Read this if you are going to Canada...

[+ glutes]

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/02/23/NEVIUS.TMP

[SAdler]

Not that I'm ineligible but yeesh that is INSANE!

 

I wonder how they handle people that have completed probation without problem and have SUPPOSEDLY had the issue dropped off their records. I have an event in Toronto in March and some rather rambunctious family from the 60's/70's.

[Guest zipperzone]

I find this rather amusing.

 

Canadians trying to enter the US from Canada have had the same problems for several years now. The Americans thought it was an OK arrangement. But when the same rules are applied to them, they cry foul.

 

We had a case of a woman whose American boyfriend had given her a ticket to visit him in Chicago as a Valentine's gift. She was turned back at the Vancouver airport. The reason? She had not paid for the ticket herself and she was not currently employed in Canada. She was living with her mother and was between careers. The was berated for not being "self sufficent" - as if it was any of the official's friggin business.

 

And - it was Bush who decided that everyone from Canada had to have a passport to enter the US. So we now have a situation where we used to drive over the border at the drop of a hat, for the purpose of shopping, entertainment, dining etc. That has largely dried up and many US border towns who relied on Canadians spending $$$ are hurting.

 

What goes around, comes around

[snoopy]

Yes, but the sad thing is that Canada has seen about a 25% drop in visitors from the US since the new rules requiring everyone to have a passport went into effect. Canada relies heavily on tourism..and US tourism especially. This is the last thing they should be doing!

[Guest zipperzone]

>Yes, but the sad thing is that Canada has seen about a 25%

>drop in visitors from the US since the new rules requiring

>everyone to have a passport went into effect. Canada relies

>heavily on tourism..and US tourism especially. This is the

>last thing they should be doing!

 

But it's still tit for tat. If the US does it, give me one good reason why Americans entering Canada should be exempt.

 

I admit that the drop in tourism thing is a bummer but pls remember that the passport requirement was started by the Bush administration. Canada tried for a couple of years to have this requirement quashed as it was felt it would be bad for business on both sides of the border, but their protests fell on deaf ears.

 

There are two US border towns close by Vancouver that are on their way to becoming ghost towns, and all because of their government insisting on passports.

 

I think the whole passport thingy is just another money makeing project. I don't know what the US charges their people but I think the Canadina government charges $100 for one. Let's say only 5 million Canadians decided to get a passport - you do the math! If my calculations are correct, that's about a 1/2 billion dollars.

[Louis]

Americans do not need passports to come into Canada at this time. You may need one if you fly into Canada, but you do not need one if you drive into Canada.

I used to take pride that we shared the longest border in the world, and how easy it was for citizens of either country to go back and forth. I live in a border town, and it is still quite easy to go back and forth, however when Homeland Security took over from US customs, things went down hill. In my opinion US customs was doing a great job. I had one really bad experience with a girl from homeland security, and because of that, I have not been in the US for several years. I will go to the US again, but I don't expect to be questioned or treated like a criminal.

I have no problem with people checking my car, and going through luggage, but when I am asked the same question four times in a row (except worded differently), it gets a bit much.

Secondly, I could go into the US very easily without going through a border crossing....but I don't do that sort of thing because I am a law abiding person.

Lastly it wasn't Canada that iniciated the idea about passports. It was the US government. So natually Canada followed suit, because if you need a passport to go into the US, you will need one to return to the US if you visit Canada.

Canadians are against the passport idea, and many if not all cities and towns that are on the border (on both sides of he border) do not like the idea of passports.

[Guest]

This is very foolish on both sides. Canadians (as well as Americans) have much more to lose than to gain from this silly behavior (or should I say behaviour?). If Bush is an idiot does that mean you should be an idiot as well? I remember the year France decided to require visas of Americans. Their tourist dollars dropped by nearly half, and they dropped that smart-assed policy quickly.

[Guest zipperzone]

>Americans do not need passports to come into Canada at this

>time. You may need one if you fly into Canada, but you do not

>need one if you drive into Canada.

