Detroit travel question

Z-Man and I had a wonderful experience with Canadian authorities at the tunnel once.

 

I think that's what I'm going to do.

Never done the border crossing at March break, so that was my big concern

thanks

 

Those are real routine questions. My friends and I get those every time we cross on both sides.

What are you doing in Canada?
How much money is on you?
What do you do for a living?

My favorite though was my first time going to the casino when I was about 19.

Customs Agent: Are you traveling to Canada for business or pleasure?
Me: Pleasure
Customs Agent: How are you going to pleasure yourself in Canada.
Me (trying to hold back laughter) Ummm, sirr I'm going to pleasure myself at the casino, maybe some of the bars, maybe Tim Horton's if I get hungry.

 

Mustang

SOME of those are routine questions.

"How do you know each other?", "Where did you meet these friends? and "How can you spend time in NY with a hundred dollars" aren't.

The other extreme is the bored Canadian Customs Officer. Coming back from NYC, it took us all of ten seconds to clear Canadian Customs?

CO: Citizenship?
Canadian

CO: Anything to declare?
Nope

Dismissed us with a wave of his hand but never actually looked at us.

Funny

 

Give me Sarnia anytime over the chaos in Windsor.

As for what time to go, check this great website: http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/general/times/menu-e.html

 

I know nothing of the Sarnia crossing so if those who do recommend, I'd go with that. I usually take the tunnel when I go over to Canada but that's because it's actually closer to where I live. Bridge isn't that far but it always seems like more of a pain. And, as mentioned, there is construction on 75 but basically if you just get off the bridge and head down Fort Street until you see the sign where you can turn to get back on 75 that works too. I drive to Ohio pretty often and have finally gotten used to thise highway closing. I never have any trouble with customs but I usually just tell the Canadians I'm going shopping or to dinner and tell the Americans I'm coming back home. Also, I've always used my passport, even when it wasn't required. Seemed to speed the process.

 

OK, story from about 15 years ago. For some reason, I rode the team bus to a hockey game in Canada. As we're crossing back into the U.S. about 1 a.m., the guys all start groaning when they see a female Customs agent get on the bus. They were calling her "the troll" and "Tonya Harding's mom." She immediately jumps in their faces. "What did I tell you guys last time about having the coolers in the aisles? If this happens again, nobody is crossing." She then gives everybody the once-, twice- and thrice-over before finally letting us go after about 45 minutes. Guy are sitting there with ice bags all over their bodies and she couldn't have been nastier. About a month later, a Customs agent at the Port Huron/Sarnia border got shot. Yup. It was her. Unfortunately, she lived. (I joke! I joke!)

 

Nothing beats the junior hockey team (Barrie, I think but Huggy would know) who had a game in the US and smuggled one of their Russian players across the border in the luggage compartment because he didn't have his papers in order.

If I'm not mistaken, they had to do the same thing coming back to Canada.

 

It was Barrie, alright, back in the 1999-2000 season.

 

And the dude was a healthy scratch that game, too.

 

Team I cover once had a goalie stuck at the border. Wouldn't let him back in the U.S. and wouldn't let him back in Canada. He sat there for about four hours in the middle of the night until somebody drove rover and produced his paperwork. What's funny is when the Customs people get on the bus, they ask you your citizenship and if you say U.S. they move on without asking to see proof. Say Canadian and they want proof. And it was always the veterans who would forget their paperwork and delay the trip even longer. Thank God I've only ridden the bus a handful of times over the years.