US border issues!! Border Officers..

Hey guys,

I recently visited the Detroit/Windsor border on Saturday. My friend and I travelled down in that area to pick up my headers from ceramic re-coating. We had issues trying to enter the US border.

We were asked where we were going and we said "pick up some car parts". My friend was supposed to meet up with a guy in Ann Arbor to pick up some brakes for his 5.0. The customs officers asked us to park off into the bay area and they search my vehicle. They gave me a hassle about my headers in the trunk and said that I was selling them on E-bay. I had receipts for the coating service completed on my headers and they said it dosen't matter.

The officer searching my vehicle asked me some really suspicious questions about the headers, lke, What year and vehicle and engine? Then they said that I could only enter the US if I left my headers at the border and get them when I return to Canada. I said yeah right, they would just dissapear. I refused and told them that I wasn't going without them unless they can lock them and give me the only key. They said no!!

All I can say is I am never going to travel to the US again for personal pleasure. Border patrol officers are just morons who act like tuff guys with the badge with the law on their side.

IF you tell them your doing business, your
asking for trouble.
Taner,
Tell this boy how to do international business.

Shoulda told 'em you were going to visit a friend in AA or just to check out the campus and left it at that...

It doesn't matter if it was the Canadian border patrol or the U.S... they both can be pricks if you don't say the right things. I've been searched before.

IF you tell them your doing business, your
asking for trouble.

Yup.

I bought Taner's old Hooker Longtube headers and didn't have any real problems bringing them back at all. They asked to look in the trunk and I told them what I had and what I was doing in Canada and let me go right after they took a quick look.

Problems at the border seem to be the luck of the draw with who you get and when you are crossing. Numerous times I have not had to show any ID at all (both ways) and they let me go right on through. If they stop to check the car, I have never had them hold me for longer than 5 minutes. Longest I was ever kept was 10 minutes and this was because the girl was (either bored or looking to get more info from us on what we exactly did in Canada) just chatting up a storm about working, what we did, did we have fun, etc... and some other random conversation material....

It's hit or miss, but they could have decided to give you a hard time based on your tone, age, how you responded to certain questions, etc...

I'm from the US and travel to the canada side every once in a while. Either way just tell them your going to meet some friends for dinner or somethin, have never been questioned after.

Yeah i had some problems the other day with my wheels. Alot of them are pricks, i never lie, i tell them what iam doing an how long iam gunna be across the boarder for an usually have to problems.

I was hassled once on the Canada side 7 yrs ago, never been back since. I don't see the point of having to deal with a bunch of BS when I'm going to blow a couple hundred bucks on a night out.

I was hassled once on the Canada side 7 yrs ago, never been back since. I don't see the point of having to deal with a bunch of BS when I'm going to blow a couple hundred bucks on a night out.

My thoughts exactly!!

I can understand the US side being paranoid from recent events, but given all correct documentation, born in Canda, and information of exactly where I was going they really shouldn't of hassled me. Too bad for the US travel industry now cause I won't be spending my hard earned money there anymore.