I am not happy with Canada

[Stopsignhank]

Every year for our anniversary my wife and I take a weekend trip. This year we decided to go to Calgary. When we went through customs they said we had to go through a secondary screening and were sent to this large bare room with 30 unhappy looking people. They took our passports and told us to sit, we were in line after all the other people. While we were sitting there we saw; one guy lead off in hand cuffs, one guy was on his phone and one of the guys in the bullet proof vest started reading him the riot act for taking a video in there, people were being interrogated "Why are you lying to me, you said......" two separate people had their suitcases emptied and everything looked through. Then the drug sniffing dog came in. My wife asked how the dog will tell them when it smells drugs, I said 'It sits down, just like it is now." Luckily we ate on the plane because there were no vending machines in there. There was note on the door to the bathroom that said we had to check in with the guy in the bullet proof vest at the front to use the bathroom.

After 2 1/2 hours they called our name. We went up to the window and we were lucky because we got a nice one. She asked us what we did for a living, what we were doing in Calgary. Then she said, that it was odd that someone was only in town for 4 days for a personal trip, usually when people are there for 4 days they are on a business trip. So we are free to go. We then got to go through a series of doors that was just like the doors on the show Get Smart. One door would close then the next one would open.

When my wife and I were talking later I thought, WTF, they detained us and threw us in a dungeon because we said we were going on a personal trip for 4 days. What does it really matter if we said we were on a business trip or a personal trip? It just got the trip off to a bad start. Then the rental car we got had a cracked windshield, I did not want to go back and get a new car because I just wanted to get the hell away from there. We also had problems getting a hold of the people from VRBO for our rental house. So even though it was only 2 1/2 hours it pretty much screwed up the trip.

Luckily Banff was just gorgeous.

TLDR; I got thrown in Canada customs dungeon because someone did not believe we would fly in for the weekend.

 

[Newbian]

They know about your illegal maple syrup smuggling.

 

[ImpulsE69]

Welcome to the rest of the world.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Inter-country flying/travel in general is hell now. Just watching shows like Border Patrol makes me never want to do international travel. Even if you think you got your ducks in a row, they'll find something they don't like, like prescription drugs.

But yeah oddly enough they are quite strict here at the border. But if you just cross illegally you get free housing, food, welfare, health care etc.

 

[Iron Woode]

that is just par for the course now.

It happened to me when my friend and I came back from Port Huron. They went through the car as well. Meh.

It also happens when going to the States, too. In fact this guy I knew ended up detained at the border because he was being an immature idiot. He has no concept of appropriate behaviour. He was then denied entry to the States. I LOL'd. He deserved it.

 

[trungma]

On the behalf of Canada, I am sorry.

 

[rh71]

My parents just arrived in Calgary on Friday without issue. They are staying for a couple weeks with relatives though. I think with all the construction there, they frequently crack windshields. Happened to my cousin a few years back driving her car ahead of us and her windshield cracked from debris and some glass went flying into her son in the passenger seat - pretty dangerous. Banff is gorgeous indeed.

 

[sandorski]

We'll send Justin to fix it.

 

[MixMasterTang]

I'm an American living in Australia currently and have been to 26 countries. Canada without a doubt is the worst when it comes to getting in (and actually going out). The UK has long lines and Honduras is incredibly slow but I'd rather suffer through long or slow lines than deal with Canadian border patrol again! And I'm not basing that on a single trip, the last 5 trips to Canada have all been painful - but I was there for work so that's probably why. I had all the appropriate letters of authorization, letters from our corporate lawyers, etc. but they want me to specifically point out in a 200 page contract what I will be doing!

 

[Exterous]

Hmmm....point of entry must matter a fair bit. I've never had problems at the boarder crossing in Detroit - even with our 45 minute visit to get our car from the Windsor airport. One of these days we'll probably take a 4 day trip to Calgary so it'll be interesting to see what happens then

 

[Perknose]

Well, OP, that'll teach you not to attempt a border crossing in assless chaps.

 

[Perknose]

In fact this guy I knew ended up detained at the border because he was being an immature idiot. He has no concept of appropriate behaviour. He was then denied entry to the States. I LOL'd. He deserved it.

