So, I almost didn't get back in my own country last night

[shadowknows69]

Had a taxi fare over the border into Ontario last night and, as it has been since I was a child, I was welcomed at Canadian customs with a smile and a quick check of my customer's necessary documents (a Canadian woman and her daughter and her new husband who was a US citizen)but didn't even really glance at mine and said they didn't need it.
Coming back into the US has always, pre-9/11 always, been more difficult and the guards seem to have more attitude. On this occasion the US customs agent hit me with something new. I had an empty cab on the way back and I handed them my 2 forms of ID, Driver's license and my ID for the military base that we all have to get and has to be approved by the Department of Defense after a background check. Believe me I was a little suprised that they issued it to me. I guess DU isn't deemed too shady a place to hang yet B-). Anyhoo, after about 5 minutes of contemplating my documents and checking my trunk the customs agent asked me if I had proof of citizenship. I wanted to say "other than my DOD issued card you're holding with the US Army seal on it? Luckiliy my intellect won over my sarcastic wit for a change and I didn't say anything that would get me an instant strip search and body cavity invasion. He asked me if I had my birth certificate and I almost did laugh out loud.

I said, "no sir"

He got quite mad very quickly.
"Why not? We're in a heightened state of alert, you don't think we'd want to ask what your citizenship was? You've never taken customers to Canada before?"

I said, "Yes I have sir several times and they've never asked me for it before", true BTW. For a minute I thought I was done for. This guy seemed about ready to pull me over and give me the 3 hour, rip your cab to pieces, empty your pockets and take off your clothes search. Some friends and I had gone over one year to party and on the way back our DD didn't know where he was supposed to stop and he almost zoomed right through one of the checkpoints. Until half a dozen people came running out with guns drawn that was. Long night in the interrogation room that night, but I digress. The customs agent eventually showed pity on me after ominously punching several things into a computer and staring intently from his machine to me to my ID's and let me pass with the snide remark, "Next time you drive you need to get your birth certificate and staple it to your underwear or wherever before you come back here. Better yet take your BC and take it to get your passport made because that's coming." (Jan 2007 to be exact so I'm told) I thanked him and went on my merry way feeling not at all welcomed back to my own country. The passport thing won't help US/Canadian trade any. Our cab service to Ontario will probably end because of it. Our boss won't shell out the money to get us all passports and most of us can't afford it. Anyway it's damn good to be back but if I did have to be stranded in a different country Canada would be my first choice. What's the protocol for displaced Americans? What if I didn't have a wife and mother that would probably (hopefully) come rescue me? Would you guys adpot me?
:7

[LisaM]

1. My friend's uncle went to dinner in Windsor and didn't get back in

for four MONTHS! He was a Chinese citizen. I'm not sure I have all the details correct, but I believe that he lived in Hong Kong. He came to visit his family in the Detroit area, and went to Windsor to have dinner with a colleague (he is a professor). His passport was Chinese and he had it, but they wouldn't accept it.

Eventually, a lawyer figured out that he should use his British passport, which he also had (probably from pre-1997) and they let him back in the US. This whole thing still pisses me off. What harm is an elderly Chinese professor, with a perfectly valid reason for going to Windsor, going to do that's such a security risk? And who can afford to stay in another country for FOUR months?

[Justitia]

2. Adopt you? Hell, I'd join you. Canadian grass looks greener all the time

from down here.

Bon Chance!

[Blue_In_AK]

3. My husband and I were just talking about that last night...

wondering if the Canadians are going to step up their border patrols to stop emigrating Americans. I imagine they will be seeing quite an influx of illegal aliens if American continues on the path ** has set us on.

[shadowknows69]

6. I'd move to Canada for reasons having nothing to do with Bush

I haven't been over much lately but always loved my trips there in the past. I had to stop at a casino on the way home to exchange some currency and somehow resisted the temptation to play some games. When I got back my dispatcher said "oh man you should have at least played some of the slots, just in case"
I said, "yeah and if I won you'd be coming looking for your taxi in Toronto this weekend"
Always one of my favorite cities in the world.

[Blue_In_AK]

13. I haven't been to that side of Canada

but we have frequently driven through a corner of the Yukon Territory to get to Haines, Alaska, and the ferry to Southeast. It used to be no big deal, but I imagine it's a whole different story these days. We haven't driven over that way since 9/11. I guess Alaskans will soon need a passport to get to their state capital if they plan to travel by auto/ferry. It sucks.

