Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

Michaell

driver100 said:

Michaell said:

driver100 said:

tyguy said:

driver100 said:

There was no traffic so we got to Detroit from Findlay in just over an hour. The border was almost empty...I have never seen a quieter crossing.

Driver, I could use your advice. In the near future I'm going to be driving from Detroit to London, Ontario on a weekend evening and then returning to Detroit on a weekday early afternoon. Any recommendations on how much time to allow at the border crossing?

Ty

Ty, Michael likes the tunnel but I think you will find it more direct taking the Ambassador Bridge. If you are approaching on I-75 watch for the signs as you get to Detroit.

The bridge looks like a war zone. Barrels in place to guide you. A new bridge has been approved but it will be a number of years from now.

If you go on this site it will give you an idea of wait times.
WAIT TIMES FOR THE AMBASSADOR BRIDGE

It can really vary though, depends on number of trucks, which week days, whether etc. Generally I would allow about an hour but you could get through in 10 minutes.

Have your paperwork ready, drivers license, pSpeed is in Kilometers 60 mph is 100 kms. When you cross the bridge you will be in the city of Windsor, speed is listed as "60" but that is only 36mph. Take off the 0 on 60 and multiply X 6.

Just answer questions at customes, do not add anything not asked, don't joke...those guys have 100% control.

I would go across the Ambassador Bridge because you come out on Highway 401 which will take you directly to London Ontario. It will take just over 2 hours if all goes well. If you want to stop the rest stop gas/food places are good, try Tim Hortons coffee.

Windsor is a mess now....lots of lights and zig zag construction. They are building the 401 so it will join up directly to the Ambassador bridge and the new bridge, but it is a huge construction zone for now. I'd allow 30 to 40 minutes to get through Windsor at busy times, 20 minutes minimum. When you get through Windsor there is a new turn-a-bout....go around and watch for signs to London 401. I think it is the second road off....GPS really helps with all this.

It is easier than it sounds and I just prepare for worse case senario. If there is anything else just ask. We are about 100 miles further East.

driver, I wasn't advocating either crossing over the other, just pointing out that there is more than one choice. The tunnel dumps you in downtown Windsor; it would take a bit of navigating to get back onto 401 for the drive to London.

I've been following the new bridge politics with some interest; I wonder how many who read this post realize the Ambassador Bridge is privately owned? Not a government entity or NGO; a private individual. This on one of, if not the most, heavily traveled border crossing between the US and Canada.

ty, I will second drivers comments about customs; I was once detained at Pearson airport in Toronto for an hour or two to sort out my status on a business trip. Had to pay a $200 fine, for which I was escorted by a customs agent to an ATM to withdraw the money. The receipt stated "minor infraction of NAFTA".

I, of course, added the fine to my expense report.

Michael...I understand now about the tunnel, yes, it goes from one downtown to the other and would be out of the way. The Ambassador Bridge seems to be falling apart, it is always being repaired and the traffic flows don't make much sense.

Sorry for your problem at the border, but U.S. customs is just as bad. I have had similar experiences going the other way. I used to cross to see customers (just PR work, no selling) and one time they said don't say it is business, another time they told me I had to say it was business.

2 years ago me, my wife SIL and BIL crossed into the US. We all have Nexus cards. It was 5 a.m. and one lane had about 5 cars, and one lane said "Fast Lane". We all assumed "Fast Lane" meant Nexus card holders. The guy told me to pull in over at the main building. The customs guy asked me what I thought I was doing. I explained we all thought since there wasn't a Nexus sign fast lane meant it was for Nexus card holders. He started to yell at me that I had better learn all the rules about Nexus or he could make it so we will never get into the US again. He told us to sit down while he wrote up a report. After about 20 minutes I got really scared when he put on these rubber gloves. Luckily, he walked by us and went out to the car, and opened every suitcase and the glove compartment. btw, they can tear your car apart and you have to put it together again. He came in and yelled at me some more and said he had written his report and if we do something wrong we won't be allowed into the US again. We were catching a train to Chicago and we just made it with about 2 minutes to spare. I always spoke to him with respect and in a nice easy tone....but, I couldn't believe 4 people, all senior citizens who hold Nexus cards, could be treated like that for a simple mistake anyone could have made.

Interesting about the Ambassador being privately owned, I remember that now but forgot.

driver - sorry to hear about your customs fiasco. When I was in customs waiting for my situation to be handled, there was another American there as well. He was much more belligerent and the customs agent finally told him that because there were no more flights back to the US for him to be put onto, his only option would be to spend the night in a holding cell.

[Deleted User]

Thank you both Michaell and Driver for the valuable input. I'm flying into Detroit early enough on a weekend along with no afternoon commitments that I'll probably stop by the Henry Ford museum before heading across the border.

I've driven and flown into Canada many times but never through this location. My driven crossings were always through the Niagra area. When driving across the border the Canada agents were very kind and even gave me some leeway one time when my eye was infected and hyper sensitive to light. Flying, well, that was a different story. After a couple dozen trips I must have been green lighted as the interrogations ended and each visit I encountered just one question, "Why are you traveling to Canada?" They even stopped stamping my passport.

