Border Crossing Delays - Reasons?

[borg1of2]

I read in a lot of posts this year to be aware of long delays, 3 Hours plus, crossing the border. When we did this in 2005 I just don't recall any major delay. So, my question is there just more increased traffic or was there construction this year that caused the additional delays.

 

Are the buses delayed as well, or do they bypass the lines for car traffic.

 

We are going next July and thinking about the planning and amount of time we'll be spending to get there. It's the day before the cruise, so no real worry, just curious.

 

TIA

[scottbee]

I read in a lot of posts this year to be aware of long delays, 3 Hours plus, crossing the border. When we did this in 2005 I just don't recall any major delay. So, my question is there just more increased traffic or was there construction this year that caused the additional delays.

 

Are the buses delayed as well, or do they bypass the lines for car traffic.

 

We are going next July and thinking about the planning and amount of time we'll be spending to get there. It's the day before the cruise, so no real worry, just curious.

 

it really depends when you cross. Long weekends are almost always bad. (3+ plus isn't unusual). If you cross early in the morning (before noon), it's rarely bad.

 

And yes, there was serious construction at both crossings, but the big one was at Peace Arch, the USA side went under major renos, and reduced the number of lanes.

 

there are a few generalizations (not always true, but 75% true)

 

1) It takes longer to enter the US than to enter Canada.

2) It takes longer to cross at the Douglas (Peace Arch) crossing versus the Pacific Highway (Truck) crossing. Make the extra effort to go 1 mile out of your way, and you'll save yourself a bunch of time (I'm assuming you're talking Vancouver-Seattle trips here)

[Putterdude]

Are the buses delayed as well, or do they bypass the lines for car traffic.

 

I crossed the border in either direction the weekend before last and the wait times were about 90 mins in either direction but waits of up to 3 hrs are not unheard of on holiday weekends.

Buses do use the Pacific Hwy (truck crossing)crossing just east of the Douglas/Blaine (Peace Arch) crossing and use a dedicated lane for clearing customs. The time to clear a bus can range from minutes to an hour or more depending upon volumes and security levels. A lot of cruisers find it very time efficient to use Amtrak. Here is a link for your convenience:

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/Schedules_Page

[Ephraim]

Here in Montreal, we often see waits of two to three hours going to the US and about 15 minutes coming back to Canada. The reason? Each year it is getting harder and harder to cross the border into the US. Feeling mroe and more unwelcome for a visit in spite the fact that we are law abiding citizens, come with our passports are gainfully employed and are just going over for a few days for a visit.

 

We get asked stranger and stranger questions all the time when we cross. The latest has been to name the stores in a mall that we are going to and the items that we may purchase. Makes us feel quite unwelcome as visitors, to be truthful, but I don't know how others feel.

[Sally Forth]

A big part of it is that our dollar is now close to par and our economy is really strong, especially in BC. People who wouldn't normally go shopping in the US want to check it out.

 

I'm glad you brought up the part about the kind of questions the border officials are asking. Last weekend, I had a load of out-of-province visitors who had never been to Seattle and my husband had the rest in the car behind us. When the border guard asked where we were going, I said "Shopping and sightseeing." Then the guard said, "What stores?" My friend said "Old Navy for the boys." The guard made a buzzer sound like we'd failed on a game show and said, "Wrong! You've got that store in Canada!" We were quite put off.

 

I really wanted to say, "Okay, we'll go back home, cancel our three rooms at $200 a night, cancel our dinners out, cancel our planned Seattle underground tour, cancel our trip to the Aquarium, and just spend all that money in Canada."

 

I understand that they have to increase security, but they could word their questions so they aren't as offensive. He made me feel like an idiot for wanting to take our guests to the US. The chambers of commerce in border towns like Buffalo and Bellingham should take note.

 

Viv

[Sprucetree]

Sally and Ephraim, I understand why you feel as you do, but as a citizen of the U.S., I'm glad to hear they are being so careful at the US border crossings.

