Those of us who cross the border frequently

We live 5 minutes from the US/Canada border (obviously we live in Canada). We do a fair amount of shopping in the US, cause it's so much cheaper! For instance, a 5 lb. block of cheese in Canada would cost around $25.00 or more, while in the good ole' US of A it's less than half the price. Gas is cheaper by a long shot, even with the rising prices of oil... I could go on... Needless to say, we cross the border once or twice a week. We also have Nexus (pre-approved for border crossing, so we usually don't have to wait in long lines, they have all our info and we usually sail by). Well, yesterday, Dh and I went to cross, and the Nexus line was stupidly long... The regular lines seemed like they were moving faster... After sitting for at least 20 minutes, we finally got up to the booth... The border guard said : "Why are you driving a camp... uhhh... why do you have a minivan?" Dh said, "cause we have 6 kids". Then he asked if we had anything to declare, which we said no... (I wanted to say "I declare you are holding up the Nexus line asking stupid question") Seriously, what does it matter what kind of vehicle we own? We could have no kids and still drive a minivan, who cares??? How is that a security question? Just my little vent for the day...

 

I live along the southern border of the US, and lots of people have SENTRI, which is the same kind of preclearance program for people who cross the border often. I think they're looking to see whether your vehicle matches your lifestyle. Given the huge bias against minivans, even among parents with multi kids, it would be weird for adults to drive a minivan if they didn't have kids (or a business/profession that required the larger vehicle). Also, they could just be asking routine questions to see how you react. You'd be surprised that people who have something to hide have a hard time lying. Simple questions can throw them off.

 

I totally understand! I have Nexus too & it drives me bonkers that I have gone through all that paperwork, background checks, fees, etc. just to be stopped & asked the same mundane questions that get asked in the normal lines. I thought that was the whole point of being a "trusted traveller." I have been told that there are some customs people (especially going into the States) that do not think there should even be a Nexus program & when they are on duty they tend to treat it just like a normal lane since they don't agree with the program. :grr:

 

good question that I do not have an educated answer for but the answer can be quick and simple as you stated "I have 6 children". I can kind of understand the question in an uneducated manner. Why would a single person have a multi passenger vehicle. Not saying they do not have the right but if someone is driving over the border with a multi passenger vehicle and claim no have nothing to declare the question is kind of legit.

 

The area we live in is a retirement community and there are LOTS of old folks who drive minivans, so I don't really think that matters. I agree he was trying to trip us up with the question, but come on!

Tina, I think the US customs officers tend to over-use their authority, and for the Nexus lane, it's so ridiculous to be asked stupid questions... I know it's their job, and they are entitled to do whatever they feel they need to... Last week, I was crossing to go check out PO Box in Blaine, and this was the conversation:

Him: Where are you going?
Me: To the post office
Him: Why?
Me: Hopefully to pick up some mail
Him: From who?
Me: My son
Him: Where is your son?
Me: In Mississippi
Him: Why is he in Mississippi?
Me: He's serving a mission for our church
Him: Ok. Do you have anything to declare?
Me: No.
Him: Okay, bye

I was waiting for him to ask me my son's name, birthdate, hair and eye colour, weight, citizenship, etc...

I so wish there was no border here!

 

Don't you think sometimes people are curious? I've never crossed the northern boarder, but I've found a lot of Mexican customs officials and immgration agents (and heck even people in general) just are just curious about me. I'll never forget the Mexican customs official who asked me if I had any sunflower seeds--I said no, then asked why are they illegal? His reply--"No, I'm just hungry and I love those things."
I mean really, they say the same thing over and over and over again all day. They probably get bored and want to mix it up a little.

 

good point that they might just be trying to make conversation. Not that this is what they should be doing when lines are long.

I have never crossed a border... well I have crossed into NH from Ma

 

I've thought about getting a Nexus, there is a bridge dedicated to just Nexus use in Niagara Falls, but I rarely have super long waits at the bridge I use so went with a passport. (all crossings here are bridges over the Niagara River) I go over every few weeks.

I've gotten some odd questions but nothing over the top (who will be driving this vehicle in the United States? how much cash are you carrying?)

Some people get so tense at the border. Brandon for example. Connie finally told him she would be driving all their crossings. I agree that tossing an odd questions in here and there will catch anyone lying.

