Border Disputes

[bhskittykatt]

Ah, the joys of being in a border town and dealing with SCs who don't understand when they're in another country

No looney-tooney money here

Me: That will be $68.
SC: What is that in Canadian?
Me: I'm sorry, we don't take Canadian currency here?
SC: Well why the hell not?
Me: Our bank told us not to.
SC: WELL WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?!?! THAT'S ALL I BROUGHT WITH ME DOWN HERE!!! THIS IS STUPID YOU'RE RIGHT NEXT TO THE BORDER YOU SHOULD TAKE CANADIAN!!!

Yeah, we're a FOREIGN COUNTRY, perhaps you should have exchanged your monies over before you came here?

No greenbacks up there

Of course, stupid knows no borders:

SC: I'm going to Canada tomorrow.
Me: Okay.
SC: Do they take American up there?
Me: Um...it depends on the merchant. I recommend changing your currency before you cross the border.
SC: But most of them still take American, right?
Me: Well, you can learn the hard way, but I highly advise exchanging your cash.
SC: That sounds like a lot of work. I'll just see if they take American.
Me: Alrighty then. You have fun with that.

Say it with me now: FOREIGN COUNTRY! How is that hard to get?

Take it up with Homeland Security, don't take it out on me!

I get several of these a year, the most recent one being this past week:

SC: I don't have a passport. I can get across the border with a driver's license, right?
Me: Sorry, the rules now are that passports are required.
SC: Even with my birth certificate?
Me: Nope. Sorry.
SC: So you're saying I'm screwed?
Me: Unless you can get someone to overnight your passport, pretty much.
SC: Well, that's just great. *gives me evil death stare* So what are *WE* going to do about it?

Well, sir, *WE* are not going to do anything. *YOU* drove here from Alaska, somehow, without a passport. I'm guessing you took the ferry. If you got here without a passport, I'm sure you can go back the same way.

When did they move the border?

This little gem came from a dad and his son coming up from California.

SC: So, are we in Canada?
Me: No, not yet.
SC: Oh, I thought we were.
Me: Nope, you still have about 25 miles to go.
SC: But...this used to be Canada, right? Did they move the border or something?
Me:

[SG15Z]

When did they move the border?

This little gem came from a dad and his son coming up from California.

SC: So, are we in Canada?
Me: No, not yet.
SC: Oh, I thought we were.
Me: Nope, you still have about 25 miles to go.
SC: But...this used to be Canada, right? Did they move the border or something?
Me:

Oh yeah they move it all the time!

[jjllbb]

SC: I'm going to Canada tomorrow.
Me: Okay.
SC: Do they take American up there?
Me: Um...it depends on the merchant. I recommend changing your currency before you cross the border.
SC: But most of them still take American, right?
Me: Well, you can learn the hard way, but I highly advise exchanging your cash.
SC: That sounds like a lot of work. I'll just see if they take American.
Me: Alrighty then. You have fun with that.

It is SO disrespectful to try to use currency from your native country when you're traveling. Especially in this case because its just a matter of being lazy. It would be awesome if you had a stack of foreign currency in your till for just this occasion. Bonus points if it was from some place far away. And you could give it to them as change from their purchase and let them experience just how much of a jerk move it is. Odds are they'd still freak out screaming something or other about how 'we use AMERICAN MONEY in AMERICAAAAA'. sigh.

[aqutalion]

Take it up with Homeland Security, don't take it out on me!

I get several of these a year, the most recent one being this past week:

SC: I don't have a passport. I can get across the border with a driver's license, right?
Me: Sorry, the rules now are that passports are required.
SC: Even with my birth certificate?
Me: Nope. Sorry.
SC: So you're saying I'm screwed?
Me: Unless you can get someone to overnight your passport, pretty much.
SC: Well, that's just great. *gives me evil death stare* So what are *WE* going to do about it?

Well, sir, *WE* are not going to do anything. *YOU* drove here from Alaska, somehow, without a passport. I'm guessing you took the ferry. If you got here without a passport, I'm sure you can go back the same way.

I can almost understand the confusion on this. I flew up to Seattle last month, and the lady sitting next to me was taking a train from there to Vancouver. According to her, you only needed a passport if you were flying. If you were traveling on the surface (boat, car, train), you only needed an extended driver's license (or something. I forget exactly what she called it). This was why she was taking a train instead of another flight, since she hadn't had time to get a passport. That was a surprise to me, since I'd always figured you needed a passport if you were going into a foreign country, regardless of how you were getting there.
Still, if he didn't have the presence of mind to bring a passport, he probably didn't have an extended driver's license, either. Which raises the question, how did he get there in the first place?

[fireheart]

It is SO disrespectful to try to use currency from your native country when you're traveling. Especially in this case because its just a matter of being lazy. It would be awesome if you had a stack of foreign currency in your till for just this occasion.

I think with the exchange rate and whatnot, people would be screaming that they're being ripped off anyway...

Part of me wonders if they think that it works the same way in Europe. (most-not all-countries over there use the Euro.)

But then again, this is SC's were talking about after all...so maybe not

[infinitemonkies]

It was very well publicized several years ago that US/Canada border crossings would require passports instead of just photo ID.

Then they extended the deadline. Then they said you would only need a passport for flying, and pushed back the deadline for ground/water travel even more.

Then they said instead of needing a passport, you could get a new "enhanced" DL. Then the changed their minds about that. Then they pushed back the deadline some more.

At every step of the way for a period of about 3 years, it was impossible to get the news from tv, radio, or newspaper without seeing a story about it.

That said, I'm certain there are probably hundreds, if not thousands of people who try to cross the border every day without passports who claim ignorance of the requirements.