[uppityperson]

23. Driving SE north, US borderguards made me open cans of fish

we had canned a bunch of fish in SE, bringing them back to the interior. US border guards made me open the box (no problem) then made me open a couple random cans of fish (problem, only opener was on swiss army knife, and then we have canned food that is no longer, well, canned). They told me I was lucky I didn't have to open them all. AND this was pre 9/11. I think they had not been in AK long perhaps, or else were just being persnickity. Passports to go to the capital, too funny but I can see it coming. Maybe the cap should be moved? :evilgrin:

[Blue_In_AK]

28. Some of us have been saying that for about 30 years...

...but then Juneau wouldn't have much to live on if all the government types left.

By the way, you might be interested in my threads here http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=138x1641 and here http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=138x1642

Ben Stevens, for anyone who doesn't know, is Ted Stevens' bratty son.

[Critters2]

7. Umm, it's "bonne chance"

"Chance" is a feminine noun, so you need the feminine form of the adjective. Bon--masculine; bonne--feminine. Important to learn the lingo.

Critters
spelling/grammar Nazi in two languages!

[truebrit71]

12. Umm, no it's not. Bon Chance is perfectly fine....

But things for playing "Let's be pedantic (badly) in two languages"....

[Critters2]

14. I disagree. But since you're in a mood to be snotty, I'll let it go.

French is my native language, so it's not like I pulled this out of my ass.

[shadowknows69]

16. Just curious

how do you say "Pulled this out of my ass" in French?

[truebrit71]

18. LOL!!!

...

[Justitia]

31. Maybe: J'ai tiré ceci hors de mon âne? But, I already f'ed up once. -nt

[truebrit71]

17. Yeah, born and raised with it meself...

..but then what would I know....

[shadowknows69]

15. Could we have a third linguist's opinion

to settle this? Even though I'm sure no matter how it's spelled I'd probably mispronounce it.B-)

[pnwmom]

22. I'm no linguist, but I can yahoo: bonne chance it is.

http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=1006041720426

And a dictionary agrees, too.

http://www.wordreference.com/enfr/good%20luck

"Chance" is a feminine noun, so it takes the feminine adjective, "bonne." Doesn't matter whether the speaker (or "speakee") is feminine or masculine.

[Justitia]

29. Mais bien sur! J'ai fait une erreur idiote. Je suis embarrassé.

Désolé je parle seulement un peu le francais.

:blush:

[KurtNYC]

4. I have talked to others who had problems but they were

Canadians returning to canada. One said they just told him "no" essentially so he waited in the US for about 6 hours until there was a shift change and he tried again with the new crew. He was someone who worked in the US but was a canadian national.

Had an experience similar to yours pre-2001. Returning through the airport, US customs asked for my passport which I have never used to go to Canada. I gave them my NY driver's license and they said "this means nothing." Then they punched some stuff in to a computer and asked a couple more questions before letting me back in.

[shadowknows69]

8. I had to show the DMV my birth certificate to get my L originally

I figured that covered it

[alfredo]

27. I used to drive cab in Detroit. I never had trouble crossing, but

that was in the seventies. I got search several times crossing in my car. I used to ride my bicycle across the bridge for training rides. I never got stopped or searched then.

[The Deacon]

5. Didn't You Hear Conrad Burns?

Terrorists drive taxis in the day & kill people at night.

[shadowknows69]

9. As I said in another thread

I drive nights so I have to do all my killing during the day. At night is when I ride around with the bodies in my trunk, randomly disposing of them on local politician's lawns.

[lindisfarne]

10. The increased border headaches are a pain but you should consider

getting a passport (esp. if it's going to be required) if it speeds up your passage through the border. They're less than $100 for a 10 year passport - a big outlay initially but it averages out to $10/year. If it saves you 1-2 hours total time over that year, it's going to pay for itself easily as you can get a few more fares.

[shadowknows69]

11. Its inevitable

Although be nice if the boss would pay for it.

[treestar]

19. A passport doesn't cost that much

Not that I think it necessary, but the cost shouldn't get you down. It's only about $50, I think.