 

We're coming upon the 7th anniversary of September 11th. There are ads on TV now for programs that will be shown on September 11th this year. I don't know about others, but it makes me feel sad all over again to think about what happened.

 

I feel it's good that they are being so careful. Please don't take it personally when they ask questions about stores. That's so minor.

[Putterdude]

Sally and Ephraim, I understand why you feel as you do, but as a citizen of the U.S., I'm glad to hear they are being so careful at the US border crossings.

 

We're coming upon the 7th anniversary of September 11th. There are ads on TV now for programs that will be shown on September 11th this year. I don't know about others, but it makes me feel sad all over again to think about what happened.

 

I feel it's good that they are being so careful. Please don't take it personally when they ask questions about stores. That's so minor.

 

I have not idea how much you cross back and forth from Canada and US but as a person who does so frequently I will tell that while most of the US customs officer are very nice polite people, there is a significant number who are nothing short of rude, over step what is necessary and accomplish nothing but annoy and upset otherise nice law abiding Canadian citiizens. Last fall I ran into one who started a line of questioning where it became evident he heading down the wrong road and didn't know how to bail himself out but in the process became extremely rude to me and my wife. This is not necessary and these are the people we object to. Trust me if Canadian customs officers treated American visitors like some of your officers treat Canadian visitors you would be extremely upset.

[borg1of2]

Thanks for the help on my question. I like to ask a follow-up if I may.

 

Regarding the train. Unfortunately it is not an option for me based on my schedule and intention to spend the night before my cruise in Vancouver instead of Seattle.

 

I also appreciate the information about the truck crossing. Are cars allowed through this crossing? Your comments seem to imply, but I wanted to make sure.

[Sally Forth]

Sally and Ephraim, I understand why you feel as you do, but as a citizen of the U.S., I'm glad to hear they are being so careful at the US border crossings.

 

We're coming upon the 7th anniversary of September 11th. There are ads on TV now for programs that will be shown on September 11th this year. I don't know about others, but it makes me feel sad all over again to think about what happened.

 

I feel it's good that they are being so careful. Please don't take it personally when they ask questions about stores. That's so minor.

 

Oh, I agree with you on legitimate security questions. Believe me, every time I cross the Bluewater Bridge I cringe to think that because it sits between the two countries, ANYBODY could be on that bridge. I have absolutely no problems with asking me anything they want that has to do with security issues. At Seattle ferry terminals, they have explosive sniffing dogs. I wish we had that in Canada. When you travel into the US, you go through radiation detector machines that are so sensitive that they can pick up whether or not you had an xray in the last week. I wish we had those coming into Canada, too.

 

But I'm not talking about security questions and I don't think Ephraim is either. It's the lack of professionalism that we see in the car crossings as opposed to the professionalism at the airport customs. For example, they don't flip through my passport and quiz me on why I've been to Israel or why I went to London twice in one week the way airport customs officers do. They listen to the answers about the shopping and then are quite rude with their follow-ups and actually ask why we don't just stay home and get out of the border lines.

 

And don't suggest that we complain to people in charge. There is NO way I want a notation on my record that I am a troublemaker.

 

Viv

[Urban trekker]

The reason stated by most of you is why I rarely take a trip to US unless it is for a cruise - I got tired of answering some of their questions and when I owned a piece of property in Point Roberts, Wa - a landlocked peninsula accessible only by road for Canada I would go down for the day and receive the usual line of unnecessary questions - the next day I would take my white-haired 80 year old mother with me and the same customs officer would wave us through and this was well before 9/11.

 

Just a thought on this matter.

 

Dennis

[Ephraim]

I'm sorry, but these questions do NOTHING to make the US more secure, they just serve to annoy visitors and try to convince us not to come and spend our money. Since the Canadian dollar has increased in value and our economy is rolling along, we have found prices in the US to be rather advantageous to us. So more Canadians are going to the US for shopping. The border guards seem more intent on getting us to NOT go. Essentially they seem to see us as a nuisance.