Lately it seems they are pulling everyone over for inspection. I got pulled for $38 and had to pay $5. Not even worth the paperwork!

 

Personally I don't see anything wrong with that conversation. I do think they are trying to get more of a "feel" for you rather than gathering specific information. I think they are probably trying to decide IF there is anything suspicious going on and IF they need to question you further. They are trying to protect our country from people who want to do us harm and I support them 100% It's not like they are subjecting you to a virtual naked full body scan or something; that's just for when we travel within our own borders. I do think you may be taking the border crossing for granted. Is a few questions really that big of a deal compared to the safety of our country? You are crossing from one country to another even though it feels like you are just driving down your street.

That's great!

 

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the conversation if you were crossing in one of the normal travel lanes. But, with Nexus, the entire point of it is that we have all been prescreened & interviewed, fingerprinted, background checked, etc. exactly to avoid having to answer all the usual mundane questions. Technically, although they can ask anything they want since they are Customs officials, the Nexus lane is intended for people to not really have to stop at all, just be waved through or just a quick stop with maybe a "Where are you headed? Anything to declare?" with the random person being stopped & looked at more carefully. You never know if you are going to be that random person & if you have anything at all that you shouldn't (even just an apple or an orange) you will lose Nexus privileges forever. But, more & more it is being treated exactly the same as the normal lanes, which is frustrating for those of us who went through the time & effort to be qualified to use it as it is no longer saving us any time at all.

 

At the LA airport, I recall being questioned for several minutes about being born outside the US. The immigration agent asked when I naturalized. I explained that I never naturalized, that both of my parents are American, therefore I am too. He seemed genuinely stumped, as if he didn't know that children born abroad to American parents have US citizenship. It's been something like 15 years, and I still wonder whether he truly didn't know or whether he was digging into my story to see if I was telling the truth. :unknw:

I just did the SENTRI registration last week for the commuter lane across the US-Mexico border. I recall that the paperwork specifically said that I would still be subject to primary and secondary inspection, and then put the fear of G-d into me about bringing over anything prohibited. The strangest question he asked: "Have you ever brought in a suitcase or package for someone else?" Uhmmmm, I honestly don't recall. I lived in northern Mexico for 2 years (7 years ago) and crossed the border at least 2-3 times a week. I don't remember if I ever carried over a package to the post office for a colleague. Or did an errand for someone. I know why he asked the question - lots of people with SENTRI here are getting caught with bundles or suitcases of drugs, often times planted by someone else because of the belief that those with SENTRI are inspected less. There's a high profile case to be decided today by a Mexican judge.

I don't know about the northern border, but the regular lines crossing from Mexico into the US can be 3 or 4 or 5 hours long. So the SENTRI registration does make a huge difference down here.

 

I'm confused. I guess because I have never crossed the border. If you say you do not have anything to declare and they stop you and you have an apple or orange you will lose your quick pass. So are you supposed to use that quick pass when you cross to go shopping? If you are not supposed to use it when you have shopped then maybe that is why they are now stopping more quick pass cars at that lane.

 

We can shop when we cross. Coming back into Canada we have a form that we fill out before we get to the border declaring anything we have bought & we drop it in a box there. Going into the States we don't have to fill out a form, we just have to stop & let them know if we are bringing anything into the country, but produce of any kind is pretty much prohibited & if you forget and have an apple or an orange in the car you can lose privileges.

 

I have seen people sitting in parking lots near the bridges eating up fruit and veggies before crossing. We also can't bring plants across.

I've never done a form. We pull up to a booth and show our passports and they ask if we spent anything and we say how much and occasionally the'll ask what. I always have my receipts in my hand in case they want to see them.

 

Nexus has forms, regular lines no forms here either.

Overall, I like the Nexus program & think it is worthwhile. Sometimes, it just gets frustrating when the other lines seem to be moving faster!

 

I (and most of the people with which I work) are Global Entry approved (which is like Nexus and Sentri but for all international travel) and honestly I would be pretty annoyed if I still had to go through questioning and/or searches. That's the whole point of the system . . .

 

I don't have Nexus but do cross the border about once per month. I think the most annoying question I have had was "why aren't you working today?"

