Favorite and least favorite US- Canada Border Crossings

[agentsteel53]

They're pretty much always open.  Maybe they close for severe storms when they don't want the inspectors to have to drive to work?

they were mostly closed for several years between about 2006 and 2010, due to budget shortfalls in California.  now they are almost always operational.  I have not encountered a non-operational one in several years.

[vdeane]

The Google street view imagery likely corresponds to 07 or 08, which would be that time period.  I'm surprised the booths were built like this given that they're intended to pretty much always be open.

[kphoger]

We brought back substantial amounts of Canadian wine and liquor on our last trip to Nova Scotia, declared all of it on the form handed out on the ferry, and the Customs inspector paid no attention to that and was more interested in our golf raingear.

at one point, three of us brought back about 4.25 or 4.5L of tequila from Mexico*, and when they asked "how much" I just waved at the back seat and said "that much".  they didn't seem to care.

* there's a really good tequila store in Ensenada with the best selection I've ever seen

Probably because you weren't very far over the limit.  California allows its residents to bring in up to one liter per person, so you were only over the legal limit by 500 ml total.  I'm sure it's not worth the flak for them to bother adding up the total and dumping out 500 ml (measured how?) of liquor.  For what it's worth, non-residents can bring up to 60 liters of alcohol through a California border crossing; they might also not have wanted to bother determining your residency over such a trivial amount.  They have bigger fish to fry, like this guy who was caught smuggling bologna across the border.

(ref:  California Dept. of Alcoholic Beverage Control)

[agentsteel53]

Probably because you weren't very far over the limit.  California allows its residents to bring in up to one liter per person, so you were only over the legal limit by 500 ml total.

depends on how you measure it.  the three of us were over by 1.5L, so who wants to take credit for the excess?

For what it's worth, non-residents can bring up to 60 liters of alcohol through a California border crossing

what if I cross into Arizona, as a California resident?  how much can I bring in then?  (assume, of course, that I'll leave the excess in Arizona before returning to California!)

that said - I'd be happy to pay the duty to the feds, but the state is being awful ornery about it if all it offers is a cap with no recourse.

[kphoger]

Probably because you weren't very far over the limit.  California allows its residents to bring in up to one liter per person, so you were only over the legal limit by 500 ml total.

depends on how you measure it.  the three of us were over by 1.5L, so who wants to take credit for the excess?

Oh, I didn't know you meant 4.5 liters each.  I assumed you meant total.

For what it's worth, non-residents can bring up to 60 liters of alcohol through a California border crossing

what if I cross into Arizona, as a California resident?  how much can I bring in then?  (assume, of course, that I'll leave the excess in Arizona before returning to California!)

I don't see any out-of-state exception in Arizona law, so I assume it's one liter no matter what.

(ref:  Arizona State Legislature)

[agentsteel53]

Oh, I didn't know you meant 4.5 liters each.  I assumed you meant total.

I did.  4.5L total for a three-person limit of 3L is 1.5L over the limit. 

I don't see any out-of-state exception in Arizona law, so I assume it's one liter no matter what.

I'll just have to go to Mexico more often 

[kphoger]

Oh, I didn't know you meant 4.5 liters each.  I assumed you meant total.

I did.  4.5L total for a three-person limit of 3L is 1.5L over the limit. 

My reasoning was that each person could claim one liter, therefore the total allowable would be three liters total.  Bringing in 4.5 liters would put the total at 1.5 liters over, or 500 ml per person.  Little was I thinking that he could just dump out the whole 1.5 liters (again, measured how? ... well, I guess it would be easy with 750-ml bottles) and leave the three of you to figure out your one liter each after the fact.

I don't see any out-of-state exception in Arizona law, so I assume it's one liter no matter what.

I'll just have to go to Mexico more often 

Just so you know, the limits are for every 31-day period.  So I suppose you could cross once at Arizona and once at California per 31-day period.  Of course, that all assumes that the customs agent would even know that you'd brought alcohol back with you the last time you were there–and that even assumes he bothers to check your passport stamps to see when you were there last, and where you crossed the border (do the stamps even say that last part?).

[agentsteel53]

So I suppose you could cross once at Arizona and once at California per 31-day period.

that's significantly more often than I cross now.

Of course, that all assumes that the customs agent would even know that you'd brought alcohol back with you the last time you were there–and that even assumes he bothers to check your passport stamps to see when you were there last, and where you crossed the border (do the stamps even say that last part?).

I'd assume that, in their files, they record when and where I cross, and what I am bringing back.  I'm pretty sure that, in my file, I have "Nogales fiscal corridor, 750mL tequila, 1/26/2013" as the most recent entry.

[kphoger]

Hmm.  I've never declared anything, except maybe back in high school before I knew itty-bitty trinkets didn't matter.  I always just make sure we're under the per-person limit for the vehicle and say I have nothing to declare.