Just curious . . . what's his username here?

 

[pete6032]

Inter-country flying/travel in general is hell now. Just watching shows like Border Patrol makes me never want to do international travel. Even if you think you got your ducks in a row, they'll find something they don't like, like prescription drugs.

But yeah oddly enough they are quite strict here at the border. But if you just cross illegally you get free housing, food, welfare, health care etc.

When was the last time you traveled internationally?

 

[Iron Woode]

Just curious . . . what's his username here?

LOL

this happened way back in 1991.

 

[Linflas]

LOL

this happened way back in 1991.

We used to cross a couple times a year back in that time period and it was amazingly easy. My wife is from Montreal and one summer when we were returning from Montreal crossing at 1000 Islands my wife realized that she did not have her green card with her. The US Customs guy was very nice about it and joked with her when she told him, her VA drivers license was enough for him to let us through.

 

[Red Squirrel]

When was the last time you traveled internationally?

Only did once and have no intention to again based on all the stories I hear/see. Though I kinda want to go to Cuba or something one of these days since I've never been to a hot spot or seen the ocean. Overall not really a huge fan of travel though. When I did go to the states it was through a bus tour service though so the border was not so bad. Oddly enough going through the US was easy, but coming back into Canada they treated us like criminals. We had to get off the bus and they had sniffer dogs and everything and charged everyone for anything they bought in the states. We got warned about that so I avoided buying anything and made sure any drinks/food I bought were finished and that I disposed of any evidence in a garbage somewhere at a stop. There seems to be a big taboo about bringing food or product to a different country - even back to your own.

 

[SKORPI0]

 

[Red Squirrel]

Can confirm -40C. Even seen -50C. Can also confirm that it is indeed cold. At -50 cars make really weird noises.

 

[Thebobo]

Friends and I were driving to Alaska up the alcan and we picked an obscure crossover in Montana because we had some contraband. We had wrapped it in aluminum foil plastic and lots of pepper and pushed it deep in part of the rusted frame, old 67 dodge van. We were all scruffy teenager long hairs and the border guys had a lot of fun with us until they found our playboys and spent most of the time going through them. We made it through and the long strange trip continued.

Here we are the famous sign stop - think they tore it down

 

[zinfamous]

We'll send Justin to fix it.

Bieber or the other one?

 

[FeuerFrei]

sorry to hear your experience and wish you have a better anniversary trip next year

Uh oh. Thread has been spotted by Canada's internet patrol.

Reminds me: I once raised a question here about .... a nation I can't recall ... and some noob, from said nation, conveniently showed up very promptly to explain things to me.
I, of course, thanked them for their helpfulness.

 

[Iron Woode]

Canada also has North America's largest and busiest highway: Highway 401.

 

[Stopsignhank]

So I have learned never to smuggle syrup while wearing assless chaps.

I will tell you the Canadians I met in there were not happy people. Far from it as a matter of fact.

I was amazed at how much construction there was up there. We stayed at a place that was crazy. There are all these little houses (less than 1,000 square feet) built right on top of each other. One in the area is for sale for 635K. The place we are in has a view of Ghost Lake (really a reservoir). At least until someone buys the lot in front of them for 765K, and then builds their own tiny house. In the living room there was only enough room for a love seat, no other seating. The bedroom was upstairs and they did not have any curtains, only some sheer window coverings. It was 10:30 at night and I was reading in bed without needing a light and the sun rose about 5:00. My wife and I were sleeping literally elbow to elbow because the bed was so small.

Did I mention that Banff was gorgeous? Good thing because this trip was an adventure.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Inter-country flying/travel in general is hell now. Just watching shows like Border Patrol makes me never want to do international travel. Even if you think you got your ducks in a row, they'll find something they don't like, like prescription drugs.

But yeah oddly enough they are quite strict here at the border. But if you just cross illegally you get free housing, food, welfare, health care etc.

Please define 'now'. My last inter-country travel was late December 2014 and I had zero issues in either direction. This OP experience doesn't make me want to go to Canada anytime soon. I guess I'll spend my money on friendlier nations.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Basically post 9/11. That's when everything went to shit. The terrorists have won by turning our governments against us.