Date:         Wed, 13 Apr 2005 00:21:57 -0500
Reply-To:     Jeff Palmer <icecoldvw@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
Comments:     RFC822 error: <W> MESSAGE-ID field duplicated. Last occurrence
              was retained.
From:         Jeff Palmer <icecoldvw@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Coast toCoast! and Crazy Customs
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

I live in Winnipeg, about 100 km north of the Canada/US border.  About five
or ten years back or so the Trans Canada Highway was washed out for a couple
of days because a beaver dam broke and the water washed out the highway.  No
lie.

So I drove south through either Rainey River/Baudette or Fort
Frances/International Falls (can't recall) to avoid the washout.  Me and a
million other folks.  At the time there were new rules about having to
register at US Customs (ah, simpler times) so I went in to US Customs and
signed something and when I came out all my Westfalia contents and a few
pieces of van itself were sitting neatly in a pile beside the car.  Needless
to say I wasn't very happy at being misled but wanting to avoid the Latex
Glove Treatment I settled on having evil thoughts for the agents and left
without buying one damn thing (not even Nut Rolls).

I guess everyone has their stories but it seems like there are more than
there should be in my part of the country.

Jeff
85 Westfalia GL
69 Type III notchback (save me)
Winnipeg


> I live in Houlton, Maine ... 3 miles from the Canadian border.  I cross
> into Canada (New Brunswick) frequently and occasionally at crossings
> where they wouldn't know me and have no problems doing so without having
> to show a passport.
>
> I have friends who live in Canada and they cross into the US and back
> with equal ease.
>
> Maybe some locations are just more strict than others.
>
> Mike
>