" Missouri mule ".

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That really sucks.

Forget those schmucks, Robin. They're dicks.

You're contributing to the BC/Canadian economy by getting those breadsticks. You should have gotten a pizza, though. The Canadian dollar sucks these days.

But DON'T get gas there!

My older brother is a customs & immigrations officer at the border here. It's their job to keep people out of Canada who they suspect are coming here to abuse immigration policies just the same as it is US Customs' job to keep people out of the USA. If people can't prove they have a source of funds to support themselves and a home/job to return to in the USA then they're typically considered a pretty high risk for coming into Canada and working illegally, or just staying here homeless, possibly here to abuse our hospitals & healthcare system and then never pay the bill they're issued etc.

If I head South to the US border and tell them I'm on my way to California for a vacation they ask for proof that I can pay for my trip & return home etc, cash/accounts and so on, and ask what my job is back home, where I live etc.. the American side is FAR MORE picky when it comes to those things, too. Their unofficial policy is "Keep people out." (of the USA) But once they're satisfied that I'm just a tourist coming to spend money & return home then they'll let me go ahead.

If I were in your shoes I would point out that my only source of income is from gov't aid in the USA and you've gotta be there to collect it, no? Also, tell them you're a writer and thought the change of scenery for a day might be inspirational. Another thing that would help is if you have a document proving you're on a waiting list for subsidized housing in the USA - a reason to return. I'm curious what satisfied them that you weren't going to overstay your welcome and they let ya come in? Some real dick officers may not have allowed you in. Oh, and one more thing I would point out is that if you were going to come here and attempt to stay you wouldn't bother driving through their roadblock.. there's plenty of unprotected border to simply walk across and they know it. Use that knowledge. Tell them you're a legitimate traveler here for a quick visit, and if you weren't you'd have simply waited until dark and walked across a field a few miles away. Seriously. They'll stop and think for a second and realize you're just some dude who's making a day trip since you're so close.

Sounds like you crossed at the 264th street crossing. That's 112 blocks East & 61 blocks South of home base for me. I'm about 10 miles from the Blaine border crossing.

I understand it's their job. And I understand the Americans are usually more "dickish" than the Canadians.

But still...you can treat a person decently......

I've been dicked around by AMERICAN customs people, too LOL

Did they not?

Were they rude and called him names?

Or did they just do their job and he was offended by it?

Their job is to interview everyone and assess whether they're admissible to Canada or not, whether they're a threat to our security or economy etc just the same as any other Customs & Immigration officers the world over.

It's really not difficult to connect the dots and realize why they would be overly skeptical of someone with no fixed address in the USA visiting Canada for a day trip and would ask a lot of questions before determining that he's a legitimate visitor with no intention of overstaying his welcome here. There are a lot of people who's game plan it would be to get North of the border and then simply stay here.

I understand they're doing their jobs, and that they must be vigilant----but there is a certain nastiness in their manner, usually. One can be vigilant and friendly---don't you think?

I sense that they might have singled out Robin because his car looked like a "homeless car" or something. Robin himself probably doesn't look "homeless."

My wife is one who tends to mouth off a little too much. I just shut up and go about my business. I am not an advocate of being stupid and mouthing off to cops and such.

I work in the NYC courts. I work around a lot of cops. I'm buddies with some of them. I am not anti-law enforcement.

They can't have an endless conversation all day about what RR's intentions are on entering the country. They have a certain # of people they need to move through or turn back and a homeless person is not desired in Canada. The agent COULD have turned RR back, you know.

I think it was the CAR which raised red flags, not HIM.

Of course that's exactly why they singled him out. It's their job to single people out who they think are potentially illegitimate travellers. I'm guessing this had Robin rather upset and that reaction didn't help things go smoothly. If he just remained super chill and calm and just went through the interview/inspection process then maybe it'd have gone quicker and smoother.

Also, officers are human, too. Some of them, even Canadian ones, can be rude. I know that sometimes my brother has to tell his coworkers to simmer down and treat travellers with respect. Not every officer has the ability to vary their level of aggression appropriately - just like Aspies expressing "inappropriate," attitudes in social situations. Some officers have only two modes.. happy, and rude/aggressive, and need to learn to have a more middle ground approach of firmness & fairness.

For the most part, though, Canada Customs officers have a reputation for being very friendly & American Border guards have a reputation for being total jerks in comparison. This is largely because virtually every American officer starts their career on the Mexican border where their mission is to keep people out who want to come and stay in America. They have to completely relearn their job on the Northern border as Canadians typically have no interest in staying in the US. We just come to go shopping & save money, and go home.

Both. Officers don't have tunnel vision and pick one tiny aspect that raises a red flag. It was likely the whole package.

I just don't sense that sort of thing with Robin.

He's an articulate fellow. And I believe he dresses okay, too.

If he has a Trini accent---maybe.

They let him into the country, didn't they?

They must have been satisfied with his answers and accepted that he was just a visitor.

Still, regardless of what you or your car look like, if you have no fixed address & no job etc anchoring you to the USA then they're going to be suspicious of your reasons to enter Canada, simple as that. Even more so if your and/or your car's appearance suggest homelessness. I don't think it's unreasonable AT ALL that they'd give him the third degree in terms of interview questions before allowing him to cross the border. That's just life when you're in that situation. No sense in getting all worked up about it, really. It should just be an expected process. Go through it, then visit Canada, take a drive wherever, do whatever you feel like, and return home to the USA later. Instead he let it piss him off and had a less than 15 minute visit.

Everything went smooth at the border. The customs agent never saw me get pissed; that happened when I drove towards Aldergrove. The car did raise red flags because I keep blankets and toiletries in the trunk; the rest of the car is spotless, though. You'd never know I was homeless simply by looking in through the windows.

This was my 2nd trip to Canada. About 10-12 years ago I drove to Montreal. Again, I waited in customs while they went through my car. It was a cool wait, too, because I was in customs with Parliament-Funkadelic who were scheduled to perform in Montreal that night.

BTW, what got me through to the Aldergrove Crossing is because I keep my subsidized housing waitlist approval mails in my car.

Flashlight! Parliament-Funkadelic.

...My USPS address here, and the address on my ID, even when I was in San Francisco, is the homeless mail drop at the HSC - which, as a written address, looks like a " normal" address. Granted, people HERE recognize it as the HL address...Now, maybe I'm not showing enough " hobo pride "in " masquerading " ...

There ya go - those documents helped.

Another thing that would help is if you were planning on visiting anyone here and had proof of it. ie, If you were going to come for a day trip and planned ahead to meet up with me, grab a coffee, do some sight seeing, check out the beach I hang out at etc and had a printout of our conversation then they'd be like "You guys are weird, but okay, go visit your internet acquaintance & have a nice day."

In Mississippi and North Dakota, no way would they charge you 2000/mo for a studio. Its only so expensive because its California, that I promise.