Border crossings - Back into the US from Canada

[Formerly Known as Bigfoot]

Just curious if this has ever happened to anyone before.  The wife and I have been in Minnesota for a couple weeks vacationing and we crossed into Canada and drove to Thunder Bay. (Beautiful trip by the way)  When we crossed back into the US yesterday there was a pretty long line of cars trying to cross.  We saw every car with Canada tags breeze through after about 20-30 seconds of questioning then we pulled up.  The typical questions were asked then he discovered we were in a rental.  He said all rentals had to pull over and we had to come into the building.  The car was never searched but we were kept waiting about 30 minutes as there were a number of people ahead of us.  More questions were asked then we were allowed to leave.  I just had a hard time wrapping my head around how easy it was for the Canadians to enter the US while we were delayed because of the rental.  

[zer0netgain]

Tags can be traced in seconds.  Rentals are problematic.

Still a bit odd as they should have recorded your ID and tag number upon entry to Canada, and as long as the info matched on the return crossing, it should have been Kosher.

[Mrs. DantesDame]

There was a bomb threat called in on the Detroit crossing and they shut down the border there. They might have had heightened security for certain people/vehicles because of that

[Fourstring]

I went through the same border crossing a few years back and got the third degree (on a bike at the time).  The RVs really got scrutinized.

The Sarnia/Port Huron crossing was damn near friendly.

[bomber]

returning to the US has always made me appreciate other country's border guards . . . . . always.

[Formerly Known as Bigfoot]

The guys were friendly enough and the inconvenience was minor.  Just thought it odd that the Canucks could enter into the US easier than the wife and i.  No biggie.  

[Blunder]

Don't they have some sort of EZ pass system for people who cross back and forth on a regular basis?

[Cablebandit]

Canucks are nice.  'mericun's are assholes.

That's the feeling I get when we cross back into the US.

[Mrs. DantesDame]

Don't they have some sort of EZ pass system for people who cross back and forth on a regular basis?

"Nexus" and you have to be pre-screened and pay an annual fee for it.

[black hills]

it seems odd, my wife and I had no trouble driving into Canada to go skiing, even though we didn't have an answer for "where are you going?" we just said "north til we find good snow" the guiy laughed and we were on our way.. On the way home it was a 30 minute delay while they searched my pickup??

[stevent]

Judy and I went up to Vancouver for a couple of days and had no trouble either way, I have an enhanced drivers license and Judy uses her passport. We're both naturalized US citizens and they just asked us a few questions and sent us on our way, I even told them about the hoard of English/Canadian chocolates and the 1.4 L of duty free Bombay Sapphire Gin and the liter of Kahlua in the trunk and they just smiled and waved....

I guess we have honest faces or something    

[Hoochie Papa]

Whe we go south, we go shopping thereby stimulating your economy. When we come back to Canada, we get the same treatment more often than not because they are suspicious that we are bringing things back that we are not supposed to. Add a rental car into that only adds to the suspicion. I'm actually a little shocked your rental company allowed you to take it out of the country. We can't even take ours out of the province.

[rgbeard]

In 2007 I flew to Squamish, B.C., for a company incentive-trip to Whistler, Canada.

Going in to Canada was a breeze.  I landed at Abbotsford, B.C., parked the plane in the pre-determined area, and cleared customs with a simple phone call.

Coming back to the USA was another deal.  I landed at Bellingham, WA., and endured 2.5 hours of questioning and they emptied out the airplane.

When the fuel girl was finally allowed to come take care of the plane, she said, "Wow.  You've been here a while.  I guess since you're the only one they've had all week, they were bored."      


For Mexico, my wife and I have SENTRI cards, and our crossing is generally quick (5-10 mins is typical, while the main line at San Ysidro is closer to 2 hours), and questions are minimal.

[county]

Yeah, I hate it when some petty fuck with power decides to fuck with me....

[stevent]

Yeah, I hate it when some petty fuck with power decides to fuck with me....

The angrier you get the more fun it is for them.....

[Blunder]

"Nexus" and you have to be pre-screened and pay an annual fee for it.

That probably explains the OP's question.

[PatM]

Tags can be traced in seconds.  Rentals are problematic.

Still a bit odd as they should have recorded your ID and tag number upon entry to Canada, and as long as the info matched on the return crossing, it should have been Kosher.

How would they do that? As far as I know, you don't need to stop at US customs going out. Does Canada share incoming visitor info with the US?

[rgbeard]

How would they do that? As far as I know, you don't need to stop at US customs going out. Does Canada share incoming visitor info with the US?

I can discuss the San Ysidro border crossing, as it's the one I'm most familiar with.   Going South from the USA to Mexico, there are license plate scanners.

I don't really know how well they work, and what they do with the info - but the possibility is there.

[PatM]

I can discuss the San Ysidro border crossing, as it's the one I'm most familiar with.   Going South from the USA to Mexico, there are license plate scanners.

I don't really know how well they work, and what they do with the info - but the possibility is there.

Makes sense. I never noticed cameras scanning plates up here. But still how would they match your ID and rental car tag?

[ConPilot1]

Kinda frustrating for a career LEO with ties to the US military and federal governments, hayna???  

My late uncle Kev was the kind of guy to jump in the car and drive to BFE for shits' + giggles at the drop of a hat.

He told me once he got a craving for some potent variation of Molson's beer that you can only get in CAN, and he jumped in his
Ford pickup and headed there, got a case, turned around and came home.

He said the US border guards didn't believe he went to CAN for a case of beer, detained him for 5 hours, and absolutely ripped his truck interior apart,
let him go when they finally lost their little hard-ons and were satisfied he was being truthful. He was a little pissed about that to say the least.