 

Perhaps not - but I think an American will require a passport to re-enter the US

[Guest zipperzone]

>This is very foolish on both sides. Canadians (as well as

>Americans) have much more to lose than to gain from this silly

>behavior (or should I say behaviour?). If Bush is an idiot

>does that mean you should be an idiot as well?

 

In a logical world - no. But these days logic doesn't seem to play a part anymore. I personally think that if you can produce a valid driver's lic and a birth certificate, that should be sufficient.

[kjun]

Why should we need a passport to go to Canada. It's not necessary to have one to go to Texas. And, as we all know, Canada is just another state.:+

 

Seriously folks, this passport business for Canada and Mexico is just another of the Bush administration's stupidity. Think about all the people coming through Mexico illegally. Do you think lack of a passport is going to stop a terrorist?

 

the Cajun

[Guest PWIT]

Have seen several comments about the US policy being credited to the current administration. You may actually want to discuss with your reps in congress instead. For US folks not happy with the results, you may wish to discuss changes with your congressman to The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. If you feel the implementation of that act is not done so in guidance with the law, then take that argument to the administration.

[Louis]

Like I said I am proud to live in a part of the world where we have the longest undefended borders in the world. While its true that we both have are cultures, our countries are very intermeshed. Many people in the border areas have dual citizenships, and if it were not for the custom's at the border crossings, it would be almost impossible to tell that you have crossed into a different country. It is not uncommon in this area to see both American and Canadian flags flying side by side, and many kids do cross border dating.

[Guest ReturnOfS]

Don't get mad at this American. I hate Bush and his policies. I didn't vote for him.

[Guest zipperzone]

>Don't get mad at this American. I hate Bush and his policies.

>I didn't vote for him.

 

Now why am I just waiting for this to be moved to the Politics forum?

[+ deej]

The actual requirements are here:

 

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html

[Traveler North]

I live in a border area and am used to crossing the border frequently to visit friends and Canadian relatives as well as going to Toronto for shows and other fun. Still easy to get into Canada but coming back home is ridiculous at some bridge crossings where you have to wait sometimes for over an hour to cross. With new laws, we need larger numbers of gates and more inspectors. Our inconvenience does not seem to bother the DOPES in D.C.

[Epigonos]

I really don't understand all of this fuss. I have traveled to Europe and Asia for years and have been required to have a passport. I believe that Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean Countries have been the only exceptions to this requirement. So now the rules have simply become uniform for all foreign countries. Sincerely why should Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean Countries be exempt from the passport rule to which the rest of the world has had to comform?

[Guest msclonly]

I have to agree with the above, and have no problem with everyone showing proper Passports, residency, citizenship, or IDs in this day and age of dangerous travel!

 

There is no need to waste valuble energies on hate, anger, and dislike in this day and age of INSECURITY around the world, that threatens life from many dirctions. It is best to be cautious and prepared, unless you are trying to hide something and want to beat the system!

 

;(

[Louis]

I went to Europe quite a while ago, and of course I needed a passport.

I used to go to the US quite often back then, so the one day when I crossed I showed them my passport, and it took I would say between five and ten minutes to process me. If I just gave him my driver's license, the customs officer would have handed it back to me, and told me to have a great day. So while the passports sound like a great idea, I am wondering if it will slow things down like it did for me, several years ago?

I guess having lived close to the border all my life, and finding the customs officers doing a more than adequate job, I would like to see things stay as they are....but we do live in a world of change, and I will eventually get a passport again.....because I do want to see some American escorts..:-)....which to me is a pretty good reason.:-)

[Guest zipperzone]

>I really don't understand all of this fuss.

 

I guess it's because those of us who live in border towns have been spoiled in the past. We thought nothing of deciding on the spur of the moment to drive over the line for a beer, ice cream cone, movie or whatever. We really treated entry into the US as out god given right and no big deal, as did border town Americans coming to Canada.

 

Now the days of impromtu are over. Unless you keep you passport in the glove box (a really bad idea) such trips must be planned now. And who the hell is going to plan to go for a beer on a hot summer's night?

 

The fun is over.....

