Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2005 20:22:33 -0500
Reply-To: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Subject: Re: Coast toCoast!
In-Reply-To: <8d9356af8a67.425d1241@gci.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Mark, I got tangled up with the IRS over that one once.
I got audited, and I went through the audit down here in the south. The
auditor here in Alabama had a hard time understanding why I had sleeping
bags, tent, food, snowshoes, rifle, compass, first aid kit, etc, all
listed as deductions. He wouldn't allow it until I got someone to fax me
a copy of the Alaska Statute to prove the requirement.
Never ran into a problem when flying a small plane through Canada,
however. I just declared what I had on board, and never had to show
anything ... and I flew through Canada southbound and northbound many
times. Driving was another matter. They were a bit stiffer at the gates
when going into Canada, but it was never a problem leaving.
The big thing I rand into when driving was having proof of the financial
wherewithal to get through and out of Canada. They do not want people
entering Canada on a shoestring, because they don't want to have to bail
foreigners out when they get into trouble financially. Having a couple
of grand in travelers checks, $500 in Canadian cash, and a major credit
card always smooths the way. They always ask where you are going, how
long you expect to be in Canada, and for me always asked how much money
I had to travel on. A couple of times I had to show at least the travel
checks and the credit card. But I never really had any problems crossing
Canada ever, even when I stayed a few days in Whitehorse, and Edmonton.
Interesting about that race from Skagway. Didn't know about that one. I
would like to climb the mountain at Seward ...just to say I did it, but
I would never be able to run it at my age ...... old bones. But I still
think I could climb it.
Regards,
John Rodgers
88 GL Driver
Chelsea, AL
Mark Tuovinen wrote:
>Re: " Taking "Weapons" into Canada is a No NO."
>
>This is one rule that causes Alaskan pilots flying out of state grief. They have to fly through Canada to get to the lower 48 states and Alaska law requires all small aircraft to carry a firearm in their survival gear.
>
>The last time we drove into Canada from Washington on the way home the Border guard asked why our van had California plates if we were Alaskans. We had just purchased it and he was holding the Title/Bill of Sale. Then he asked us how much we had paid for it.
>
>Every Fall there is a 110 mile relay race from Skagway, AK to Whitehorse, YT. The race crosses the US Canada border once and the support vehicle for each team has to stop, the runners just run right past and into Canada. The year I ran in the race 161 support vehicles were stopped and 161 people ran right past the border guards. The guards even made team members that were sleeping while waiting to run their leg wake up and show their faces, but nobody was asked to show ID.
>
>Mark in AK
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Mike Collum <collum@VERIZON.NET>
>Date: Tuesday, April 12, 2005 5:31 pm
>Subject: Re: Coast toCoast!
>
>
>
>>Oh, and I forgot to add ... I'm usually in one of my Vanagons (one
>>is a
>>westy) and I've never had to pull to the side to have the vehicle
>>searched. I have a beard, too.
>>
>>If I have the dogs with me, I make sure I have their health
>>records and
>>proof of rabies vaccinations in the van.
>>
>>If I have a grandchild with me, without the mother onboard, I make
>>sureI have documentation (still no passports) that I am the
>>grandfather and
>>have permission for the child to be with me.
>>
>>If prepared, the crossings, for me, are swift and painless. BTW ...
>>leave your Mace at home. Taking "Weapons" into Canada is a No NO.
>>
>>Mike
>>
>>Mike Collum wrote:
>>
>>
>>>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
>>>
>>>
>>>Robert Fisher wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>We flew from LA to Halifax in the summer of 2000. We were told (by
>>>>whoever
>>>>my wife checked with at U.S. Customs) before we left that we
>>>>
>>>>
>>wouldn't>> need a
>>
>>
>>>>passport and something like a state ID would do, but at the
>>>>
>>>>
>>checkpoints>> both
>>
>>
>>>>going and coming we were asked for our passports and told that
>>>>
>>>>
>>the ID
>>
>>
>>>>thing
>>>>was wrong.