 

It's so bad the US consulate and embassy have a section for Canadians to complain about abuses at the border. But you would have to be an idiot to actually complain. The power of the border guards are absolute.

 

I assure you, this has NOTHING to do with 9/11 at all. And Canadians generally aren't trying to "sneak" into the US for illegal immigration. It's more of a "work to rule" thing aimed at getting us to not come and they won't have to work so hard.

[Putterdude]

Thanks for the help on my question. I like to ask a follow-up if I may.

 

Regarding the train. Unfortunately it is not an option for me based on my schedule and intention to spend the night before my cruise in Vancouver instead of Seattle.

 

I also appreciate the information about the truck crossing. Are cars allowed through this crossing? Your comments seem to imply, but I wanted to make sure.

 

Yes cars are permited to use the truck crossing. If you are going to drive allow yourself at least 3 hrs of drive time, a min of 2 hrs at the border and some time to return the car. Depending upon your schedule you might care to drive up to say Mount Vernon or Bellingham that way you can get to the border early in the morning plus save on motel rates.

[Langley Cruisers]

We get asked stranger and stranger questions all the time when we cross. The latest has been to name the stores in a mall that we are going to and the items that we may purchase. Makes us feel quite unwelcome as visitors, to be truthful, but I don't know how others feel.

 

When the border guard asked where we were going, I said "Shopping and sightseeing." Then the guard said, "What stores?" My friend said "Old Navy for the boys." The guard made a buzzer sound like we'd failed on a game show and said, "Wrong! You've got that store in Canada!" We were quite put off.

 

:eek: I have to say I am absolutely gobsmacked that these border patrol officers said these things. We have been crossing for years and years, and have never been treated this way. Have we just been blessed? Did you just happen to come across two really obnoxious officers? I honestly don't know. What in the world is to be gained by asking such questions on the way into the U.S.? Sounds more like what we would be asked on the return trip home by Canadian officers.

 

But I'm shocked. Sorry you had to endure such rude behavior.

[Ephraim]

:eek: I have to say I am absolutely gobsmacked that these border patrol officers said these things. We have been crossing for years and years, and have never been treated this way. Have we just been blessed? Did you just happen to come across two really obnoxious officers? I honestly don't know. What in the world is to be gained by asking such questions on the way into the U.S.? Sounds more like what we would be asked on the return trip home by Canadian officers.

 

But I'm shocked. Sorry you had to endure such rude behaviour.

 

If it was just two... we have had them same experience the last four times we crossed the border and each time has been a different inspector. One asked me if I was leaving anything in the US, I told him that I was mailing a letter to Princess. It was in the envelope, but not sealed. He started to read the letter.... and my jaw dropped! I had never had my privacy so violated before.

[notentirelynormal]

I have not idea how much you cross back and forth from Canada and US but as a person who does so frequently I will tell that while most of the US customs officer are very nice polite people, there is a significant number who are nothing short of rude, over step what is necessary and accomplish nothing but annoy and upset otherise nice law abiding Canadian citiizens. Last fall I ran into one who started a line of questioning where it became evident he heading down the wrong road and didn't know how to bail himself out but in the process became extremely rude to me and my wife. This is not necessary and these are the people we object to. Trust me if Canadian customs officers treated American visitors like some of your officers treat Canadian visitors you would be extremely upset.

 

Just so you know, they do.... I'm a dual citizen. Last time I drove up the Immigration guy demanded to know why I was showing my US passport and not my Canadian one. Then he went into a 5 minute lecture of my being an American ... huh, what business is it of his? Then he explained to me that I was wrong and that I was NOT a dual citizen... um, ok, good to know, I'll turn in my birth certificate. Which country did I now not belong to? It happens, even re-entering Americans get asked the same stupid questions as the Canadians. Last time I entered going South (to California) I said I wanted to hit the mountains before it got dark. He asked, what mountains. I gave him a look that said he was an idiot and he said "what?" .... I said "sorry I thought you would know which mountains. The mountain range in the southern part of Oregon and Northern part of California. :rolleyes: I have been hassled more going north then coming south.

