Crossing the border

[peacock2121]

My brother tells me and he and his wife investigated and that you don't need a passport to cross the Canadian border (and get back) until next year.

I agree to go to Niagra Falls. We take my car (the Pilot can seat

We have me, my brother, sister-in-law, my parents, my nephew and his girlfriend. 5 of the 7 have the same last name.

The custom's guy in Canada was not pleased with the driver licenses we tried to use.

My brother is driving. The guy says "As of January, you need proof of citizenship to enter the country."

Brother says "We investigated and found out that we could do it with our driver's licenses."

CG: Where did you learn this?

B: My wife's hair client.

Me (in the far back): HaHaHaHa (I can't stop laughing)

CG: The rule is you have to have a passport or a birth cerificate

B: Oh well, I guess we can't enter.

CG: I told you the rule, I didn't tell you the penalty for not keeping the rule.

It went on and on like that - oh... including my brother telling him that it was my car and that I live in Stanfordville - my license says Millbrook, as that is my mailing address.

It got funner and funner.

CG: Your country gives drivers licenses to people who are not citizens.

B: uh huh

We had to go see the people in the building. They let us in after making us think they were looking us up on their 'puters.

[peacock2121]

LOL - the number 8 followed by ) makes the funny face guy with the sunglasses

[MarleysGh0st]

What about when it was time to come back?

[peacock2121]

The people in the building wanted to know where we were all born.

I am standing next to my mom, hoping and praying and intending that she does not turn to me and say "Where was I born?"

She didn't, she remembered.

My dad tells me later that when I said Middletown NY, he just about said "No you weren't."

Then he remembered I was.

[MarleysGh0st]

LOL - the number 8 followed by ) makes the funny face guy with the sunglasses

So it does.

But, extending a suggestion Bob just gave to ghost, you could stop that by checking the "Disable Smilies in this post" checkbox.

Then you should just see (8) again.

[peacock2121]

What about when it was time to come back?

They just let us back in after telling them where we were all born.

The thing is - all of us had passports - my parent's had expired, mine was sitting at home and my brother and sister-in-laws were in California.

[MarleysGh0st]

The thing is - all of us had passports - my parent's had expired, mine was sitting at home and my brother and sister-in-laws were in California.

The thing is -- they kinda like you to have them with you.

[AlphaDummy]

We take my car (the Pilot can seat

LOL - the number 8 followed by ) makes the funny face guy with the sunglasses

And here I had a mental picture of a car full of happy smiling tourists.

Or, perhaps, the clan donning disguises as part of the Great Peahen Commando Invasion of Canada.

Wait. Perhaps "Commando" doesn't belong in that last sentence.

Or maybe it does. Dunno.

[peacock2121]

We all went on The Maid in the Mist.

One of the good things that goes along with my mom's dementia (I will learn how to spell it one day) is that she says she deosn't want to do something and if you wait a bit and ask her again, she probably changed her mind.

Anyway - we all went.

It was like being in a washing machine that had no clothes in it.

I loved every second of it. I was in awe of the power of water, the strength of nature and the beauty of it all. It was almost the best ride I have ever been on. And I have been on plenty.

[MarleysGh0st]

And here I had a mental picture of a car full of happy smiling tourists.

Or, perhaps, the clan donning disguises as part of the Great Peahen Commando Invasion of Canada.

Wait. Perhaps "Commando" doesn't belong in that last sentence.

Or maybe it does. Dunno.

Her parents were with her.

Show some respect!

[peacock2121]

We take my car (the Pilot can seat

LOL - the number 8 followed by ) makes the funny face guy with the sunglasses

And here I had a mental picture of a car full of happy smiling tourists.

Or, perhaps, the clan donning disguises as part of the Great Peahen Commando Invasion of Canada.

Wait. Perhaps "Commando" doesn't belong in that last sentence.

Or maybe it does. Dunno.

I might have been wearing a thong, I don't think anyone was commando.

[MarleysGh0st]

We all went on The Maid in the Mist.

Definitely the best way to see the falls!

[MarleysGh0st]

Gratuitous posting here.

[MarleysGh0st]

Gratuitous posting here.

And one more?

[peacock2121]

Someone snuck in between you!

[ulysses5019]

We all went on The Maid in the Mist.

Definitely the best way to see the falls!

Going commando?

[tlynn78]

is that she says she deosn't want to do something and if you wait a bit and ask her again, she probably changed her mind.

lol - that does come in handy, doesn't it. It'll be hard, peaby, but it helps to keep a sense of humor, and you've got that.

Definitely the best way to see the falls!

Going commando

?



lol - that's how I read that, too. I only hope the CG doesn't check for that um, condition.


t.

[frogman042]

Ah, the good ol' border guards by Niagra Falls - I felt there cold stare many a times during my 9 years in Buffalo.

I do have 2 Buffalo/Canadian stories that this gives me an excuse to share at least 1. The second one is how I aided and abetted the smuggling of Raisonettes (sp?) into Canada, the first was a persistant joke that always worked when anyone ever visited us in Bufallo and we took the obligatory trek to the Falls. I will hold onto the smuggling story unless I get requests for it.

Niagra Falls is two cities, one in the US and one in Canada. The interesting thing is the difference in personalities of the falls on each side - the US park side of the falls is quiet (except for the roar of the falls), green, peaceful - a lovely place to leasurly walk around - the Canadian side has all the wax muesums and cheap touristy rip-off places - totally commercialized - almost the exact opposite of the personality of the two countires in general. Yet the approach by car to the Falls from Buffalo is much, much nicer if you cross over to Canada in Buffalo on the Peace Bridge, take a narrow two-lane road that hugs the Niagra River as opposed to the Interstate on the US side and enjoy the wonderful aroma of the famed Niagra Falls Chemical Plants that line the approach on the US side.