I recall about 10 years ago, hearing about a guy who lived in michigan, worked in ontario, and had been crossing the border twice a day for about 4 years and wasnt aware he was entering another country. This came to light when he ran into some serious tax and immigration issues. How oblivious can you be?






I get a ton of foreign would-be guests at the hotel who planned enough to get a valid passport & travel visa, book a flight, then show up in a foreign country and try to get a hotel room at 2am on a saturday night, with no reservation, no credit cards, and freak right the hell out that a room costs more than 30 bucks.

[Soulstealer]

When did they move the border?

This little gem came from a dad and his son coming up from California.

SC: So, are we in Canada?
Me: No, not yet.
SC: Oh, I thought we were.
Me: Nope, you still have about 25 miles to go.
SC: But...this used to be Canada, right? Did they move the border or something?
Me:

Well it's not like it's never happened. It just hasn't happened since before he was born and I'm referring to the older of the two.

[Blade_Raver]

When did they move the border?

This little gem came from a dad and his son coming up from California.

SC: So, are we in Canada?
Me: No, not yet.
SC: Oh, I thought we were.
Me: Nope, you still have about 25 miles to go.
SC: But...this used to be Canada, right? Did they move the border or something?

Me: Oh yes. It changes all the time. USA and Canada have been playing a constant game of football for at least 200 years and the score is still tied 0-0.

The border line is actually the line of scrimmage. Right now it's Canada's 4th down and the border is 25 miles ahead.

Who knows, one of them mounties will punt a long one and put ya right into Canada while you're still standing here.

Then again, if one or the other country scores a touchdown, you wouldn't have to worry about crossing the border again, wouldn't you?

If you believe this, I've got some awesome waterfront property over in Brooklyn, NY that I'd like to sell ya. Even comes with a nice bridge.

[jackfaire]

Of course, stupid knows no borders:

SC: I'm going to Canada tomorrow.
Me: Okay.
SC: Do they take American up there?
Me: Um...it depends on the merchant. I recommend changing your currency before you cross the border.
SC: But most of them still take American, right?
Me: Well, you can learn the hard way, but I highly advise exchanging your cash.
SC: That sounds like a lot of work. I'll just see if they take American.
Me: Alrighty then. You have fun with that.

Wait so you think it is less work? I hope your vehicle runs out of gas you walk to the nearest gas station and then realize your gonna have to work your butt off to find a place to convert your money when if you had done it before you would have had all that work of driving to your bank.

[MrSmiley]

When did they move the border?

This little gem came from a dad and his son coming up from California.

SC: So, are we in Canada?
Me: No, not yet.
SC: Oh, I thought we were.
Me: Nope, you still have about 25 miles to go.
SC: But...this used to be Canada, right? Did they move the border or something?
Me:

49th parallel (that's latitude). Real easy to remember. Unless you're over on the east side of the country, and then everything's just bizarro-land in general

Back about 20 years ago, it wasn't uncommon to have unmanned border crossings with the gate/road left open for access. How I miss those salad days.

[Samaliel]

Part of me wonders if they think that it works the same way in Europe. (most-not all-countries over there use the Euro.)

I was quite surprised to learn that the UK wasn't the only one not to use the Euro. It makes sense that the newer member countries haven't made the change yet, but I really had no idea about Sweden and Denmark...

I should read the newspaper more. And not only the crossword page...

[EvilEmpryss]

Yes sirree, you require a passport to cross into Canada now, whether by land, sea, or air. Hubby went to a convention in Toronto this August, and we tried every way we could think of to not have to pay for the damned passport. Elliott.org is a great travel site to get info on all the weird little rules that travelers have to abide by, as well as hear about the sucky things that happen to them.

I lived in Minot, ND, for a while, and most places there took Canadian money, just as most places over the border took American. Like bhskittykatt says, it isn't a law or anything that they have to. And the exchange rate was often worse than you get at a bank. Same with Korea: you could change your money before you left the base, or take your chances that the shop keep wanted American money. No, just because our money was worth more than theirs did not mean they're always happey to take it.

Funny anecdote: I have a friend who is a historian, and she got angry with me once because I joked that Minot AFB was the last best hope against Canada invading the US. Apparently some people hold a grudge a looooong time. They will never forget that Canada once tried to invade us back in 1812 or something. Like they're just camping up there, biding their time, waiting for us to be lulled into complacency before they strike again.

[doogiej]

Like they're just camping up there, biding their time, waiting for us to be lulled into complacency before they strike again.

Sssshhhh don't give away our secrets

I live in a border town too and most places on both sides take either currency. The exchange rate sucks, but they'll take it. My favourite people are the ones that pay in Canadian money on the American side, then get mad because they get American in change. Unless they are a currency exchange, it's actually illegal to give back another country's currency as change. At least that's what I've been told. Not that it matters to any SCs.

[mikoyan29]

I recall about 10 years ago, hearing about a guy who lived in michigan, worked in ontario, and had been crossing the border twice a day for about 4 years and wasnt aware he was entering another country. This came to light when he ran into some serious tax and immigration issues. How oblivious can you be?

Speaking as someone from Michigan, it used to be pretty easy to forget that you were going to another country (unless you went to Quebec). The border crossing wasn't that bad except that they asked you where you from etc. I haven't been over to Canada since they've tightened that all down though.

[Mel]

Most of the places I've worked accepted American currency. It rarely happened that someone would pay with it, but we just had to figure out the exchange at that moment and return the change in Canadian currency. Because we never actually had any American currency on hand.

When I worked at Tim Hortons a long time ago we'd figure USD$1.00 = CAD$1.30. It stayed like that for a long time, even though the exchange was always fluctuating..lol

So maybe that's why some Canadians think that American businesses will accept their money.