[Luv2play]

Why all the fuss? Well, think of it this way. For years you have been going to your favorite club where there were no dress restrictions and no cover charge. All of a sudden, there is new management and you are required to wear a jacket and tie just to have a beer and the cover charge is $10.00. You are told, well, back on 9/11 someone broke up the bar and there was terrible damage. Now everybody getting into the bar has to be a better type of person and to ensure that they are enforcing a dress code and cover charge. Would you make a fuss? :-(

[Guest PWIT]

Is it a stripper bar? :+

[Epigonos]

Understanding the circumstances you describe one has, in my opinion, two options, 1.) conform to the new standards or 2.) find a new bar. Frankly the new owners have the right to set whatever policy they wish and one can either accept it or go elsewhere. If enough people boycott the bar because of its new policy the owners will either change the policy or go broke. It is in this last sentence where your analogy breaks down -- the bar may go broke because of the new policy; the United States government isn't going to go broke because of the new passport requirements.

 

Now if you want me to feel sympathy for people adversely affected by this policy change don't talk to me about the Canadians who are unhappy because it will be more difficult to cross the border to go shopping or bar hopping or the Americans whose vacations will be delayed. Talk to me about the thousands of Mexican workers who cross the border daily to work in the United States. This change will be an almost intolerable burden. It is also interesting that in this instance one cannot blame the incompetent Bush Administration. Bush has supported a change in United States immigration policy for years that would provide for guest worker permits. That change has been blocked my members of his own party. Now that the Democrates control Congress it will be interesting to see if they are willing to alienate much of their anglo and labor constituencies by passing just such a policy -- I highly doubt it. Let's always keep in mind that the English language started the words politician and prostitute with the same letter in my opinion for a very good reason -- they are the same

[Guest]

Well, buying a new suit and forking out $10 is something a person might do if he really liked the place. More than likely, though, most customers would probably find some other place to go, and the bar would have a tough time staying in business. I have never been arrested, let alone convicted, of a misdemeanor or felony. But I've certainly committed some (i.e. I've had gay sex in states where it was a felony at the time--and we've all solicited or engaged in prostitution). And I suspect that a large fraction of the U.S. population either has minor convictions on their records or might travel with someone who does. For example, two of my best friends, with whom I have traveled, have some misdemeanors in their distant records (10 and 20 years ago). I suspect they would not be interested in going through the process of obtaining rehabilitation permits. We would simply go elsewhere.

I hate to have to say it, but Canada just doesn't have any sights which are so incredible as to have to beg to see them. They don't have the Taj Mahal, Great Wall of China, the Great Pyramids, the Grand Canyon, Iguassu Falls, Rio, or Venice. I forwarded that article to, among others, my law-and-order brother who called the policy "incredibly stupid," and my Canadian-born step-mother who also felt the policy to be unwise at best. The only reason so many Americans visit Canada is because it's convenient--not because Montreal compares in any way to Paris, or Ottawa to London.

[Guest zipperzone]

>I hate to have to say it, but Canada just doesn't have any

>sights which are so incredible as to have to beg to see them.

>They don't have the Taj Mahal, Great Wall of China, the Great

>Pyramids, the Grand Canyon, Iguassu Falls, Rio, or Venice.

 

I think you are missing the point here. The article that was originally quoted stated that although Canada is the one enforceing the policy at this time, it is only a matter of time before most other countries will be on the same system with the same policies. So whether or not you think Canada's natural wonders, worthy of the inconvenience, you are not going to be able to see the sights of Paris or Japan (to name just a couple) if you have any convictions on your record.

 

>I forwarded that article to, among others, my law-and-order

>brother who called the policy "incredibly stupid," and my

>Canadian-born step-mother who also felt the policy to be

>unwise at best.

 

It may very well be "incredibly stupid" but it is also impossible to gain entry into the US if you have a conviction on your record. Now - is that "incredibly stupid" or do you think it is incredibly prudent?

 

>The only reason so many Americans visit

>Canada is because it's convenient--not because Montreal

>compares in any way to Paris, or Ottawa to London.

 

Now that's just plain dumb. Why would anyone visit someplace just because it's convenient, if their wasn't something of interest there?