Meeting an ATS Friend - Crossing the border from Canada to the USA - I've never been so hassled

Reading stuff like this makes me hope the world does end on 12-21-12. It is time to put a stop to all this. It is only going to get worse. At some point they will be stopping on the road in the middle of town just to take your car apart like this for little or no reason. Stop the world I want off.

Originally posted by verylowfrequency
I'm sorry that our servants are not representing our wishes any longer. Eventually we hope to bring peace & tranquility back to America, but for the moment it is not so.

All I can suggest is to tell them what they want to hear even if it is not the exact truth. As long as they see what they want to see & hear what they want to hear they will wave you along. You need to program them as you see fit to get the results you want. They don't think, they follow their training.

Just like they train & practice, you need to do the same.

Best answer yet.

Honestly, did you intend to go through this just so you could write it up? Not to be nasty. It's just that giving answers that put the weak-minded on alert--never mind carrying a Leatherman--seems like so NOT the way to get the smooth treatment.

I'd have just said "These are NOT the 'droids you're looking for" and left it at that....

reply to post by Ex_CT2


Lets just say - I'm going to practice tactical dishonesty from now on at the border.

I'll be practicing my Jedi mind tricks as well.

*Waves a hand* These are not the ATS'ers you're looking for.

Are Leatherman's illegal to carry?

*Raises hand*


I was the "internet friend" that Gradius was coming to meet, and I feel that his hassle at the border was partially my fault.

I didn't expect that a few hour meeting and some lunch would turn into a whole world of hassle.


DHS


Next time, I'm going to Canada instead, and when the border patrol agents give me grief upon reentering the US, I have quite a few backhanded, but truthful remarks to use in case they ask me such dumbass questions.



Land the Free, and Home of the Brave my behind. It's more like Land of the Slave, and Home of the Scared.