I now have a new passport and it's been a number of years since my last trip. Since I'm there to help a Canadian entity increase their capabilities in our shared field I'm thinking the agents will go easy on me.

driver100

Michaell said:

driver100 said:

Michaell said:

driver100 said:

tyguy said:

driver100 said:

There was no traffic so we got to Detroit from Findlay in just over an hour. The border was almost empty...I have never seen a quieter crossing.

Driver, I could use your advice. In the near future I'm going to be driving from Detroit to London, Ontario on a weekend evening and then returning to Detroit on a weekday early afternoon. Any recommendations on how much time to allow at the border crossing?

Ty

Ty, Michael likes the tunnel but I think you will find it more direct taking the Ambassador Bridge. If you are approaching on I-75 watch for the signs as you get to Detroit.

The bridge looks like a war zone. Barrels in place to guide you. A new bridge has been approved but it will be a number of years from now.

If you go on this site it will give you an idea of wait times.
WAIT TIMES FOR THE AMBASSADOR BRIDGE

It can really vary though, depends on number of trucks, which week days, whether etc. Generally I would allow about an hour but you could get through in 10 minutes.

Have your paperwork ready, drivers license, pSpeed is in Kilometers 60 mph is 100 kms. When you cross the bridge you will be in the city of Windsor, speed is listed as "60" but that is only 36mph. Take off the 0 on 60 and multiply X 6.

Just answer questions at customes, do not add anything not asked, don't joke...those guys have 100% control.

I would go across the Ambassador Bridge because you come out on Highway 401 which will take you directly to London Ontario. It will take just over 2 hours if all goes well. If you want to stop the rest stop gas/food places are good, try Tim Hortons coffee.

Windsor is a mess now....lots of lights and zig zag construction. They are building the 401 so it will join up directly to the Ambassador bridge and the new bridge, but it is a huge construction zone for now. I'd allow 30 to 40 minutes to get through Windsor at busy times, 20 minutes minimum. When you get through Windsor there is a new turn-a-bout....go around and watch for signs to London 401. I think it is the second road off....GPS really helps with all this.

It is easier than it sounds and I just prepare for worse case senario. If there is anything else just ask. We are about 100 miles further East.

driver, I wasn't advocating either crossing over the other, just pointing out that there is more than one choice. The tunnel dumps you in downtown Windsor; it would take a bit of navigating to get back onto 401 for the drive to London.

I've been following the new bridge politics with some interest; I wonder how many who read this post realize the Ambassador Bridge is privately owned? Not a government entity or NGO; a private individual. This on one of, if not the most, heavily traveled border crossing between the US and Canada.

ty, I will second drivers comments about customs; I was once detained at Pearson airport in Toronto for an hour or two to sort out my status on a business trip. Had to pay a $200 fine, for which I was escorted by a customs agent to an ATM to withdraw the money. The receipt stated "minor infraction of NAFTA".

I, of course, added the fine to my expense report.

Michael...I understand now about the tunnel, yes, it goes from one downtown to the other and would be out of the way. The Ambassador Bridge seems to be falling apart, it is always being repaired and the traffic flows don't make much sense.

Sorry for your problem at the border, but U.S. customs is just as bad. I have had similar experiences going the other way. I used to cross to see customers (just PR work, no selling) and one time they said don't say it is business, another time they told me I had to say it was business.

2 years ago me, my wife SIL and BIL crossed into the US. We all have Nexus cards. It was 5 a.m. and one lane had about 5 cars, and one lane said "Fast Lane". We all assumed "Fast Lane" meant Nexus card holders. The guy told me to pull in over at the main building. The customs guy asked me what I thought I was doing. I explained we all thought since there wasn't a Nexus sign fast lane meant it was for Nexus card holders. He started to yell at me that I had better learn all the rules about Nexus or he could make it so we will never get into the US again. He told us to sit down while he wrote up a report. After about 20 minutes I got really scared when he put on these rubber gloves. Luckily, he walked by us and went out to the car, and opened every suitcase and the glove compartment. btw, they can tear your car apart and you have to put it together again. He came in and yelled at me some more and said he had written his report and if we do something wrong we won't be allowed into the US again. We were catching a train to Chicago and we just made it with about 2 minutes to spare. I always spoke to him with respect and in a nice easy tone....but, I couldn't believe 4 people, all senior citizens who hold Nexus cards, could be treated like that for a simple mistake anyone could have made.

Interesting about the Ambassador being privately owned, I remember that now but forgot.

driver - sorry to hear about your customs fiasco. When I was in customs waiting for my situation to be handled, there was another American there as well. He was much more belligerent and the customs agent finally told him that because there were no more flights back to the US for him to be put onto, his only option would be to spend the night in a holding cell.

WOW! Those customs guys have complete 100% power. I considered writing to the higher ups but I would have nothing to gain, and could only make trouble for myself.

