When we hit paris, the airport was patrolled by military personnel carrying machine guns. Same with the Eiffel tower, the Louvre, and Versailles.
Things are getting Tense along the BC Border.
- Thread starter CanadianLove
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When we hit paris, the airport was patrolled by military personnel carrying machine guns. Same with the Eiffel tower, the Louvre, and Versailles.
That still doesn't explain why the guard couldn't have just said please if that was the only request, maybe along with a warning not to do it again. What was the rationale for maceing someone for asking him to say please? That wasn't overreacting in your mind?
Think about it. Many cars at the border, and the guards are short-staffed as it is, and now they have to consume precious manpower to deal with one man for a few hours for asking them to say please thus slowing the border down even more for the next couple of hours? Now I don't espect border guards to be the gretest mathematical minds the world has ever created, but I would expect them to use a bit of reason.
Canadians are very easy going, bob. In fact, too easygoing according to some American officials.
And it has been that way for a long time now, even before 9/11. One of my Indian friends was telling me of his experience in the 60s, when he went on a bus tour of Niagara Falls (he was living in USA).
At the Canadian border, the Canadian official came on the bus, said good morning and proceeded to check everybody’s papers. At the end, he wished everybody a nice visit to the Falls and left, the whole process took just a few minutes.
Returning, at the border American officials made a pronouncement, everyone must get off the bus. There was a big melee as everybody crossed into the small immigration booth. There they checked everybody’s passports. It took more than half an hour.
Perhaps you are right, Machjo, but is best not to make them angry. If they get angry, it is not the official who suffers, but the tourist. When somebody has such sweeping powers, the only way to address him is ‘sir’.
A border official has much more sweeping powers than a policeman for instance. Would you try to teach manners to a policeman? Then why a border official?
The border guard isn't there to be your chum, he's there to protect border integrity and he doesn't have to be polite whatsoever. In fact, I'm sure they're trained not to be polite. They need to be firm and focused at all times, being polite and cordial would only make a suspicious person relaxed, when in reality you want to make them uncomfortable so that you can see they might have something to hide.
Quite so, alley, sometimes the border officials are rude, one has to live with it. A few years ago we were crossing the border in our car and we came to the official. He asked me where we were going. I replied Pittsburgh.
I don’t know if he was having a bad day or what, but his next question was ‘What is in Pittsburgh, job interview?”
It was clearly a rude question; he plainly thought that I was crossing the border to get a job. If I had said yes (or taken an offense), he very likely would have turned me away from the border.
I simply replied that I was visiting friends, and I gave him the name and phone number of the friend (with whom he could check if necessary). That was the end of that. He asked a few more questions and then let us proceed.
Quite so, alley, sometimes the border officials are rude, one has to live with it. A few years ago we were crossing the border in our car and we came to the official. He asked me where we were going. I replied Pittsburgh.
I don’t know if he was having a bad day or what, but his next question was ‘What is in Pittsburgh, job interview?”
It was clearly a rude question; he plainly thought that I was crossing the border to get a job. If I had said yes (or taken an offense), he very likely would have turned me away from the border.
I simply replied that I was visiting friends, and I gave him the name and phone number of the friend (with whom he could check if necessary). That was the end of that. He asked a few more questions and then let us proceed.
Again I agree. The man was not wise in challenging a border official like that. I'm just saying though that the official way overreached his powers. And to be fair, no they do not have unlimited powers and can be fired if complaints are lodged against them accusing them of abuse of power.
I remember one case of a police officer who'd pulled over one of my brothers-in-law (now ex-) one too many times for quesitoning, and so my brother-in-law asked for the officer's name and police ID number, wrote it down, and then asked if the officer intended to make an arrest.
The officer said no, and so he responded that if the officer pulled him over again, that he'd report him for racial profiling and harassment. The officer never bothered him again.
So they do have limits to their powers.
I'm totally with you on this one.
This crossing described in the opening post isn't a tough one. It's a dumb situation.
