Plenty of Other Places to See
I try never to go to the United States.
That's unfortunate, because I've got nothing against Americans per se. I actually like quite a few of them, but it's hard to visit friends south of the border when you're totally scared of American customs agents. I've been told that my nervousness is nothing more than paranoia. After all, I don't look like a terrorist or a migrant worker (my skin's too white.) I have co-workers who visit the U.S without incident all the time. And I even have Canadian friends who live down there, none of whom has ever mentioned anything about imprisonment or regular cavity searches.
Twice in my life I've had my carry-on bag searched while boarding an airplane: once by a American customs agent, and once a few years later by an Canadian one. The American silently dumped everything from my bag into a plastic bin, ruined a roll of film by taking it out of my camera (this was a few years ago), and pointlessly reminded me that, Canadian or not, I could go to jail immediately if he found something he didn't like.
The Canadian agent was quite a bit nicer. She asked how my flight in had been, emptied my bag, looked over the contents, and then neatly packed it all back in. In fact, when she was done my bag was better packed than it had been before (she folded my shirts.)
I'm not really sure what my point is here. Americans are as scared as they are scary? Girls make better customs agents? I should have bought a digital camera sooner? Anyway, I recently read this. Sounds like American border security has gotten even less pleasant lately.
July 3rd, 2006 - 00:33
I crossed the border numerous times in the past year, as you know. I never once had any trouble except when I had to get my TN Visa. And even then, there was no trouble, it just took 3 hours at the border and the guy did ask a lot of questions. But he was very reasonable and very friendly when he finally gave me the TN Visa. Wished me luck and said have a safe trip.
I’ve also had my bags searched a couple times. Actually just the first two times I went through the airport. I realized my mistake was making eye-contact with the person who picks who gets searched. The next few times I just didn’t look at them and had no problems.
And coming back to Canada, I had my checked bags searched every time. In American airports, at least the ones in North Carolina, they check for drugs in all bags. I think it’s a great thing myself.
July 3rd, 2006 - 09:39
I wonder if I’ve ever had my checked bags searched. Do they tell you somehow that they’ve been searched? Like with a sticker or something? Or do they pull you aside once you’ve picked them up?
Yeah, Curt you’re one of my friends that has gone back and forth to the US with very little trouble. I have a few Chinese friends who also don’t have any problems. But I know a (Canadian) guy whose family is from Kuwait, and he totally looks middle-eastern. Poor guy gets harassed every single time he tries to go to the US–anything from extensive questioning in the lineup, all the way to being taken to a separate room for an interview! Once he was even forced to reschedule a flight and stay in a Canadian hotel for a night while they looked into his papers.
The question is, why does he keep going there?
July 3rd, 2006 - 11:07
They search them right after you check in. You walk over to a little roped-off area and hand your bags to the security staff. They search them and then tell you when they are done and you can go. That was the airport near Greensboro, Piedmont Triad International Airport.
As much as I love Canada, I still love a lot of things about the USA. Especially the lack of winter/snow in the south. I know I will return, possibly permanently, some day. So I can understand why your friend keeps going there. Once he’s in, perhaps he should just not leave.
July 3rd, 2006 - 11:19
Ah, it’s true, the weather there is nicer than it is here, except maybe in mid-summer (depends on how much you can tolerate heat–I’m actually much better at coping with the cold.)
A lot of things in the United States are really messed up right now, but I think most of it stems from having an extraordinarily bad government. That’s the sort of thing that could get better with time. And I can see why you’d still want to live there. Heck, I could probably double my annual income (along with my monthly bills) if I moved to Silicon Valley, and I hear California is a very nice part of the world.
But if I looked even vaguely Mexican or Middle Eastern, I wouldn’t go anywhere near that place.
July 5th, 2006 - 15:31
I like where I live.