One other thing, my SIL was going to take an apple to eat. I didn't know if she brought it but I signed the form we had no fruit. If he found the apple he would have nailed us. Fortunately my wife saw her packing the apple and told her not to take it. My SIL who goes shopping in the US every week (lives in a border town) said but I bought it in the US. The problem is the customs guy doesn't know that. 90% of the time the customs guys are really nice.......there could be a problem once in awhile.

Best not to bring food. Safest thing to take across the border is a cheese sandwhich. Definitely no fruit, nuts, eggs, meat etc

driver100

tyguy said:

Thank you both Michaell and Driver for the valuable input. I'm flying into Detroit early enough on a weekend along with no afternoon commitments that I'll probably stop by the Henry Ford museum before heading across the border.

I've driven and flown into Canada many times but never through this location. My driven crossings were always through the Niagra area. When driving across the border the Canada agents were very kind and even gave me some leeway one time when my eye was infected and hyper sensitive to light. Flying, well, that was a different story. After a couple dozen trips I must have been green lighted as the interrogations ended and each visit I encountered just one question, "Why are you traveling to Canada?" They even stopped stamping my passport.

I now have a new passport and it's been a number of years since my last trip. Since I'm there to help a Canadian entity increase their capabilities in our shared field I'm thinking the agents will go easy on me.

Sounds like you should be fine then. Enjoy the Henry Ford Museum, that is well worth seeing. London Ontario is a really nice city....no industry, all nice clean businesses.

imidazol97

Driver 100--Glad you made it home with no problems other than one backup.

All the talk about the bridge crossing into Canada reminds me of the time we first
crossed into Niagara Falls. The agent asked if I was bringing food in, if I recall the
wording, and I said I was just bringing Coke. We had our cooler with lots of cans
of Coke in it. If I had thought ahead I would have called it Coca-Cola. I don't
think we looked like the coke type and they probably had already cross-checked
our IDs from the license plate which I suspect were automatically read.

Michaell

imidazol97 said:

Driver 100--Glad you made it home with no problems other than one backup.

All the talk about the bridge crossing into Canada reminds me of the time we first
crossed into Niagara Falls. The agent asked if I was bringing food in, if I recall the
wording, and I said I was just bringing Coke. We had our cooler with lots of cans
of Coke in it. If I had thought ahead I would have called it Coca-Cola. I don't
think we looked like the coke type and they probably had already cross-checked
our IDs from the license plate which I suspect were automatically read.

I can't remember why now, but on one of my trips to Toronto I had to fly to Buffalo and drive. The entry into Canada via the Peace Bridge was actually quite easy.

Toughest time I had with customs in Canada was in Winnipeg, for some reason.

jayrider

stever said:

Maybe we should throw in together and buy a bridge. I hear there may be one available in Brooklyn....

That bridge is no longer on the market. My cousin Cletis bought it last year and has the deed to prove it.

ab348

There is a cable TV "reality" series airing in Canada called Border Security - don't know if it airs in the US. It is about Canadian Customs officers working at (I believe) Vancouver airport. Of course it always puts them in the best light but even at that they seem particularly hardnosed and arbitrary. I have found Customs officials difficult and unpredictable. I remember about 10 years ago flying home from a business trip to the US and waiting in the Customs area of Halifax airport. Just ahead of me was an elderly fellow who was very confused and may have had early-stage dementia as many of his statements made no sense. Instead of being compassionate and trying to help him through the process they were very nasty, yelling at him, peppering him with questions, etc. Meanwhile I breezed right through.

By contrast, last year entering the USA via preclearance at Ottawa airport, things were very smooth at US Customs. It seems Customs have a random model of giving some people a hard time just because they can. I have found some of them to be bullies, plain and simple.

driver100

imidazol97 said:

Driver 100--Glad you made it home with no problems other than one backup.

All the talk about the bridge crossing into Canada reminds me of the time we first
crossed into Niagara Falls. The agent asked if I was bringing food in, if I recall the
wording, and I said I was just bringing Coke. We had our cooler with lots of cans
of Coke in it. If I had thought ahead I would have called it Coca-Cola. I don't
think we looked like the coke type and they probably had already cross-checked
our IDs from the license plate which I suspect were automatically read.

Calling it Coke reminds me of that airport movie when the guy sees his friend at the airport and calls to him "Hi Jack".

fezo

I've crosed the border dozens of times and never had an issue either way. I don't think it hurt that I alway had young kids with me. It didn't hurt that I was always prepared, handing them passports the moment the car stopped.

I'd never try that Fast Lane exactly because it invites things like driver's experience. Yeah, customs people can be a pain but it's the nature of the job.

We are reporting for the next three days from Ocean City, MD. Nothing special. Just taking the kids someplace they haven't been. It's sufficiently built up to make me appreciate the relative restraint of New Jersey. Never thought I'd say that.

Nice trip. A little over an hour, catch a ferry down to Delaware for about an hour and then drive maybe 45 minutes down a pretty Delaware coast. And no customs......

driver100

ab348 said:

There is a cable TV "reality" series airing in Canada called Border Security - don't know if it airs in the US. It is about Canadian Customs officers working at (I believe) Vancouver airport. Of course it always puts them in the best light but even at that they seem particularly hardnosed and arbitrary. I have found Customs officials difficult and unpredictable. I remember about 10 years ago flying home from a business trip to the US and waiting in the Customs area of Halifax airport. Just ahead of me was an elderly fellow who was very confused and may have had early-stage dementia as many of his statements made no sense. Instead of being compassionate and trying to help him through the process they were very nasty, yelling at him, peppering him with questions, etc. Meanwhile I breezed right through.