[scottbee]

Actually the single thing that offends me the most; the sign reading

"WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES"

after passing through US pre-clearance in Vancouver.

 

I've written to YVR complaining about it.

[scottbee]

Sally and Ephraim, I understand why you feel as you do, but as a citizen of the U.S., I'm glad to hear they are being so careful at the US border crossings.

 

We're coming upon the 7th anniversary of September 11th. There are ads on TV now for programs that will be shown on September 11th this year. I don't know about others, but it makes me feel sad all over again to think about what happened.

 

I feel it's good that they are being so careful. Please don't take it personally when they ask questions about stores. That's so minor.

 

 

 

No one feels that they're being careful with some of their actions; they're just being rude. Saying "BZZZ you have that store in Canada" is in no way protecting the USA, all it's doing is annoying Canadian visitors.

[Shopinpat]

I do think border patrol on both sides have some problems. The last time we were in Canada the person was so rude I could not wait to get out of the country. Our friends had a terrible experience in Canada the last time they crossed. So whether an agent on either side is having a bad day or not there is not much we can do about it. Try and answer their questions and move on. ONe never knows what has been going on with the agent for the day. Move on!

pat

[Putterdude]

I have in the past crossed the border more than 50 times per year and as a result I am enrolled in the NEXUS program and prior to that the PACE program. Under the NEXUS program (for which you pay to be enrolled) both governments do crim check, you are photographed, finger printed, a retnal scan is taken, they have passport numbers, employment and residence history, you are interviewed by both countries customs officers then issued an electronic card. This card allows the enrollee to use a dedicated lane and enjoy expedited clearance at certain borders crossings. The incident I metioned in the previous post happened exactly 12 days of being renewed in the NEXUS program for a second 5 years and going thru all of the above procedures.

In addtion let me relate another story about the US customs officer who would have each driver get out of the car open their trunk or the back of their SUV and go into each persons luggage and litterly strew the contents all over the trunk or back of the SUV until the luggage was empty. This not only happened DW and me 3 times but to many of our friends who had weekend homes on the island where we used have a place.

Almost any Canadian who crosses the the border on a regular baiss has a horror story about US customs, their lack of professionalisim and their abuse of power it has nothing at all to do with national security, it is a power trip. It is almost a cop gone bad scenario.

[Sally Forth]

I agree. A lady I know has been in Canada for 50 years. She can from Italy and is very proud of the life she'd built in Canada. She and her husband were coming back into Canada and the border guy mocked her accent! Her daughter was in the back seat and insisted they go in to the crossing to complain.

 

Viv

[notentirelynormal]

I also had the PACE card when I lived in Canada. Worth every penny. My point is, a Canadian going south or an American coming north - it makes no difference. There are horror stories to tell on both sides. Of course rudeness is never an option, and yes the have total power. This hasn't changed in my 50+ years. But please, it is not the just American side. Let's be honest, the Canadians have their jerks too. I remember a women who worked the truck crossing.... she was a nasty one. Hated Americans and if you said hello wrong you would be taken inside. It was no secret to the guys inside who sent us in. An example on one time: we were pulled in because we were bringing our household goods into Canada (moving back) and you only get one master list and we had two cars so she reported us for the first car not having proper documentation. Since it would be an impossibility :rolleyes: for both of us to carry the single document ... The guys inside, just said sorry and sent us on our way.

 

The worst treatment I have ever received was going back into Canada. At the time I was living in North Van. I was with my mother in her American car- which happened to be a limo. Just us going down to fill the car, drop off mail and get cigarettes. A typical Cdn shopping trip. Coming back, my mom was very excited. We were leaving in a few hours to go on an Alaskan cruise and she blurted it out when he asked, "where are you going?". The agent demanded to see our cruise tickets and where was our luggage. I said we were actually going home, where my tickets were sitting right on top of my luggage in my living room in North Van. Well, to PROTECT me, because my 65 YO mother and I looked like hardened criminals we were pulled to the side and 2 customs people tore apart our car. There was nothing on the seats etc, vacummuned , it was clean. So they started pulling off the panels. I asked what they were looking for. Well, they said, this is for your own protection. I asked how pulling apart our car was for my protection and was told that I had a serious attitude problem. Oh, this was about 20 years ago so no 9/11 sydrome here. After 2 hours they said we could put our car back together and go. Point of the story, both sides people get hassled. No one is picking on the Canadians anymore then picking on the Americans. I've done it both ways for most of my life. They're just asking weirder questions now.... to the Americans too.