Tough is being a White Canadian Mennonite Male Trucker (tri-lingual in English, Spanish,
& Lower German) and yet having a Mexican Birth certificate....& crossing at the Windsor
/Detroit (busiest in North America) Border Crossing, and dealing with a Large Black
Female Customs Agent with a chip on her shoulder & in a position of authority for
potentially the first time in her life. That's a potentially tough crossing.
I have Guys working for us that fit that description, living in Southern Ontario, that run
the gauntlet I've described more than a Hundred times each year.
At the Border, It's Yes Sir/Ma'am with short direct answers, no matter what. A mile or
two down the road you can yell and scream to yourself while punching your dash if you
need to, but at the Border it's nothing but brief and polite. You can't make a Border
Guards life miserable....but they can sure make yours ugly. Always keep that in mind.
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Police do, Machjo, but border officials have very few limits on their power. They cannot assault someone for instance. But they have a very broad mandate to ask any questions they want to establish if you are a bona fide tourist.
That's why I said that they have more sweeping powers than a policeman. A policeman cannot search you without just cause, a border official can. He can search you, your body (he can strip search you, look up your ass to see if you are carrying contraband for instance). He can search your car to his heart’s content.
I remember another incidence (we travel a lot and we have many international friends, so I know many such incidents). This guy was crossing the border in his car. I don’t know why the official became suspicious, but he decided to thoroughly search his car. Mechanics literally proceeded to take it apart. They removed tires, mirrors, doors, hood, everything they could.
This man was grumbling all the time, asking what the Hell was going on. Finally the official said to him
“Sir, I think I should inform you that while we have the authority to take your car apart, we are not required by law to put it back together.”
He became very quiet after that. Anyway, they did not find anything in his car, pieced it back together and he was on his way, after a couple of hours delay.
Does a policeman have powers like this? Lodging a complaint against a border guard would almost never work (unless as I said, he assaults you or something).
Canadian border guards are required to be courteous. Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)
And so are American border guards. CBP.gov - home page
There is nothing that says a guard can't do his duty if he is courteous. Remember, they are ALSO around to assist people with things.
And so are American border guards. CBP.gov - home page
There is nothing that says a guard can't do his duty if he is courteous. Remember, they are ALSO around to assist people with things.
Oh come on, Anna, you wouldn't want the poor border guard to strain his poor old cheek muscle by giving a smile would you. Now that's just cruel and unusual punishment.
The difference between Canadian and American border guards is the most of the American border guards have been in a war zone with the military so with all due respect the BC man learned to never pi$$ of an American border guard because they are under a lot more stress because of the high terror alert.
We have to remember that a terrorist tried to enter at the same border crossing from Canada loaded with a car full of bombs luckily he was caught.
Courteous is a two way street you have to give it before you get it
I don't think smiles are routine duty. lol
All things considered, we've found that if we just treat cops, guards, etc. like they are human most are really good people and can crack the odd smile now & then. If you get belligerent, then they do (it's a cause and effect thing). Otherwise it is relatively routine business.
Yeah, I used to have problems with punctuation and suchlike nonsense, too ..... when I was 3 years old.
Not when you are in business, diplomacy, or its part of your job.
No that is for business people and politicians does not apply to police or border guards.
They ask you a question you answer it of suffer the consequences.
Business people want sales and politicians want to be re-elected police or border guards are in the protection business and that's it.
Telling a person of authority about grammer is a very stupid thing to do.
Don't you agree?
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So in other words, border guards ought to act like the biggest pricks on the planet to make sure anyone who enters the country will hate it for ever more and never want to return?
Everybody know that border guards are pr!cks doesn't matter which country it is.
Dealing with a border guard is a minor inconveniance because it the country you are visiting.
Border guards should act in a reasonable manner, they should be polite and courteous, I don’t think anybody is disputing that. And I think many of them are.
But the point is, suppose somebody is not. They you mustn’t argue with him, but simply ignore his rudeness, his behavior, taking into account the enormous power he has.
Quit being obtuse. It is part of a border guard's job to be courteous.
Irrelevant.
Irrelevant.
I don't know. What is "grammer"?
I guess that's the idea. Someone might want to inform Obama and Harpy of this so they can relax about the protectionist issue. There's already a built-in system for repelling foreigners and international trade.