By contrast, last year entering the USA via preclearance at Ottawa airport, things were very smooth at US Customs. It seems Customs have a random model of giving some people a hard time just because they can. I have found some of them to be bullies, plain and simple.

I watch that show and it is unbelievable what some people will try. They try to hide jewellery or they bring back weird food that doesn't comply with the rules. They also have an Australian edition and they caught two different people bringing in oranges from N.Z. $400 fine, and those people got really upset. One disease on a citrus fruit can cause $millions in damage.....some people just don't get it.

driver100

fezo said:

I've crosed the border dozens of times and never had an issue either way. I don't think it hurt that I alway had young kids with me. It didn't hurt that I was always prepared, handing them passports the moment the car stopped.

I'd never try that Fast Lane exactly because it invites things like driver's experience. Yeah, customs people can be a pain but it's the nature of the job.

We are reporting for the next three days from Ocean City, MD. Nothing special. Just taking the kids someplace they haven't been. It's sufficiently built up to make me appreciate the relative restraint of New Jersey. Never thought I'd say that.

Nice trip. A little over an hour, catch a ferry down to Delaware for about an hour and then drive maybe 45 minutes down a pretty Delaware coast. And no customs......

Enjoy the family time together Fezo. It's not just the destination, it's the shared time and the journey together.

I took a lot for granted growing up, things like my parents taking us on trips and to the beach. Buying a house in a good neighborhood so we could go to good schools. Working hard even in troubled times to look after us....medical and dental etc. I just accepted it all at the time as normal, but, I wish I could tell them now how much I appreciated all the hard work and sacrifice they did for me. Your children will appreciate it all.......one day!

driver100

We talked befor about paying a premium to renew, while new customers get a discount.

I got a renewal in the mail for CARP, like AARP but Canadian version (I belong to both). They say a one year renewal will be $19.95. Out of curiosity I check their website and see that a new member can join for $14.95.

So, I signed up as a new member and sent back their renewal form in their self-stamped envelope, and explained I am joining again. I don't think it is a nice way to treat their current customers.

Hey Mike.......what happened with the fridge that was supposed to come yesterday, I believe?

ab348

driver100 said:

Enjoy the family time together Fezo. It's not just the destination, it's the shared time and the journey together.

I took a lot for granted growing up, things like my parents taking us on trips and to the beach. Buying a house in a good neighborhood so we could go to good schools. Working hard even in troubled times to look after us....medical and dental etc. I just accepted it all at the time as normal, but, I wish I could tell them now how much I appreciated all the hard work and sacrifice they did for me. Your children will appreciate it all.......one day!

^^^ This, x1000.

I grew up much the same way. We were, at best, middle-class. Dad had a few years where things were tough and his income wasn't what he expected (he was a commission salesman). Yet when I was growing up in the '60s and early '70s we always took a motor trip somewhere for summer vacation, stayed in motels, ate in restaurants, and shopped during those vacations. Put 3 of us through school. Had a summer place most of that time. I wanted for nothing. But I took it all for granted. Looking back, I don't know how they did it. I wish I could tell them now how grateful I am.

graphicguy

ab348 said:

There is a cable TV "reality" series airing in Canada called Border Security - don't know if it airs in the US. It is about Canadian Customs officers working at (I believe) Vancouver airport. Of course it always puts them in the best light but even at that they seem particularly hardnosed and arbitrary. I have found Customs officials difficult and unpredictable. I remember about 10 years ago flying home from a business trip to the US and waiting in the Customs area of Halifax airport. Just ahead of me was an elderly fellow who was very confused and may have had early-stage dementia as many of his statements made no sense. Instead of being compassionate and trying to help him through the process they were very nasty, yelling at him, peppering him with questions, etc. Meanwhile I breezed right through.

By contrast, last year entering the USA via preclearance at Ottawa airport, things were very smooth at US Customs. It seems Customs have a random model of giving some people a hard time just because they can. I have found some of them to be bullies, plain and simple.

AB.... not sure why, but I've found the same thing. US Customs are friendly and courteous (vs TSA, which should lose 90% of their funding based strictly on hiring mostly imbeciles, who aren't smart enough to
differentiate the differences between a mammal and a vegetable).

Canadian Customs actually took me to a private room when entering their country one time, questioning me like I was a criminal, detaining me for about an hour and a half for no apparent reason.. I missed my ground transport, ended up having to stay at a sleazy airport hotel over night, on my own dime as a result.

I asked if there was something that turned up from my passport which would lead them to believe that I wasn't who I said I was, or something that made them think I was some sort of threat or an undesirable. Never received any responses, just a bunch of barking questions and instructions at me.

Those I remember...