 

For the lady from Pt Roberts, my brother has a home there as well. He only goes up in the summer. They must make some kind of notation when you cross into Canada because he only tells them once and then when he drives back and forth he gets comments like, "Oh, you're from Pt Roberts" or "I remember you from yesterday.

[uwishufish]

2006 we took a SB on Princess into Vancouver BC then we took a bus w/room package into Seattle. It seemed that our particular bus company had issues with US costums. We waited 3-4 hours as all other bus companys were routed for clearing before us. There were people on the bus who were taking a cruise out Seattle and because of the delay missed there cruise. Of the two that stand out in memory Both were international tourists. One family was European the other Asian. These people wanted their luggage so they could clear costoms on their own and catch a shuttleor taxi The driver would not allow this. Our driver was a true JA he even insisted on dropping hotel guests and getting fuel before delivering his pasengers to the peir.

The funny thing was when we finally were allowed to go thru customs the agents did not even take our declaratipn page or check our ID.

2007 we did the same trip the same week but this time we took the AMTRAK the best $25 tourist ever spent. Plus no delays.

[Ephraim]

I've had a lot more trouble going south than coming back North. But then again, it might have to do with my reputation. We go through and we declare. When I have had a rude Canadian border guard, I have stepped in and placed a formal complaint. I did it once at the airport when the border guard REFUSED to speak to me in English. I've done it at the border when a guard thought it would be cute to close his lane to force me into the other lane (there was no one else in either lane). And once when someone litterally DIED in front of us in line to pay our taxes.

 

I've also had my share of stupidity at the border, including once guy who asked us what was in the box (and I replied a dish, when it was a satellite dish and he didn't ask what kind.) And once when they asked "Why did you go to the US" instead of asking us what we were bringing back.

 

My parents took me to Massena when I was 6 and they bought me a colouring book and crayons. They declared it and the guard decided to inspect the car and take out the seats and all. Then after the car was apart they told my parents that they could go. My father told them to put the car back together. They said they didn't have to. My mother looked at them and said "Okay, let's go inside and find a supervisor and write out the tax papers for the 69c colouring book and crayon and you can explain to your to your supervisor why you pulled apart a car and charged tax on a little boy's gift." For some reason, they decided to put it back together.

 

It is the job of Canadians to ensure that our border guards are respectful, helpful and friendly.

 

But I'm sorry, reading a private letter is off the deep end and in Canada I would have brought him up on charges of violation of my privacy. (It's one thing to glance at it, another entirely to stand there are read it!). I have no problem with them looking at my passport. No problem when they ask to look into my trunk. No problem when asking about currency, the amount of time that I would be in the US and why I'm going. But when they star quizzing me about the names of stores and what I specifically want to purchase, it's starting to enter the realm of the twighlight zone. And has nothing to do with security at all. They have a list with my passport number and my car licence that tells them how often I have been through and how long I have stayed. They know exactly that I clearly have visited before, I go back after I visit and I'm not a threat to anyone.

 

I've spoken to many people on the Lacolle/Champlain border and the Americans living within a few minutes of the border tell me that they don't like to cross because of the hassles with coming back. We have gone from being the world's best neighbours to being some of the world's most distrustful neighbours. You can go from country to country in Europe and not show a passport... but can't go from Canada to the US without a two hour entaglement anymore. Soon, we will need passports to go from one to the other, not just ID. We are going BACKWARDS as Europe moves forwards.