/rant


The burgers were to die for, we got souvenir beer glasses, and it was a blast!

~~~

In all seriousness, I find these border stories troublesome to say the least. Years ago it was nothing to go to the Canadian side of the Falls for the day, have something to eat, go see a show, and come back that evening, hassle-free. What should have been a quick 30 second interview turned into 40 minutes of bullcrap for Gradius, and I apologize for that.


reply to post by facelift

You got what you gave - ignorance...out of all the answers you could have given, you chose the ones that made it most difficult - kinda like you wanted the hassle.

Would you rather him be dishonest about what his reason for visiting the US was? I don't find the answers he gave as ignorance at all, but then again, I'm not an LEO or a BP Officer.




reply to post by Ex_CT2

Honestly, did you intend to go through this just so you could write it up?

Nope. He was coming to meet me for lunch!

I'd have just said "These are NOT the 'droids you're looking for" and left it at that....

hehehehe.....



Anyway, what happened was crap, and the US is wondering why it's losing tourism dollars at all these great locales. If your arse is puckered up tighter than a drum head, there is always going to be a financial hit for these border cities....Makes me ashamed to even have Niagara Falls in my "backyard."

*sigh*





Peace be with you.

-truthseeker

Originally posted by Gradius Maximus
reply to post by Ex_CT2

 

...

Are Leatherman's illegal to carry?

edit on 31-5-2011 by Gradius Maximus because: (no reason given)

No, they're not. I'm just saying that, to the already-suspicious, it'd be just enough to put 'em over the edge. That was the point I was trying to make: That, all-in-all, it was just the worst combination of answers and actions that brought on the problem.

I don't find ANYTHING weird about meeting a friend you've never met in person.
I've met internet friends the same way, and I've got a couple of friends in Canada that I know have met mutual friends in NYC. Not long ago one friend wanted to meet up. I don't typically meet up with folks anymore because I don't want to leave my home anymore unless I have to.

At least you didn't have a laptop or something that they took from you.

When I used to go to Canada they'd ask us where we were going on the way in and tell us to have a good trip. On the way out "Where are you from and where are you going and do you have anything you need to declare?"

I figure I am pretty much trapped inside the USA now, because I know me, and if they asked me some of those questions, I'd say "None of your business." (Even though, I guess, in a way, it IS their business, lol, it would tick me off, so I best just stay put...which is why I AM staying put.)

The border can be crappy crossing both ways really. When I lived in the US(born and raised there, lived there 27 years), I visited Canada at least once a year. I have had the strip search the car treatment going both ways, and I am talking the works... Panels popped off of doors and everything. It is insane they can do that then not help put it back together. I always drove the beater when I went to Canada, no way I was taking a nice car to risk getting manhandled.

And a leatherman is certainly not illegal, I always have one on my belt, this one has crossed the border quite a few times

Well, on behalf of all Americans, I would like to apologize for they way you were treated. However, from a non-involved party, you gotta see how it kinda looks that you're goin' to lunch with a friend you'd never met before. lol I read that and almost peed laughin'. Could've, kinda, sorta given the wrong impression. lol But I'm still sorry for how you were hassled.

reply to post by Gradius Maximus


How did it come to this?

Well while most Americans were busy watching Dancing with the stars, reading Twilight novels, and yaking endlessly on their cell phones while not reading "The Losing of America" and "Give Me Liberty" by Naomi Wolf, not watching the House and Senate Channels and keeping track of how their reps were voting, etc.

Freedom doesn't come free and we are no longer a free country...............welcome to the New World Order.

Last time I went to Canada it was totally different, the guard asked us, 'Why are you coming here" we said, "We're on our honeymoon and camping through Canada" and he waved us through and wished us a happy honeymoon and long happy marriage.

Boy times have changed haven't they...................and we the people are to blame, we stood by with our fingers in our ears and just took our freedom forgranted.

My pug use to say to me, yes he could talk (Pugish) "You snooze, you lose".............He also said, "Move it or lose it".

Max was a wise pug, called it like he saw it.

reply to post by TKDRL


A star for your post and troubles.

My reaction

Wow, 37 years ago and they just waved us through with a friendly smile..............now this.

Unless the people rebel it will only get worse.

TPTB aren't even afraid to hide the tyranny any longer.

Mankind never learns from his past mistakes, he just keeps repeating history over and over again.

Well see now? If you were Mexican and came from Mexico, it would be a walk in the park. Hell, they'd probably buy you lunch and write you your first welfare check right the on the spot. Welcome to the new police state; where everybody's a suspect.

reply to post by hadriana


A star for your post and while it's not really funny I was LMAO

I figure I am pretty much trapped inside the USA now, because I know me, and if they asked me some of those questions, I'd say "None of your business." (Even though, I guess, in a way, it IS their business, lol, it would tick me off, so I best just stay put...which is why I AM staying put.)

And now with the scanners and TSA groping (I'de slap their hands away and really get in trouble) I would pretty much stay put and that is exactly what they want............they are controlling the movement of people by making it so difficult to travel...........that is exactly what they (whoever they are) doing.

Like corralling cattle before sending them into the slaughter house.

reply to post by ofhumandescent


That's how it was most of the time for me up until about 5 years ago, both ways. I kind of stood out due to my looks when I was searched though I guess. Some of the time I looked like the typical biker gang hells angels type. The rest of the time I had a huge red mowhawk

reply to post by SpaceJockey1


A star for your post, boy you got that right..........he'de still be somewhere dark and deep being "interrogated".

Ill never go back to the States.

not because of your story but because we need a passport to cross the border since 9/11.
I have my passport, its not a problem. The problem is more regarding the false assumptions that terrorists went threw the border back in 2000 and accused Canada of harboring terrorists, wich is an hypocrites lie.

Originally posted by syrinx high priest

Originally posted by Gradius Maximus
reply to post by syrinx high priest

 

I gave the name - but I'm not posting it on ATS for privacy reasons,

They had all the information they needed - They didnt like that I was in a borrowed car, from a far away province, meeting someone from the internet, and just coming for a few hours.

They were over the top - Welcome to the police state.

I would have danced - but I didnt want to get body slammed.

-GM

oh, ok, I must have missed that part. yeah, I have to say I went to school in rochester in the 80's, we used to go to the bars in canada, and I have to say I don't remember being asked more than 2 or 3 questions.

I also remember having a curfew of "when it gets dark" when I was 7 years old. I'd ride my bike 2 miles to the gas station to buy baseball cards and pixie sticks.

we just don't live in that world anymore. really sad

Did you play "kick the can"? I remember doing the same things...kids used actually go outside and "play". I couldn't wait to get out of the house! Back then, pot was a taboo drug. I'm truly saddened with the direction this country has gone in. We've got the worst of both political parties: The extreme conservative police state and the morally corrupt liberal mentality. I'd give anything to go back to simpler times.

reply to post by eagleeye2


You need a passport both ways now. My sister has to get a passport to enter into canada as well. As for lies about them coming in through canada, possibly you are right.

reply to post by Gradius Maximus


First of all...I am more interested in the fact that people are meeting up, for real, with people they don't actually know from a forum full of some of the most cautious people I have ever seen. I mean...people here are even reluctant to say which general county they live in while commenting in an earthquake disaster thread.

What is the chain of events which leads to such a meeting between two strangers from a forum such as this?



Second...I am so sorry that you had to go through that, and I am glad that you finally got to meet up with your friend and have lunch.

i am canadian and really pissed off at the passport thing, last time i went to the states was the first time i was grilled hard as it was the first time i went back with a new passport with stamps from countries i visited in winter break i.e turkey and pakistan.

bp flips through passport and asked why i went to turkey

i say vacation

bp: who goes to turkey for vacation

i say the europeans who declared istanbul as europe cultural city of 2010

gives me hard time on pakistan (incident took place in april)

i answer his questions and lets me go before asking where i was born, i said toronto, but u already knew that since u had my passport

time at the border 15 mins

thinking about it now, im happy he didnt detain me for my smart ass comments

it was easier when i could just show them my wallet form birth certificate

I had a problem coming across the same bridge. My friend picked me up in Canada to record a demo for his band in the states. Long story short. They put me in this tiny interrogation room while I watched them search the van for an hour. They left the van's backdoor open the whole time and snow was pouring in all over my 16 track digital recorder (horrible ice storm that day).