"Have you ever been arrested?"-NO!
-Are you sure?"-POSITIVE
"Have you ever been arrested in a country other than the U.S.?"-NO
"You sure about that?" ABSOLUTELY.....WHAT IS IT EXACTLY DO YOU THINK I'VE DONE, OR AM HIDING?" (no response, just a lot of waiting in a room with yet another agent coming in to ask me the same questions.....3 of them...with a 20 minute wait in between).

Been back and forth many times across the Canadian border and never have seen a smiling face at the Canadian border checks. Only thing I can figure is they have some sort of crazy attitude towards U.S. Citizens.

abacomike

@driver100 said:  "Hey Mike.......what happened with the fridge that was supposed to come yesterday, I believe?"

Well, it was delivered.  Works fine.  It's a tad smaller than the Kenmore, but a much higher rated unit by all sources I checked.  It's warranted by Whirlpool, not Sears, so if Sears bites the dust, I'm covered.  I also added the new fridge to our ECM Contract just in case.  I'm paying for a fridge anyway, so I might as well make sure it's on the contract.

@border crossings: 

I'll never forget back in 1997, we took my car to Rosarita Beach in Mexico (I was living in Palm Desert at the time) to spend a nice day at the beach and have some "real" Mexican food.  It was a horrible trip and the people there were very anti American and treated us nastily.

We drove back toward San Diego and spent 2 hours waiting in Tijuana to cross back into the U.S.  When we finally got to the border and the border guard asked if we had anything to declare, I got out of my car, went down on my knees and kissed the ground.  I said "...thank God I'm home.  The border patrolmen on either side of the gate we were at including our border patrol agent broke out laughing.  He said, "...believe me, I know exactly how you feel."

We had no trouble when we drove to and from Seattle to Victoria to Seattle.

stever

I always have the hassle getting back into the US (including a 2 hour wait at JFK back in the do not fly list days). I've been through the crossing at Columbus NM several times in the last month or so. The first trip back we had two bottles of Kahlúa and declared them. The US agent said, that's not booze, that's just some flavoring, and waived us on. Always easier on foot anyway I think.

Then there was the time in my early 20s when I got lost driving a '69 VW Bus and did a U-turn on the bridge between El Paso and Juárez. US Customs spent an hour going through the van....

verdugo

graphicguy said:

Canadian Customs actually took me to a private room when entering their country one time, questioning me like I was a criminal, detaining me for about an hour and a half for no apparent reason.. I missed my ground transport, ended up having to stay at a sleazy airport hotel over night, on my own dime as a result.

That's nothing. You want tough? Try Israel. I've had two experiences with them.

1) A looong time ago when I was backpacking through Europe, I showed up at the airport in Athens for my flight to Israel "only" 2 hours before my flight. They went through my backpack with a fine tooth comb. Then they said they wouldn't have enough time to finish the security check. They gave me the option to fly the next day or grab my toiletries and fly that day. They would deliver my bag the next day. I flew with my toothbrush and a clean pair of underwear.

2) A couple of years ago I was in Israel for work. I had been there tons of times for work and it was never a big deal. When you fly out, you present a letter from work that basically says you're a trusted traveler. The office at work submits all of my info ahead of time to immigration. So the process was a formality ... until this one time. I went during the summer when the person I usually dealt with was on vacation and I decided not to get the letter. BIG MISTAKE. They interrogated me for about an hour. They were very nice, but they were very thorough. At the end they asked me to please never forget the letter again.

abacomike

@verdugo said:  They were very nice, but they were very thorough. At the end they asked me to please never forget the letter again.

I wish they were that thorough at every inch our own borders.  Now the U.S. Government is flying undocumented aliens from Central America right into our country.  Unbelievable how things have changed in 6 short years.

jayrider

abacomike said:

@verdugo said:  They were very nice, but they were very thorough. At the end they asked me to please never forget the letter again.

I wish they were that thorough at every inch our own borders.  Now the U.S. Government is flying undocumented aliens from Central America right into our country.  Unbelievable how things have changed in 6 short years.

All this thoroughness costs money --- if you want to compare taxes here and taxes in Israel the rates differ significantly.

abacomike

Jayrider, I'd gladly pay 10% more in taxes to secure our borders.

Michaell

I'm guessing I'm in the minority around here as I've never had a passport and the only "international" travel I've done has been to Canada and Mexico, both before passports were necessary.

ray80

Michaell said:

I'm guessing I'm in the minority around here as I've never had a passport and the only "international" travel I've done has been to Canada and Mexico, both before passports were necessary.

Same here, Been only to Canada, and only twice before passports needed.

I have however had some encounters with US border patrol while staying in the states,two reasonable ones and two that cound easily strike ire even in those that are about as sensitive as a rock (like me).

cdnpinhead

I carry (go figure) a Canadian passport and a green card (the new one that costs a fortune and has all kinds of biometrics built in). The Montreal airport has become much more of a pain than it used to be, so I generally fly non-stop to New England then drive up. I go through a tiny backroad customs crossing that's never been a problem either way.

When I lived in Vancouver I usually used the truck customs (a mile or so east of the Blaine freeway crossing) and got through quite quickly. There was a lane for cars that was rarely crowded. Other times I went due north from Bellingham (or the inverse) to avoid the crowd.