[J N Winkler]

Just so you know, the limits are for every 31-day period.  So I suppose you could cross once at Arizona and once at California per 31-day period.  Of course, that all assumes that the customs agent would even know that you'd brought alcohol back with you the last time you were there–and that even assumes he bothers to check your passport stamps to see when you were there last, and where you crossed the border (do the stamps even say that last part?).

They do, but I don't know if a US citizen is stamped at a land port of entry even when dutiable goods are declared.  The duty officer would be relying on a computerized record of entries and exits (produced, I would guess, by scanning the MRZ on a passport, green card, or passport card).  Presumably declarations of dutiable goods and records of payment collected in respect of same would be linked to the entry record.

[kphoger]

Just goes to show, I'd never really thought about what the guys actually do with our passports after they ask for them.  I guess I'm just always preoccupied with.....OK, I'll be honest, license plate spotting.

[agentsteel53]

Just goes to show, I'd never really thought about what the guys actually do with our passports after they ask for them.  I guess I'm just always preoccupied with.....OK, I'll be honest, license plate spotting.

at the border?  usually when I'm there, I'll have scanned all the neighboring vehicles after 30 seconds, and the remaining 5 hours is "yep, there's that Toyota".

[Duke87]

My one experience with the Californian Border Patrol thus far was on I-15 last summer, at about 5 or 6 in the evening on a Monday. There was a lot of traffic and the guys were just standing there waving everyone through.

I'll be dealing with them again come April, probably on I-8.

[agentsteel53]

My one experience with the Californian Border Patrol thus far was on I-15 last summer, at about 5 or 6 in the evening on a Monday. There was a lot of traffic and the guys were just standing there waving everyone through.

I don't think I've ever actually seen the I-15 checkpoint active.  the I-5, maybe a handful of times in all the years I've been driving that road regularly.

[citrus]

I don't think I've ever actually seen the I-15 checkpoint active.  the I-5, maybe a handful of times in all the years I've been driving that road regularly.

I've been through it active exactly once - around 8am on a weekday. Caused 10-15 minute delays.

[agentsteel53]

I don't think I've ever actually seen the I-15 checkpoint active.  the I-5, maybe a handful of times in all the years I've been driving that road regularly.

I've been through it active exactly once - around 8am on a weekday. Caused 10-15 minute delays.

one time, I-5 resulted in a delay of an hour.  was about 9pm on a Tuesday evening.

I've always wondered what the rationale is for activating the checkpoint on those two busy freeways.  then again, I wonder what the rationale is for the Border Patrol to be running radar just south of the I-15 checkpoint.  strange things happen sometimes.

[kphoger]

Just goes to show, I'd never really thought about what the guys actually do with our passports after they ask for them.  I guess I'm just always preoccupied with.....OK, I'll be honest, license plate spotting.

at the border?  usually when I'm there, I'll have scanned all the neighboring vehicles after 30 seconds, and the remaining 5 hours is "yep, there's that Toyota".

Well, when I'm actually at the point where the officer has my passport, then I have the opportunity to see the cars that were pulled over for secondary inspection, plus any that pull away from the other gates while I'm stopped.  Between that and scoping out the sniffer dogs, checking the follower vehicle in the mirror, preparing to call my folks to say we're back in the States, etc., etc.–I find little room in my brain for wondering what the officer is actually doing.

[hbelkins]

Most wine shippers pay up, but more than once I have had to explain to clerks in California that West Virginia is a totally different jurisdiction than Virginia (which totally prohibits wine shipping).  I also heard a clerk one time telling a woman she could not ship "out of the country".  The woman was from New Mexico.  My 3rd grade teacher taught us all of the states and state capitals.  Third grade.

That's rich, especially since I have heard tales before of people thinking New Mexico was part of Mexico.

This is why it's likely I will never, ever get to visit Canada. Usually when I'm traveling I have a laptop, a netbook, an iPad, an iPhone, my work cellphone, an iPod Touch, an iPod classic, at least two digital cameras, a video camera and a radar detector. The border patrol would have a field day with me.

Geez... couldn't you travel to Canada strictly for pleasure and leave some of that stuff at home? And when you're traveling, is it super necessary to have ALL those things? I can't believe that someone would choose not to visit a great country such as Canada just because they think they can't visit without bringing all that technology.

I know you're a self-described Luddite  but when I travel, I want to be able to shoot road videos and take pictures. I use the iPad for tracking my travels with EveryTrail, the iPods for listening to music and podcasts when I'm driving, and then I have a personal phone and also a work cell phone that I'm expected to have 24/7. I use the laptop to download my photos and videos off the cameras as well as staying in touch online.

So when traveling for pleasure, having my electronic devices with me IS part of the pleasure.

