Date:         Sun, 13 Sep 2009 11:01:23 -0230
Reply-To:     Joy Hecht <jhecht@ALUM.MIT.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Joy Hecht <jhecht@ALUM.MIT.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Crossing into Canada with just a "pink slip"
In-Reply-To:  <9f4608e90909121841t7387d5d0uadda89e50700322f@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Yes, they can search your laptop or anything else they want to search - and
that would be the result of Canadian law, not US law - we have no say over
what the Canadians inspect!  But it's pretty darned unlikely that they would
bother.

You're right on about not volunteering ANY information they didn't ask for.
It can't help and it can hurt.  I know!



Joy



On Sat, Sep 12, 2009 at 11:11 PM, Al Knoll <anasasi@gmail.com> wrote:

> Oddly, Joy, they CAN search your laptop if they choose to do so.  And, they
> CAN impound various other items if they choose to do so.  We gave those 4th
> ammendment rights away with the P.A.T.R.I.O.T bill.  (How did your
> congresscritters vote on that little chunk?  Mine went along with the rest
> of the sheep).
>
> I was detained at the Vancouver crossing for four hours while my BMW riding
> companions rode on.  The semi-polite Canadian gendarme mentioned that they
> had a quota to fill and my number just came up.  This was before 9/11, long
> before.  My motorcycle was virtually disassembled and left for me to re-fit
> after no offensive items other than the rider, who was not offensive BEFORE
> the fol-de-rol and did a superb job of maintaining a tiny shred of cool.  I
> had all the proper crossing documents and more.  All questions about
> ammunition, firearms, explosives or alcohol or drugs should be answered with
> a polite 'no'  ALL questions.  If they ask if you own a 'fowling piece' and
> you have one at home, the answer should be a polite 'no'.
>
> There are good reasons to live in Oregon or West Virginia.  The insane
> amount of bureaucratic goatblather necessary for the law abiding citizen to
> do anything is one of the best.  Note that I live in Kalifornia.
>
> "There is science, logic, reason; there is thought verified by experience.
> And then there is California."
> -Edward Abbey
>
> Al (Cane Rattlin RS-ridin Geef and proud of it)
>
> On 9/12/09, Joy Hecht <jhecht@alum.mit.edu> wrote:
>>
>> Hi John,
>>
>> I'm not sure I quite understand what you are worried about - is your
>> concern
>> crossing the border, or is it what would happen if you had an accident or
>> were for some other reason stopped by the police?  YOU need paperwork to
>> get
>> across the borders - passports, for sure - but your car doesn't.  I've
>> crossed the border any number of times in my van, and no one has ever
>> asked
>> for anything pertaining to the vehicle.  Not in either direction.
>>
>