The Canadians have to let me come home, and the Americans seem to have figured out that in the past 35 years and many dozens of crossings, nothing has gone amiss, plus which I live down here. Seems to work, at least for me.

stickguy

Michaell said:

I'm guessing I'm in the minority around here as I've never had a passport and the only "international" travel I've done has been to Canada and Mexico, both before passports were necessary.

I have a passport (actually on my second) but have never used it. I am going to Bermuda in September so I assume it will finally get a stamp then.

I have not been to Canada since 1975 or so

stever

I hope I live long enough to see them "tear down that wall, Mr. Gorbachev" (or whoever the POTUS will be).

cdnpinhead

The "Children of a Common Mother" peace arch at the Blaine crossing is kind of cute.

I don't think there are going to be many more at borders around the world, but one never knows.

thebean

abacomike said:

Jayrider, I'd gladly pay 10% more in taxes to secure our borders.

+1.

I've never had a passport and never been out of the good ol' USA.  I haven't lost anything in those countries.  

fezo

I don't get out of the country a lot (last trip was up to Niagara Falls to indoctrinate the younger kids. Couple of years ago) but have gotten around over the years - Australia in the late 70s nd Chin in 02 to pick up my daughter. Never he a big issue with customs. Even in China where we (my oldest daughter and I) were fretted but this custome agent who looked like something out ova bad 50s red scare movie but after a brief obligatory interrogation saw we were just there to pick up the baby and waved us right through.

Far more dramatic was getting off the plane. We take the stairways to the tarmac and they point us to the gate emphasizing that we were to walk directly to the gate and that failure to do so could get you shot. I never walked o straight a line in my life! My daughter was 13 at the time - the same age the "twins" are now. I look and it boggles the mind

This was the old trick - I had the older ones late so I had to come up with the grandchildren on my own.

28firefighter

For US customs I have Global Entry, so I barely deal with the border patrol. Then again, I've only entered and departed through airports - never been across the Canadian or Mexican borders. I actually only applied for Global Entry so I could get a trusted traveler number for TSA PreCheck. Now I barely deal with TSA, too, which is huge. 

Flying to Israel is quite the experience. I've been twice in my life - once to visit family and another on an organized college tour. On my second trip, there was another tour group on my flight.  The entire group was held in isolation and boarded the flight separately. Apparently someone on the tour told a "white lie" to an Israeli agent while in the check-in line. They immediately caught it and isolated the group for questioning.  Most of that check-in questioning is pretty innocuous but intended to throw people who may be lying off their game - and yes, they are extraordinarily nice about it but very strict. 

Verdugo - are you typically in and around Tel Aviv for work?

driver100

28firefighter said:

For US customs I have Global Entry, so I barely deal with the border patrol. Then again, I've only entered and departed through airports - never been across the Canadian or Mexican borders. I actually only applied for Global Entry so I could get a trusted traveler number for TSA PreCheck. Now I barely deal with TSA, too, which is huge. 

Flying to Israel is quite the experience. I've been twice in my life - once to visit family and another on an organized college tour. On my second trip, there was another tour group on my flight.  The entire group was held in isolation and boarded the flight separately. Apparently someone on the tour told a "white lie" to an Israeli agent while in the check-in line. They immediately caught it and isolated the group for questioning.  Most of that check-in questioning is pretty innocuous but intended to throw people who may be lying off their game - and yes, they are extraordinarily nice about it but very strict. 

Verdugo - are you typically in and around Tel Aviv for work?

I noticed Israeli customs asks you the same question in about 4 or 5 different ways...and the answer better add up to the same each time.

In 1986 a fellow gave his 5 month pregnant girlfriend a gift to take on an El Al flight from London to Tel Aviv. Customs found the gift was really a bomb set to go off during the flight. Amazing that the customs officials got suspicious. That is why passengers are asked if they packed their own suitcases even to this day.

One time I went to Israel with a friend.........and he said, because of the interogation at customs, he would never go back. I have been since and I don't mind...it is necessary, and is for my safety too.

Hindawi Affair

graphicguy

Ah yes....travel stories. I am fortunate enough to have traveled to 4 continents, visiting 11 countries, while not all of the U.S. States, but pretty darn close (missing Alaska). I had never been treated like that with the Canadian officials. They haven't become any nicer but are at least tolerable now.

Was doing work in Brazil a couple of years back with Embraer. I had been in and out of Sao Paoulo several times. Obviously it takes a good 11-12 hours to get there with layovers, plane change, etc. And, the nicer hotels near Embraer are quite a long ride from their airport (about two hours). First time there, I was unaware how long of a ride it was from the airport. I usually rent a car, but there it was recommended to get a taxi instead. Apparently, there were quite a few nefarious areas to cross to get to the hotel and a break down would have been a disaster for me.

Long and short of this, about an hour into this trip, the flight's coffee needed to be discharged. Not speaking Portuguese and the taxi driver knowing zero English.....the conversation went like this....

"Ummmmm donde esta de bano?"

