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Subject:Re: US Customs From:Joanne Greene <joanne -dot- greene -at- JACOBUS -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 2 May 1997 16:00:43 -0400
During the summer of the Watergate hearings, I traveled to Europe via
Montreal. (believe it or not, it was cheaper at that time for four college
students to take a bus to Montreal from Washington, DC and fly to Paris
then to fly from Washington, DC to Paris)
Getting into Canada was easy. We had passports, but they didn't care.
Getting into and out of France, Italy, and Greece was easy. Getting back
into Canada was easy.
Getting into through US customs at the Canadian/New York State border took
the most time (we were on a bus) and the custom agents asked about
everything. We had to leave all citrus fruit and any other produce in Canada
because of potential agricultural pests.
The agents also wanted to know what we had pruchased overseas and if we had
a quantity of items that implied we were going to resell things in the US. I
had purchased three shawls while in Greece, and the agent expressed some
skepticism at that number. After I told him (the truth) that I have two
sisters and the third was for myself, he backed off.
AS for the posting that advised not packing a firearm to Canada, there are
strict FAA regs on that no matter where you fly in a commercial carrier.
At 02:44 PM 5/2/97 -0400, you wrote:
>Hi all,
>
>> I used to live in Niagara Falls (NY) and we would cross the border without a
>> passport all the time. I think as long as you have a valid drivers
license, you
>> should be all set. You might want to bring your birth certificate just in
case,
>> but I don't think you'll need it.
>
>A few years ago I went to British Columbia for vacation. The airline
>required that you have a copy of one of the following: your birth
>certificate or a voters registration card.
>
>So, if you're flying, find out what the airline requires also. Once I got
>to Canada, the Canadian immigration authorities didn't ask for any ID at
>all. They just asked what the purpose of the trip was.
>
>Coming back, the customs guy in the US was a pain in the ***. He went
>through everything I had looking for contraband. I haven't been able to
>figure this one out. Now that I'm over 40 the customs people hassle me.
>
>When I was an flaky hippie college student in the late 60's and early 70's,
>I never had problems.
>
>Go figure.
>
>Peg, peg -at- control -dot- com
>
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