the stuff instead. Basically, being pretty rude to us because his supervisor overruled him? I don't know.

So we go back to the car, back over the border, (paying the bridge toll again, should be noted) and the Canada customs guy looks at our form and says "Really? Nail polish? That's ridiculous." and then laughs and jokes about refusing some of Ramon's stuff into Canada just to repay them for being jerks to me. He was really nice

So we run into Sarnia and leave my computer and nail polish with my roommate's mom and head back over the border (Paying the toll a third time), we're marked to go right back into secondary so we head inside and the shift has switched so we have a completely different officer. He looks over everything and leaves for about fifteen minutes. He comes back and starts hassling me about ties to Canada. He ends up telling us the guy we dealt with earlier left really terrible notes and he couldn't really tell what happened but he tracked down the supervisor that signed off on it so he's going to let us through.

We can see the car the whole time, they didn't even check it.

Sigh.

So, all told, we spent over two hours in secondary the first time and then about twenty minutes the second time. Paid the bridge toll three times and I have no computer (fine, I get that) and no nail polish (which still baffles me) but I'm here for a few weeks. And we get to go on our camping trip

And my laptop has been in Michigan for like three weeks, so I can use it (even if its old and turns off randomly, LOL).

I've never so much as gone to secondary before so I'm not sure how typical my experience was, and Ramon is really upset that they hassled him over something he swears up and down was never actually said to him. But at the end of the day, we made it across and we knew trying to bring my computer was potentially risky.

[Gypsyangel 11]

Ugh! I'm sorry you had such a hard time. Especially after you'd had success bringing stuff down before. To me, that just falls under the category of you never ever really know what's going to happen at the border. Congrats on remaining calm. Nail polish? Really?

[pocheros 101]

Sorry you had such a crappy experience! It's almost over now, though- your interview's so close! Hope you're enjoying your trip.

[pocheros 101]

This reminds me of one time where I was pulled to secondary at the Windsor border. My fiance was living in Michigan at the time so sometimes I took the VIA train to Windsor, where he'd pick me up with his car and drive me across the border. The first time we crossed the officer understandably asked us questions about how we met etc., but before I said anything my fiance chimed in and made up a story about how we met in school in California- because he thought telling the truth (we met online and arranged to meet in Ontario) didn't sound believable? So while he was talking to the officer I looked at my fiance like he had two faces (had I been the first to talk I would've told the truth!) and then understandably the officer realized he was lying and then I explained how we actually met! Then obviously we got pulled into secondary, gave them our passports, and waited for about 30 minutes while they searched his car.

Okay, this is really OT, but I think it's a funny story that I wanted to share.

Another time we crossed they were doing some sort of training exercise, so we got pulled into secondary again. I had some art supplies with me because I like to draw on the train. One of the things I had in my purse was a kneaded eraser, which looks like play-dough and was treated very suspiciously (understandably play dough is one of the things you use to make bombs, though, right? I read that somewhere...) and I also had some, um, inappropriate photos I took for my fiance as a present (wrapped up in a nice little package) and was questioned about its contents (to which I just said it was a present for my fiance) and prayed that they didn't open it up. They didn't, fortunately.

Edited July 12, 2011 by pocheros

[Krikit 1,165]

Sorry you had to go through that, ralyse. Now you understand why we always post these warnings. I honestly don't know why some officers are dickheads, other than they're power-tripping. Professionalism obviously means nothing to them.

This reminds me of one time where I was pulled to secondary at the Windsor border. My fiance was living in Michigan at the time so sometimes I took the VIA train to Windsor, where he'd pick me up with his car and drive me across the border. The first time we crossed the officer understandably asked us questions about how we met etc., but before I said anything my fiance chimed in and made up a story about how we met in school in California- because he thought telling the truth (we met online and arranged to meet in Ontario) didn't sound believable? So while he was talking to the officer I looked at my fiance like he had two faces (had I been the first to talk I would've told the truth!) and then understandably the officer realized he was lying and then I explained how we actually met! Then obviously we got pulled into secondary, gave them our passports, and waited for about 30 minutes while they searched his car.

Holy #######! I would have killed him!

[pocheros 101]

Sorry you had to go through that, ralyse. Now you understand why we always post these warnings. I honestly don't know why some officers are dickheads, other than they're power-tripping. Professionalism obviously means nothing to them.

Holy #######! I would have killed him!

I was mad at him for the rest of the night! He said he "doesn't like authority" to which I said "you were in the navy for 6 years, shouldn't you be better at dealing with authority than anyone else?" I think sailors tend to be a little more unruly than other than members of the military. He knows better now, though.

It's like... Even if they are power tripping (as opposed to just doing their job) nothing is gained from arguing with them or lying! And so far, in my experience they're usually just doing their job.

Edited July 12, 2011 by pocheros

[Ironman140 45]

Try drinking with the Army ;-)

If you want to see unruly. ;-)

I was mad at him for the rest of the night! He said he "doesn't like authority" to which I said "you were in the navy for 6 years, shouldn't you be better at dealing with authority than anyone else?" I think sailors tend to be a little more unruly than other than members of the military. He knows better now, though.

It's like... Even if they are power tripping (as opposed to just doing their job) nothing is gained from arguing with them or lying! And so far, in my experience they're usually just doing their job.

[Sunny123 44]

Ugh! I'm sorry you had such a hard time. Especially after you'd had success bringing stuff down before. To me, that just falls under the category of you never ever really know what's going to happen at the border. Congrats on remaining calm. Nail polish? Really?

Maybe that color was discontinued and his wife/SO has been looking for that color .