>>>>The lady on the Canadian side wasn't being to hard-assed about
>>>>
>>>>
>>it, and it
>>
>>
>>>>helped that my in-laws were there and promised to be
>>>>
>>>>
>>'responsible' for us
>>
>>
>>>>(at least me and the kid). The guy on the U.S. side on the way
>>>>
>>>>
>>back was a
>>
>>
>>>>Taiwanese or Chinese guy that was wearing latex gloves, a particle
>>>>mask and
>>>>had an accent so thick as to be nearly unintelligible (behind the
>>>>mask); on
>>>>top of that his actual use of English was very poor. Now I don't
>>>>particularly care where the guy was from or what circumstances
>>>>
>>>>
>>led him
>>
>>
>>>>to be
>>>>in that job, but I think that as part of his job requirements
>>>>
>>>>
>>as a U.S.
>>
>>
>>>>Customs official he should at least be able to communicate
>>>>
>>>>
>>clearly in
>>
>>
>>>>English.
>>>>I had expected from the information we got from the Canadian
>>>>
>>>>
>>official>> that
>>
>>
>>>>we were going to have to talk our way back into the states
>>>>
>>>>
>>somewhat but I
>>
>>
>>>>didn't expect to have to do it in Mandarin.
>>>>I was standing there with our California IDs and it was clear
>>>>
>>>>
>>this guy
>>
>>
>>>>had
>>>>heard of Cali but that was about it. I had to do an interesting
>>>>
>>>>
>>tap dance
>>
>>
>>>>between smooth talking and playing dumb to get past the guy- in
>>>>
>>>>
>>the end I
>>
>>
>>>>think I just wore him down and got him worried about his huge
>>>>
>>>>
>>long line
>>
>>
>>>>that
>>>>was forming behind me. I barely kept my temper, but the idea of me
>>>>getting
>>>>arrested and stranding my wife and daughter at Chicago customs
>>>>
>>>>
>>helped me
>>
>>
>>>>hold on.
>>>>Anyway, if you're gonna cross borders, you might as well get a
>>>>passport and
>>>>save yourself some hassle. My in-laws did so for their last
>>>>
>>>>
>>visit (post
>>
>>
>>>>9/11) and fairly breezed through.
>>>>
>>>>This makes me wonder if the Canadians (Frank, Gary, Ben, etc.)
>>>>
>>>>
>>that drive
>>
>>
>>>>down here run into any problems, or if Larry ran into any
>>>>
>>>>
>>problems while
>>
>>
>>>>driving up and back. What do they look for when you're driving
>>>>
>>>>
>>across the
>>
>>
>>>>border? I wonder if it's more of an issue when you're flying versus
>>>>driving?
>>>>
>>>>Cya,
>>>>Robert
>>>>
>>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>>From: "jimt" <camper@TACTICAL-BUS.INFO>
>>>>To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>>>>Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2005 4:51 PM
>>>>Subject: Re: Coast toCoast!
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>On 4/12/05 17:32, "Robert Fisher" <refisher@MCHSI.COM> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>They call it 'The Mother Road', among other things. I dunno if you
>>>>>really
>>>>>want to go to Chicago but I guess you could leave it in Tulsa
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>for points
>>
>>
>>>>>east and south.
>>>>>I'm probably going to drive from SoCal to Nova Scotia someday.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>Might be
>>
>>
>>>>>interesting to make that drive part of the trip.
>>>>>
>>>>>Cya,
>>>>>Robert
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>With the new home land rules going in I think we are loosing
>>>>
>>>>
>>what has
>>
>>
>>>>been a
>>>>"right" of mexican, us, and canadian citizens. The right to
>>>>
>>>>
>>cross the
>>
>>
>>>>borders with an id card and no passport required. Prepare to have
>>>>passports
>>>>ready for the trips across the lines.
>>>>........................................
>>>>jimt
>>>>Planned insanity is best.
>>>>Remember that sanity is optional.
>>>>http://www.tactical-bus.info (tech info)
>>>>http://www.westydriver.com
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>
>
>
>
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