Seriously, who said I had a job? I do but it was my day off and I left the kids with my Mom to pick a few things up.

I have also had a female border guard throw a phone book at me when I didn't know the exact address for Walmart. I knew what street it was on and what town it was in but she made me look up the address...she was probably the nastiest border guard I have ever had. She was obviously in a bad mood and decided to take it out on me.

 

The Canadian border guards are just glorified tax collectors...

I don't understand why the United States and Canada treat everybody (including citizens) as criminals. That said, in both cases if you are a citizen of the country you are entering (or a permanent resident of Canada) you have the right to tell them to mind their own business (although it wouldn't surprise me if you would be subject to a full search if you did that).

In the European Union/European Economic Area/Switzerland border guards are prohibited from asking citizens of any EU/EEA country any questions. Customs checks (which can include bag searches but no questioning) are relatively rare and there are no forms to fill out.

 

I have been asked what I do for a living then had to explain what a Registered Early Childhood Educator was.

 

I have a running joke about this. I was on a dependent visa for a long time (a visa tied to my father) so was nearly always asked what my father did. I always told them that he is a computer consultant - a job title that doesn't actually tell you anything other than it involves computers. Nobody ever asked me what a computer consultant actually does.

 

I've been questioned a lot because of this, however I am a naturalized citizen which seems to confuse a lot of people. My husband went through an extensive background check when he switched duty stations this last time and the military was very concerned about my "questionable citizenship." It got really annoying really fast when they kept bugging me to answer questions.

I've also lived and worked on military bases most of my life. The last base that we lived I worked on base too and had to go through random security checks all the time, even though I had a higher security clearance than the MP's doing the search! They are just trying to keep things as safe as possible. Random security checks (they think) keep us more secure.

 

I have dual US/Canadian citizenship (I was born in the US and married a Canadian). All of my kids are dual (did all the paperwork, went to the US consulate, the whole deal). The Nexus program has all that info on us, and can bring it up anytime. I just find it irritating that with all the hoops I've gone through (and $) to qualify for this program, there are still guards that treat it as a regular lane. I completely understand the security thing too, but ever since 9-11 it's gotten way worse. I have to admit, I am usually a little anxious crossing, even though I never have any reason to be. Legally, I have claim to either country, but the US side has a way of making you feel like you're a criminal...

 

Dolly, I understand what you mean. I recall being 4.5 months pregnant with the twins, trying to juggle DH's guitar and our cat while he was pulled secondary inspection because of a suspicious travel pattern: ticket bought through unrecognizable means just days before the flight. What was really silly is that it was the US government that bought the ticket and paid for it with a monthly purchase order with the travel agency in Eastern Europe. The same government that disliked the "suspicious" travel pattern was the one that created it.

Whenever I get frustrated, I try to remember that even trusted travelers and/or employees break the law. Think of police who go bad, military who leak classified information to Wikileaks or immigration officials who sell visas or green cards.

 

Exactly.

 

One of my easiest crossings was driving back into Canada last spring. "How much and How many?" Was all he said. He meant how much money did you spend and how many bottles of booze were we bringing back! :drinks:

Every time we go down now I make DH promise to tell the US border guards that we are visiting family (we always see some family so it's the truth). The one time he said "We are going to a Grateful Dead concert" we got pulled aside to have a little visit with the agricultural officer. :blush: He found nothing of course. We are so paranoid about getting caught with food, we barely even take a coffee over when heading down.

When coming back into Canada a few months ago, we were asked if we had bought any water pistols. I was never asked that before, but the answer was no. I can see why they don't want you flying with water pistols, but I never thought about it being a problem at the land borders.

 

I'm shuffling off to Buffalo today and will take particular note of what questions we get asked. Though we go though the regular lanes.

 

I got my SENTRI card today for the fast lanes across the Mexican border. The picture is so bad that I look like a psychotic criminal. I'm preparing myself for all kinds of weird questioning.

 

Who was it that said your passport picture should show how you would look after a drug binge so they know when to question you? Maybe that works for SENTRI cards too.

Just the usual question for us this trip. I had $27 and Connie had $75 and we back easily after 40 minutes in line on the bridge.(I hate sitting on any of the bridges over the river even though they are double inspected by both countries and are perfectly safe)