[A/S] Canadian Customs

["Harvey Barlow" <harveybarlow@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hunter and Listees,

I had a similar unpleasant experience about 10-12 years ago.  My wife and I
were traveling to Vancouver, BC towing a trailer.  I was carrying a .22
caliber handgun in the trailer.  Knowing that Canada law forbids such and
that authorities are very serious about preventing handguns, I stopped at a
hardware store in Bellingham, WA and handed the gun over to the store owner
for storage for a few days.  I received a receipt.

We proceeded to the border checkpoint.  Of course we were displaying Texas
license plates on the truck and trailer which appeared to create a special
"situation."  The truck and trailer were only a year or two old and in good
repair, we were dressed and groomed appropriately, conducted ourselves
appropriately, were polite and responsive to questions, etc.  When asked if
I was carrying a weapon, I truthfully answered that I was not but
volunteered the information that I did frequently carry a small caliber
handgun but had turned it in at Bellingham for safe storage and handed over
the receipt containing the current date, name and address of the hardware
store, description of the weapon, etc.

The Canadian customs officials very rudely ordered us out of the truck and
searched every inch of the truck and trailer before allowing us to continue.
They found no weapons or any other type of contraband but remained rude and
discourteous.

I have been told that Canadian officials frequently react in a similar
manner, particularly to Texas license plates.

In February 1998, my adult daughter and I were in Michigan sightseeing while
my '34 A/S was being stripped and recoated at P & S in Helena, OH.  We drove
across into Canada at Port Huron, MI just to have lunch and look around.
When we attempted to leave Canada we were rudely interrogated as to why we
had entered Canada, how long we had stayed, what we did, where we went, etc.
We were driving a four year old Ford F-250 with camper shell, no luggage,
nothing of any consequence in the rear of the truck, were dressed and
groomed appropriately, were courteous and responsive to questions asked,
etc.

Canadian Customs officials are not ideal travel ambassadors for Canada, at
least not for US citizens who display Texas license plates.

Harvey