So when said guests are being driven, we cross over in Buffalo and get on this little road and they see a sign that states Niagra Falls - 20. They always say - you told me it was only 14 miles to the Falls - I remind them that we are in Canada now, everything is in Metric units so it's 20 KM, so you have to reduce the value by about 1/3 - it's only 14 miles. Oh, they would reply. Then on this small road the see the Speed Limit sign stateing 60 and are agahst - again I would remind we are using metric and again the have to reduce the number by a third so it really is in the high 30's miles per hour - again a sigh of relief. In a short span of time we enter the city of Niagra Falls, Onterio and the sign notes the population of around (at that time) 140,000 people - much larger then most people expect - and of course they comment on how the didn't know it was such a big city - I would gentrly remind them that it is metric units and reduce by 1/3. Oh, that makes sense they would reply - and about a minute later what say - hey thats not right! Would happen every time!

---Jay (no countdown comment in memory of the huge number of sad cards reported today)

[frogman042]

We all went on The Maid in the Mist.

One of the good things that goes along with my mom's dementia (I will learn how to spell it one day) is that she says she deosn't want to do something and if you wait a bit and ask her again, she probably changed her mind.

Anyway - we all went.

It was like being in a washing machine that had no clothes in it.

I loved every second of it. I was in awe of the power of water, the strength of nature and the beauty of it all. It was almost the best ride I have ever been on. And I have been on plenty.

Of all the various ways they try to entice you to see the falls by handing over you cash to them, the MOTM is by far the best and worth every penny - I never tired of it and would insist that any visitor take the boat ride - most impressive.

My college roomate when I was a student was local to the area and worked summers as the ticket seller on the US side. He used to tell me people would ask where to by tickets for the boat that took you over the falls, others asked for tickets for the submarine rides - prime Jay Walking folks if you ask me.

---Jay

[ulysses5019]

My brother tells me and he and his wife investigated and that you don't need a passport to cross the Canadian border (and get back) until next year.

I agree to go to Niagra Falls. We take my car (the Pilot can seat

We have me, my brother, sister-in-law, my parents, my nephew and his girlfriend. 5 of the 7 have the same last name.

The custom's guy in Canada was not pleased with the driver licenses we tried to use.

My brother is driving. The guy says "As of January, you need proof of citizenship to enter the country."

Brother says "We investigated and found out that we could do it with our driver's licenses."

CG: Where did you learn this?

B: My wife's hair client.

Me (in the far back): HaHaHaHa (I can't stop laughing)

CG: The rule is you have to have a passport or a birth cerificate

B: Oh well, I guess we can't enter.

CG: I told you the rule, I didn't tell you the penalty for not keeping the rule.

It went on and on like that - oh... including my brother telling him that it was my car and that I live in Stanfordville - my license says Millbrook, as that is my mailing address.

It got funner and funner.

CG: Your country gives drivers licenses to people who are not citizens.

B: uh huh

We had to go see the people in the building. They let us in after making us think they were looking us up on their 'puters.

They probably thought you were sneaking in ibuprofen.

[PlacentiaSoccerMom]

Just imagine driving to Mexico and having a Mexican guard stop you and ask for proof of citizenship. It would never happen.

[starfish1113]

In 2004, I was working four days a week in Detroit, and one day I met up with Jim#s to go over to Canada for a little gambling. At the time, the only passport I had was one with a picture of me as a 3-year old, so I didn't even bother to bring it. Going over to Canada was no problem at all. They looked at my license and off we went. The trip back, though, was a different story. I showed the American guard my license and he asked where my passport was. I didn't have one.

Guard: "Where are you from?"

Me: "The Baltimore/DC area."

Guard: "Well, you should know then the devastation that terrorism causes."

Me: "Yes, I do"

Guard: "And it's very easy for terrorists to get American licenses"

Me: "I'll bring a passport next time, I promise"

Guard: "You know, I can make you sit in that office over there for a while until we can verify that you are who you say you are."

Me: "I'm really sorry."

Guard (looking at my license): "Where do you live, specifically?"

Me: "Mount Airy, MD"

Guard: "Oh! I know where that is! It's right off I-95, right?"

Me: "No, it's right off I-70, 40 miles or so west of Baltimore"

Guard: "Okay, you can go. Bring a passport next time!"

Me: "Thank you, I will."

I still think that he was testing me by saying that Mount Airy is off of I-95. Good thing I knew where I lived!

[earendel]

OK, so if we're telling border-crossing stories, I'll tell mine. A couple years ago elwing and I drove to the West Coast to bring our third son home after an ill-advised relocation (another story for another time). We drove up to Canada to drive across the western provinces, eventually turning south so as to enter the U.S. at the North Dakota border. We stopped and showed our licenses to the customs agent, who asked the usual questions about whether we were bringing anything into the country, etc. Then he asked us to pull our car over and go into the building. We couldn't figure out what the problem was, but we were told that we needed to provide more information. Then they took our son back into another room and questioned him separately. It turns out that his driver's license had expired and there was some question as to whether it was a legitimate form of identification. So they did some computer records searches and finally agreed to let him into the U.S. All this time elwing and I are sitting out in the main part of the building wondering what we'll do if they decide not to let our son cross the border.

[MarleysGh0st]

All this time elwing and I are sitting out in the main part of the building wondering what we'll do if they decide not to let our son cross the border.

You'd start visiting him in Canada, of course!




That's one way to get rid of the boomerang children.

[littlebeast13]

Some people have never left the good ol' U.S. of A......

lb13