Blank stare in the rear view....I waited another 15 minutes and this time with a little more urgency tried to come up with bits and pieces of my admittedly poor foreign language skills....let's try French.....“où est la salle de bains”

At least I got a shrug this time.

My urgency changed to desperation. Finally, I threw up my palm right plam, fingers extended into the front seat of the taxi so my kind driver would see the universal signal for stop and yelled....STOP! In about 2 seconds he pulls over and stops. I jump out on the side of the road and do what I need to do.

I jump back in.....taxi driver's laughing and says "Ahhhhhh.....TOILET". ARHHHHHHHHHHHHGGGGG!!!

graphicguy

More memories of travel. I was in Costa Rica to do some training for a group that had spent a lot of money with us in the previous calendar year. They could not have been any more cordial to me and a colleague traveling with me. Great coffee there, by the way.

Beautiful country that was accented by the friendliness of the people.

About the 3rr day int our 4 day trip, I asked the hotel concierge about a nice place to eat for dinner, as up until this point we had stayed close to the hotel for meals. He recommended a place that he said was about a 45 minute Taxi ride....ONE WAY> Not really wanting to go that far, I asked for anything closer, but he assured me this restaurant was worth it. OK! He calls for a taxi.

5 minutes later we're on our way. Sure enough, about 45 minutes later we're pulling up to what appears to be a formal restaurant. I'm in kakhis,, my colleague is in jeans, so we're way underdressed. We go in and ask the Maitre'D if we're dressed appropriately. He was more than gracious and said we were fine. He goes back outside and tells the taxi to wait. I say...."oh no....meter running...not a good thing". Maitre'D says the restaurant's big problem is getting guests from the hotels because they are so far away and not to be concerned about the Taxi.

Not feeling good about this, we enter and over the course of the next 90 minutes have one of the best meals I've ever eaten....about 4 courses worth...and a couple of beers. Service was the equal of any 5 star restaurant in the U.S. Bill? About $50 U.S. Waiter gives me a package of food to give to the taxi driver, which I deliver on the way back to the hotel. Figuring I'm staring at another $100 bill for the taxi, I ask if he takes credit cards. No....cash only. I have a few bills in local currency but the rest is in U.S. Dollars, which the the Taxi driver says he prefers.

He pulls up in front of the hotel. Bracing for the bill.......$15 HUH? I gave him a $20 and he acted like he'd won the lottery,

Great trip.

graphicguy

I try to stay out of political discussions. Just want to mention, my grandparents were immigrants. My Father came here at 16. My Mother's parents were immigrants. In addition to getting the opportunity to become citizens (which they all did), my Father earned a Bronze Star and was awarded a Purple Heart in WWII. He fought for his adopted country against the country he left (Italy).

He came back home, took every dirty job that no one else wanted. He started his own businesses which were all quite successful.

My grandparents, on both sides, suffered every indignity, every slur, every effort to keep them from succeeding in this country, and they ignored it all in pursuit of the American Dream.

It was similar to what we see now, with legal and illegal aliens living here. They get the garbage jobs, do not have any protections, and suffer all the slurs that are dished out to them. What little we give them (and it ain't much) is worth more to them than what they've suffered to stay where they were.

Not saying any of it is right, or any of it is wrong. Just a different view from a different vantage point.

Secure border? Sure. Don't throw out the baby with the bathwater, though. People cross that border for a reason. For the most part, at least all the immigrants I know, are grateful to be here, whether legally or illegally. They're willing to do whatever is necessary to stay...no matter if they have to live under the poverty line, or take whatever crappy job to do so. They recognize opportunities here that we can't see or we take for granted. That's why they're here.

Stepping ever so carefully off my soapbox.

roadburner

My mother's family came to America from Germany in the 1920s; amazingly they learned English instead of expecting everything to be bilingual. As for the current crisis, my belief is that we should secure the border as much as possible before the issue of dealing with illegal immigrants is seriously discussed. Otherwise you get what is happening now- an influx of illegals hoping to be granted a free pass.

carnaught

I don't worry as much about the poor Latin Americans who are coming into this country illegally, looking for a better life, as much as the others who get in with malicious intentions. That's mainly why we need to secure our borders.

robr2

carnaught said:

I don't worry as much about the poor Latin Americans who are coming into this country illegally, looking for a better life, as much as the others who get in with malicious intentions. That's mainly why we need to secure our borders.

That's how I feel as well. The vast majority of illegal aliens are usually looking to improve their lot in life. And they come from all over the world. I was surrounded by a construction crew at a previous employer during renovations. Other than the foreman, every worker there save one was illegal. They were all Irish and each stayed in the country when their visas expired.

Securing the borders is important but we have to have some sort of immigration reform. Both of my parents are immigrants. They came to United States just before I was born. They didn't have high school diplomas nor any special skills. More than likely, they would not be able to immigrate today. There are only 5,000 green cards available to low skill workers out of the 675,000 that can be issued every year. Back in 1910, 5,000 low skill workers entered through Ellis Island every day. Unless you have close family connections or can bring a special skill, most people can't enter the country legally today.

