Border crossing?

imported
#1

Hello,

I’m planning to start the AT on April 5. I will be taking a Greyhound bus from Toronto to Atlanta. I suspect the bus will be pulled over at the American border, where the border guards will ask us all how long we’re planning to stay in the US and all of those questions.

Is there anything special I should have with me (bank statements, etc) besides my passport, so that there is no hassle at the border? Any other Canadians have any experience with this? Do I need to have a fixed departure date prepared ahead of time, so they know I won’t be staying in the US for more than 6 months?

Thanks!

nunyet

#2

Good day, eh. I don’t know what documents you need to have, but I have some general advice:

  1. Exchange your “dawlers” at the border for “dollars.” Our dollars don’t look as pretty as yours, but you’ll have a hard time spending that monopoly money here. We don’t know a loonie from a two-nie.

  2. We have plenty of beer and doughnuts, so you don’t need to bring a huge supply. Hell, we even have Tim Hortons (at least in Michigan).

  3. When you tell people how cold it is in the “Great White North”, cite your temperatures in Celsius. That way, they’ll think it’s much colder than it actually is, and you won’t have so many Yankees tromping on your pristine land.

  4. Most of our cultural experience has come from watching Bob and Doug McKenzie in “Strange Brew”, so don’t mind us hosers if we seem slightly ignorant about our neighbors to the north.

Enjoy your stay with us, you knob!

Big B

#3

Be able to proove that you are financially responsible for yourself. A friend of mine (US citizen) and his girlfriend (Canadian citizen) tried to cross from Canada into Alaska. They wouldn’t let the girlfriend across because she couldn’t proove that she was financially responsible for herself. They had do drive several miles back into Canada, find an ATM, and get the balance on her checking account. When they showed that to the US border guards, they got into Alaska.

As a US citizen, I haven’t had much trouble getting into the US. But when I’ve gone into Canada, the guards there also make me proove my financial responsibility. They ask how much I could charge on my credit card, do I have a debit card, how much is in my checking account, etc.

Also, don’t get cocky about your upcoming hike. Border guards don’t know or care about that. When we tried to get into Canada at the start of the CDT, the guards asked where we were going. My friend said “Mexico!!!” And then he started talking about the CDT. The guards don’t care. And saying “Mexico!!” was a big red flag. We were searched, our car was searched, our packs were physically searched AND x-rayd. While this was going on, they had time to do background checks on all of us. And we didn’t get into Canada.

Be nice. Smile. Say “yes sir, no sir, thank you sir.”

yogi

www.pcthandbook.com

yogi

#4

My experience with border guards (guards in general) is that you want to be plain-vanilla boring to them. No spicy adjectives or extra small talk, you never know what comment could trigger more hassle for you. If at the end of the day, someone was to ask them if they remember you and they were to reply “no” then you did yourself a favor.

Once I was traveling with a co-worker who answered “Yes” to an airline security agent after she asked the routine question “Did anybody give you anything to transport that hasn’t been opened?” The agent (and myself) about had a heart attack when my co-worker started talking at length. After security came over with guns etc he pulled out and showed them a computer chip and said to open the chip would destroy it. After grilling us for 10 minutes, they waved us through, but I sweated bullets for a while…and this was pre-9/11, today I would probably be in jail!

RockyTrail

#5

“It’s the old 40 degrees. So when they say, ‘5 degrees,’ 40”

“Like how many beers would that be, if you want like, a sixpack in metric?”

“Six, six is 12, 30 is 42 beers. 42 metric beers.”

“That’s good for me eh. Count me in on metric.”

Ohhhhh the ol’ days of Strange Brew. Actually you might want to get in touch with L-A Dom, he is from Canada and had a little trouble getting over the border. This is where he mentions his trouble:

Prospector

#6

I will be leaving Manchester NH on Sunday the 3rd of April, driving directly to springer mt. If your interested in a free ride and can get in the area of Concord NH, or Manchester NH, or Boston, I will be taking the first 3 or 4 hikers who respond. Trail Magic before you ever step 1 foot on the trail.

Dan Paradis

#7

Reminds me of the time we were crossing the border between Washington & BC. The guard asked the family in the camper next to us if they had any liquor to which the father responded “no”. Their little girl, probably 5 years old interjected “oh yes we do!” and proceeded to lead the guard to the back of the camper & show him their licorice :lol

viabledaddy

#8

Before I left I got some advice from an immigration lawyer. I crossed the “border” at the airport in Edmonton. The lawyer said to bring an address of the place you’re going…in my case I gave the address of the person who was picking me up in Atlanta. Also, bring a tentative itinerary…guide book, mail drop schedule,etc.
A bank statement, credit card with proof of your limit, etc. couldn’t hurt just in case they ask for it. Also, have some idea how you’re getting home to Canada.

Tell it like it is