Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Canadian Border Patrol Horror Stories

Canadian Border Patrol Horror Stories

For the past two summers I have driven my car up to Vancouver to leave at my aunts (a Canadian citizen) house for the summer as I fly back home. I got stopped by the first guy who questioned my boxes of bedding and school supplies in the back. Got sent to secondary when an even more mean and rude guy questioned me, searched my car, and made me sit in a freezing cold room. I had my phone so I was texting and calling parents for help and advice. When the CBSA came back in he asked for my phone and then proceeded to read through my texts without my consent. He told me if I wanted to leave my car I would have to import it, which I had no way of doing. So he sent me back to the US (I was bawling at this point). I had no idea what to do and was basically stranded. He showed not an ounce of care and didn't even let me call my parents again to explain what was happening. I tried my best to cooperate but still feel I was treated unfair.
—Guest CollegeGirl

Returning to Canada

As a Canadian citizen I must say my experience with border employees has been fairly decent, up until today that is. My family and I were simply returning home from Taylor, Michigan where we bought some groceries and a bracelet for my sister. Upon our return, we went through the Nexus lane because we are trusted travelers. Once we approached the window, the woman in the booth greeted us with a scowl. She was exceptionally impolite to begin with, and when she asked my father what we had bought, she snatched the receipts from his hand and slammed the window shut before he could finish. Eventually, she reopened the window and lectured him like he was beneath her. She claimed he should have said he had purchased alcohol, yet she gave him no opening to do so. Moreover, I felt she was a bully and belittled us. Furthermore, she forced us to pay the duty on the beer my father had purchased. All in all, this experience at the border was an awful one, and I expected more out of the border employ
—Guest Bullied Beaver

Denied on the 26th trip?

My son, and i I were crossing the border into Canada for a sports tournament. My son plays in a Canadian league and practices and playsevery other weekend he crosses to practice. We live 15miles from the border. I have a passport and my son has wash enhanced drivers licenses. Never a problem other than where are you going and why? We arrived late at night , I noticed that they were pulling every car into the lot where your car is searched and you are questioned because my son had a car accident over 5 years ago and was under 21 and not cited for any alcohol offense. No probation nothing but a single car accident. Border patrol person decided that we were not entering into Canada, because SHE I interpeted the law differently from the other 26 times in one year and. was being refused! And she was thrilled to add that he would be detained and charged if he ever tried to cross again.he had all paperwork to prove it in case there were any questions. Do we have any recourse?
—Guest Mom55

You Don't Even Know-Toronto Story

CBSA has no oversight agency to monitor the conduct of the main source of the problem, it's management. Officers are bullied, harassed, threatened and more often than not, its swept away under the rug. Did you know a Superintendent commited suicide in Ontario with his CBSA issued firearm? CBSA is one of the worst to comply with info requests. It is one of the worst agencies to work for in Canada. Ask yourselves...why is CBSA never in any "scandals", and when they are, they are minor, or disappear quickly? How dilligent do you really think officers are when they are pissed off, and frustrated and afraid of managers? How protected do you really believe you are? Its worse than you think. Be glad you only have to deal with them for 90 seconds at a time.
—FJHopeful

Dumb questions

We left Canada at 2:30pm on a Friday (going to the States) and returned around the same time on Sunday. The border agent (Canada) asked if we could prove when we originally crossed into the US. Ummm, no. How are we supposed to prove that? They can easily find out that information, but this moronic agent told us we need to buy something at the duty free before we cross the border so that we can prove when we crossed. Huh? Who is he to tell us when or what we should or should not buy? That is ridiculous. He then asked to see our hotel bill, which we did not get one because we had booked through Expedia. We offered to show him our Expedia invoice but that wasn't good enough. Not even sure what good the hotel bill would have done given that it doesn't show what time you crossed the border! What a jerk. Maybe we should start asking for time-stamped receipts from the US border agency when we cross. Unbelievable.
—Guest Annoyed

