Canada -- not just America's hat

[Sapphire Silk]

Quoth chainedbarista

they don't have passports or require them in the underground where he lives; you jes' scoot from tunnel t' tunnel.

wow, someone is still living in the past; i realise it wasn't that long ago that all you needed was some sort of picture id, but that's come and gone; time to get with the future, buddy.

The passport thing is fairly recent, as someone else recently pointed out. And just to come into the US. The Canadians are far less paranoid than we are, and don't seem inclined to waste money on the dog and pony show that is the TSA.

When I lived in North Dakota I went to and from Canada fairly frequently, as I had several friends who lived there and we'd go up on weekends and holidays for visits.

We always had to stop at customs, coming and going. It really was not a huge deal unless you have something to declare, and even then you just pay the tax and go on your way (assuming it is not illegal )

One of my friends would always stop at a duty free shop at the customs station to buy whiskey to take home. Don't know if they still have it, but the prices were pretty cheap.

I miss Canada sometimes. Friendly folks there. Nice communities.

[dalesys]

My most famous relative is Canadian. My grandfather's first cousin George "The Iceman" Woolf, jockey, rider of Seabiscuit.

[nuthing12]

Quoth Jetfire

To go from the US to Canada, you still don't need a passport or anything other than basic ID's.

To get back to the US from Canada, you will need a passport as of the past year or two. *says no more*

That's not true anymore. When the US started cracking down on flights and border crossing with Homeland Security, although it took many years to implement on the Canadian border, the US finally made it a requirement that Canadians coming into the US would now Require a passport to do so. In accordance, Canada made a similar requirement that any American wanting to come north would be required to carry a passport as well.

There are some exceptions though, where driver's licenses especially tailored to meet certain criteria for cross border travel, will suffice in place of a passport.

[El Pollo Guerrera]

It sounds to me like the SC was looking to partake of more of BC's greatest cash crop (illegal version)...

It also sounds like he's already had a little too much.

[XCashier]

Quoth MoonCat

There's an enhanced driver ID you can use, I believe. I live very near the border with Canada (an uncle used to have a cottage there. It never seemed like a foreign country to me then)

Did he have a red Barchetta in the garage?

What gets me is the "pass-thingy". How damned difficult is it to say "passport"?! It's a combination of two short words. Pass. Port. Both incredibly easy to pronounce. Even if you are so concrete-skulled as to be unable to comprehend what it is for, you should be able to say it.

[Peppergirl]

Travel agent hat on:


The law went into effect in Jun of 2009. A passport is required for entry into Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico.


/Travel agent hat off


Yes, I still get berated by fully grown adults who booked flights and claim they weren't told they needed this documentation to enter Canada.

Yep. The 'accept no personal responsibility' rule for SC's is still FULLY alive and well, and seems to be gaining momentum every day.

[Jetfire]

Quoth nuthing12

That's not true anymore. When the US started cracking down on flights and border crossing with Homeland Security, although it took many years to implement on the Canadian border, the US finally made it a requirement that Canadians coming into the US would now Require a passport to do so. In accordance, Canada made a similar requirement that any American wanting to come north would be required to carry a passport as well.

There are some exceptions though, where driver's licenses especially tailored to meet certain criteria for cross border travel, will suffice in place of a passport.

Not entirely true. For Americans coming into Canada from the US, you may need a passport. (I'm not aware of the laws for that fully)

For Canadians coming into Canada from the US, you just need some form of picture ID. (Regular license will suffice). I know this from personal experience, having crossed back home and they didn't even take our passports to look at. (Granted we are 'locals' too)

[bhskittykatt]

Quoth MoonCat

There's an enhanced driver ID you can use, I believe. I live very near the border with Canada (an uncle used to have a cottage there. It never seemed like a foreign country to me then). I know you can't just drive over anymore without the right documentation. This guy must have been visiting from outer space!

There are alternatives to passports, such as an Enhanced Driver's License or a Nexus pass, but those are geared more towards people who regularly commute across the border. For the average traveler, easy simple answer is you need a passport.

[Frantic Freddie]

Quoth El Pollo Guerrera

It sounds to me like the SC was looking to partake of more of BC's greatest cash crop (illegal version)...

It also sounds like he's already had a little too much.

Nail,meet hammer.

[Gaki]

I used to go to Canada to get my takeout. In fact, I got a passport just so I could do that very thing. I thought it was just another hassle when they made us do it but I understand national security and I don't really give a damn. I get my take out anyway. This has been around for awhile now and I really don't see any problem with it. I actually like it better because there are less ignorant Americans at my fave Chinese place now. (Not that there aren't ignorant people, just less ignorant Americans.)