[shadowknows69]

21. I'm not sure I can go back over

I'm going to get myself in trouble if one of these agents starts busting out the "Terra alert" speak on me again. First thing that goes with old age is your ability to bite your tongue.:9

[The Deacon]

26. Now See?

I don't think any required document should cost more than the actual cost of producing it. My license? $15 for five years, $25 for ten years - the only difference is the date!

[wakeme2008]

20. Get a passport NOW

I just got mine. pre-RFID passports are much better than the soon to be ones with chips in them.

[mmonk]

24. That's why my family and I are getting ours next week.

No chips in mine, no sir ree. History shows borders become a big issue for authoritarian countries. They always either shut down or restrict them when they come to power.

[tenshi816]

35. What will the chips do?

Sorry for my ignorance, but I haven't kept up with this.

I just got my American passport renewed in the UK and the photo looks completely different than on my last two (and not just because I'm older than I was 3 passports ago!). The photo section on the new passport is covered with little squiggly lines and a couple of shiny stars - my old passports didn't have that. Do you think this means I have an RFID passport? The whole thing just appears different.

[baldguy]

25. And "they" hate us for our freedoms...

[coalition_unwilling]

30. Canada, please liberate us! We do apologize for

all those moose jokes :)

[alarimer]

32. Why do they have to act like such Nazi assholes?

I swear, you give someone a little bit of power (border guards for instance) and they turn into complete power-mad Gestapo. I don't think Germany in WWII was an anomaly; I think it is entirely possible for it to happen here. We already have the brownshirts (INS/Border Patrol/ TSA/ police). Can the SS be next?

[PresidentWar]

33. Oh I hear that one!

My wife is Polish-Canadian and we have had to go back and forth across the border at Sweetgrass, Montana a few times. Those bordergaurds are nazi shitheads. What a power trip they are on. They have PLENTY of things at their disposal to quickly determine we are no threat to either side, but they prefer to play the "lets make them sit in the lobby for two hours so they'll break down and admit to something" game. And ironically, they pull all this shit right next to a large poster proclaiming that the US border security has an obligation to respectful treatment of US citizens and those who cross from Canada. The next time they pull this crap, I'm not going to bite my tongue. If I have to spend a night in jail just because I let them have it, so be it.

ENOUGH.

[SoCalDem]

34. Passports are a bargain..cost pro-rated? $6.47 a year

Passport Fees

March 8, 2005

Routine Services (Form DS-11)
Non-Refundable

Age 16 and older: The passport application fee is $55. The security surcharge is $12. The execution fee is $30. The total is $97.

Under Age 16: The passport application fee is $40. The security surcharge is $12. The execution fee is $30. The total is $82.

Methods of Payment -

At Our 14 Passport Agencies -

Both fees and the surcharge are combined into one payment to the ''U.S. Department of State'':

* Credit Cards – VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Discover
* Debit/Check cards (not ATM cards)
* Checks (personal, certified, cashiers', travelers'), money orders (U.S. Postal, international, currency exchange), bank drafts

Note: If abroad, U.S. Embassies and Consulates accept the foreign currency equivalent, or a check drawn on a U.S. bank.

At our over 7,000 Passport Acceptance Facilities -

You pay the passport application fee and the security surcharge to the ''U.S. Department of State'' and the execution fee to the facility where you are applying.

For Passport Application Fee:

* Personal checks, money orders, and bank drafts at all locations
* Exact cash at some locations (verify with the Acceptance Facility)

For Execution Fee:

* Money orders and bank drafts at all locations
* Personal checks and exact cash at some locations (verify with the Acceptance Facility)
* Credit cards at U.S. Postal Facilities and some other locations (verify with the Acceptance Facility)

Passport Renewal (Form DS-82)
Non-Refundable

You may use this form if your previous passport:

1. Was issued when you were 16 or older.
2. Was issued in the last 15 years.
3. Is not damaged.
4. Is submitted with your application.

The Passport fee is $55. The Security Surcharge is $12. The total fee is $67.

Expedited Service - Add $60 for each application

For any service - e.g., first-time application, renewal, additional pages, name change

Additionally, to receive your passport as soon as possible, we strongly suggest that you arrange overnight delivery service for:

1. Sending your passport application

AND

2. Returning your passport to you.