Treated like a criminal

I was crossing over from wa to bc and was stopped and asked to pull over, ok fine no biggie. Standard procedure, I can live with this. I got inside while they searched my car and was denied bathroom access . Then learned I was going to be treated like a criminal . I was told up stand up and spread em, was searched and had to empty my pockets in fromt of many pople as they watvhed on ,they started searching my iPhone. The guy yelled out that he was looking for child porn and and drug evidence . I was Belittled , harassed , and stripped of any rights. Treated like an animal. CAnada is not yor leisure travel and should be avoided,it is not a free country. Coming back over the us border I never felt any more at home.
—Guest Todd

moneyyyyy

i can understand the US border giving you the third degree with questions and hard time because of drugs and muslims hell bent in destroying americans but when coming back to canada, most of the questions seem to pertain to what i bought and how much i should pay in taxes.
—Guest hockeyhomo

denied

I went to visit canada with my wife for the weekend for our annivesary had two 500 dollar night hotels booked and got denied and interagated cause I had a dwi 7 years ago. Wasted 3 hours of my day plus 5 hours of driving back to seattle
—Guest B

I pity the CBS agent

Perfect example of humanity at its lowest... Sarcastically quizzed me about my purchases and made a big deal about a pair of shoes in the trunk. Sent me off to have my car searched and laughed at my crying baby as we left.
—Guest Angry

Question what do I have to do to enter u

So this is my question..12 years ago I got into trouble for stealing 300 dollars from a employer and I was issued 6 months house arrest. Being very young and stupid I thought I was bullet proof and decided to cross the border for food. They ended up finding out and I was denied and a paper was sent to my home saying I owed 5000 us!! Do you think I could be allowed in the us? What can they do to me
—Guest Angela

nightmares

I have been traveling a lot in my life. I noticed Canadian customs is really rude to immigrants or non Canadian born people. They try to impose tariffs on anything they can. What a pitiful system...even charged my friend 7 dollars for duty. Seriously, do I have to dress like a bum every time I return to Canada? I can't bring or wear anything with name brands just because they will accuse you of buying the items overseas. I've never seen any country treat it's citizens like this. Funny thing, they treat my bf completely different just because he's Caucasian and I am Asian. I feel like a second rate citizen living in Vancouver. We are not criminals and shouldn't be treated as such.
—Guest Cathy

You have no idea

While most of you whine and complain about the "rudeness" of border guards, I'm sure some of truth of what is REALLY some of the problems you don't see, may shock you but I'm sure you'll pretend it's not true. The problem is the blatant moral corruption by members of management. Blatant racism by managers, sexual misconduct, violations of policy and legislation, perjury, falsifying records and notes, favouritism, bullying, and NO oversight agency like every other law enforcement agency in Canada. So while you're pissed that you have to pay taxes on your 20.00 shoes, and don't get a Walmart greeting because you get bashed by the public and management, then maybe you may get why. Don't believe me? Look up "ATIP" and see how non compliant the agency is, that of 53 government departments serveyed, only corrections officers are more disgruntled. CBSA ranked 52 of 53. Start really asking what your border guards do, and why CBSA operates with no one to answer to. Start asking questions..
—Guest Whinyliberal

border crossing

lately I've been stopped at the border and refused entry for an incident that happened 37 years ago. I really don't understand why minor charge that I don't even remember what it was would cause them to do this. I have been going back and forth for the last 35 years without a problem. In the last 8 years I've crossing the border at least 25 times a year. People say it has to do with Harper and bill 178! Others say it's Obama laying off border crossing guards. I just don't think this is fair especially when we have helped the usa out so many times with their difficulties. Now there is a price to pay instead of it being a priviledge to us canadians and americans and a service to us all. I feel that were being treated like terrorists. This is not right. I don't think that this will help the economy by turning back our neighbors who hae been with us all along. One thing for sure, it will make one hell of a mess for the next president to clean up just like the one they have left for Obama.
—anthonyy2

VERY BAD

the regulations are extremely vague and open for the officers interpretation. Each officer is given the power to use their own discretion and most of them want to keep people with minor convictions to enter Canada. It is the ultimate power trip for them.
—Guest Pj

Business Travel

The last few trips to Canada, the Canadian agent said I needed a letter of introduction and a written invitation from the company I planned to see. Is this true?
—Guest Larry


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