[vdeane]

The two phones and iPod shouldn't be a problem; not sure if having both the iPad and laptop would be or not.  The multiple cameras might raise eyebrows if they asked though.  Might be possible to do what Oscar does with the radar detector and store it in a hidden compartment?

[corco]

I had an interesting one when I crossed today into Canada on US/BC 95- I decided I would take the opposite approach to normal and give as little information as possible:

CBSA: Can you roll your back window down?
Me: It doesn't work.
CBSA: What is the purpose of your trip?
Me: Sightseeing.
CBSA: Where are you headed?
Me: Alberta.
CBSA: When were you last in Canada?
Me: 2008
CBSA: What do you do for a living?
Me: Work for [where I work]
CBSA: What is that?
Me: [What it is]
(A couple questions relating to whether I was carrying anything illegal, all answered with "No")
CBSA: So, if you're from Montana and you're going to Alberta why didn't you cross in Roosville or Coutts?
Me: I was in Spokane last night.
CBSA: Spokane?
Me: Yeah, I was in Spokane last night and now I'm going to Alberta.
CBSA: OK, pull into the first inspection bay on the left and go into the office.

So I was kind of bummed about that, but since I couldn't roll my window down I guess that was fair.

What confused me though was I went in, the lady in the office walked back to the guy at the window, I heard the lady laugh, and then about a minute later she came out with my passport and said "Welcome to Canada!" and that was that- no inspection took place- they didn't even walk out to my car.

Any idea what that could have been about? I've heard they run credit checks now sometimes- I'm guessing that might have been what was up.

Overall that's a strategy I'll probably continue to use- the fewer words I use the less nervous I get, and I get nervous in those types of situations. Fast crossing too- there was no line and the customs interview took about 45 seconds and then I just had to wait in the office for about two minutes- I'm sure that's the fastest I've ever gotten through the border in either direction.

[AsphaltPlanet]

The last time I crossed when I was asked for the purpose of my trip I responded "that I was in search of warm weather".  That worked OK.

[realjd]

Re: electronics
Traveling overseas, I usually take multiple cell phones (my US iPhone, an unlocked older iPhone for prepaid SIM cards), an ipad, a Kindle, a laptop, a point and shoot camera, and my DSLR. My wife carries the same load minus the cameras. Quantity of electronic devices is not suspicious. I go overseas multiple times a year and have never been searched. From what I understand, when they do take a laptop, they basically do a search for all the .jpg pictures looking for child porn. Same with cameras. Those kind of searches are more commonly performed on people returning from places known for sex tourism like Thailand. The case mentioned in Wired where the confiscated the man's computer was due to the images they found. He was a professor studying modern Syrian culture (or something like that) and had a number of Hezbollah pictures which raised red flags.

Re: border patrol inland
Are you sure they were US Border Patrol? More likely they were CBP, a similarly named but completely different agency. USBP patrols the borders, CBP handles airports and land border checkpoints, as well as immigration stings nationwide. USBP keeps people out from the physical borders while CBP deals with immigrants already here. They're similarly named but serve different roles. An easy way to tell is that USBP uses green striped cars and green uniforms while CBP uses blue striped cars and blue uniforms.

[corco]

An easy way to tell is that USBP uses green striped cars and green uniforms

Yep, definitely the border patrol. The border patrol usually drives a Tahoe/Suburban/F-350/Econoline while CBP drives Crown Vics. Border patrol does the checkpoints, and then you'd see CBP driving around randomly sometimes. You'll see CBP cars parked at the interior checkpoints usually, but there's usually one CBP car for every 10 USBP cars, and it's definitely USBP asking the questions. I think CBP only gets involved if there's a secondary inspection. 

It's USBP at the California ag checkpoints too, usually.

USBP does all the internal monitoring in border regions from what I've seen- for instance, one followed me all the way down to Sasabe AZ from Three Points AZ, even though I naturally fluctuated between speed limit and 3 or so below with hopes that he'd pass me. Then you'll see USBP randomly stationed at roads south of Tucson all the time. CBP...eh, you see them occasionally, but it's pretty rare.

Yeah, if you're really inland it's CBP- but you have to get outside of that 100 mile buffer for that to happen.

[Interstatefan78]

For me it should be Rainbow Bridge since both US and Canadian border agents don't search incoming cars for produce, but From what I heard on those who used the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge (I-190/ON-405) was that both US and Canadian border agents will search cars carrying produce since trucks carry produce into both US and Canada in the Buffalo,NY/ Niagara Falls & Fort Eire, ON area   

[mgk920]

One thought regarding the propriety of the state AG inspection stations - the second paragraph of Article I, Section 10 of the US Constitution alludes to state inspection laws, assuming that they already exist and are proper, and provides for their enforcement.

Mike.