As a nation, we don't have enough people willing to do labor intensive or service jobs that employ many illegal aliens. Illegal aliens clean our houses, mow our lawns, build our houses, make our coffee, care for our ill and elderly, et al. They are willing to do so because others in our country think that work is beneath them. Many of these illegal aliens would jump at the chance to become legal if the opportunity were presented.

Michaell

Thanks for the travel stories. I've got one to share as well.

I used to be a software instructor - travel around to customer sites and teach them how to use the product they just bought.

One trip took me to Quebec - Trois Riviere, to be precise. I speak no French and only a few of the students spoke English. So, a lot of time was spent in translation.

On one particular topic, once the translation was given, an animated discussion began with almost everyone in the class. In French. Arm waving and excited voices. After a few minutes of this, the designated translator said to me "OK, we can move on".

WAIT! What was just said that got everyone so revved up? I never did find out.

Great group of people, all in all.

abacomike

There is no question about why most of the Central and South American immigrants come to our borders and cross wherever and whenever they can - to seek a better life - just as 99% of all immigrants to this country in the past 200+ years have. Our country is truly a haven for the worlds poor, persecuted and homeless peoples.

That said, unless we can secure our borders appropriately, this influx of hundreds of thousands of children and adults will never stop. There are few, if any, countries that are impacted as greatly as the United States.

Should we deport all the undocumented aliens currently living in our country - I say NO - it is an impossible task. But I agree we must have an immigration policy that recognizes these facts. There is a limit to how many more we can absorb. There should be a pathway to citizenship that takes the above into consideration but it has to be controlled, equitable, fair, reasonable and "legal"!

qbrozen

@tyguy - i'm quite surprised by your rear seat findings on the Golf. i wonder if they have taken out legroom this time around. My '07 GTI had one of the most generous back seats of any car I have owned, and I'm 6'5", so its a very important measurement for me. i'm also surprised by that dealer's antics and the salesperson's confession. Backing out of a full msrp deal after they accepted a deposit? After learning that, I would not want to do business with them. 

abacomike

I just got a call from my brother.  He is sitting at his Mercedes dealer trading in his E 400 convertible for an E 400 sedan.  He said that on his trip back to Ponte Vedra Beach, his back started hurting him so bad he had to stop to get relief.  I don't know how he bought the convertible - I tried to sit in one and it was way too small and hard-riding for me.

It is a gorgeous car, but too small for big guys like us.  He bought a white E 400 sedan with beige leather interior and it has everything on it except the Driver's Assistance Package.  I know he'll be much more comfortable and happier with the sedan.  The sedan is much longer and wider than the convertible.

I just hope everything goes well for him.

abacomike

My dealer got the right front wheel replacement for my car and they are putting it on tomorrow morning.  I hope the figure out a way to stop ruining my wheels in their automatic car wash.  I've told them, and management approved the hand-washing of the car.  It's just disorganized with poor communication between their "intake" valets and the car wash valets.

It seems like it's been a rough few weeks between my iPhone, refrigerators and car wheels.  I hope things settle down now for awhile.

driver100

abacomike said:

I just got a call from my brother.  He is sitting at his Mercedes dealer trading in his E 400 convertible for an E 400 sedan.  He said that on his trip back to Ponte Vedra Beach, his back started hurting him so bad he had to stop to get relief.  I don't know how he bought the convertible - I tried to sit in one and it was way too small and hard-riding for me.

It is a gorgeous car, but too small for big guys like us.  He bought a white E 400 sedan with beige leather interior and it has everything on it except the Driver's Assistance Package.  I know he'll be much more comfortable and happier with the sedan.  The sedan is much longer and wider than the convertible.

I just hope everything goes well for him.

My E400 was the most comfortable car I can imagine driving in for the 1500 mile trip to Tampa Bay area and back. The 535 was pretty good, but the E400 has more comfortable seats. The big difference I would say is you are sitting in a more chair like position, not lower and more sunken feeling. I like the vision too - big windows. The lane change warnings are a great feature. The ride is the right mixture of feel of the road and softness to smooth the bumps. You know there was a bump but you don't really feel it.

Even in economy mode the 330 hp moves the car well, in Sport mode it can really move out. Controls are about as easy to use as possible. The Harmon Kardon music system is crystal clear.

Passengers love the back seat, lots of room and comfortable. I really can't think of anything I would change, it's like the perfect blend of performance and comfort.

[Deleted User]

qbrozen said:

@tyguy - i'm quite surprised by your rear seat findings on the Golf. i wonder if they have taken out legroom this time around. My '07 GTI had one of the most generous back seats of any car I have owned, and I'm 6'5", so its a very important measurement for me. i'm also surprised by that dealer's antics and the salesperson's confession. Backing out of a full msrp deal after they accepted a deposit? After learning that, I would not want to do business with them. 

Unfortunately most of my VW dealership experiences have been a bit odd like the one above. We found a dealer in Denver with a handful of 2-door GTIs with a manual, so if we get time we'll try them out this weekend before we hit the auto show. Regarding leg room, I've thought the same as you, but this experience was a bit different. We could make our daughter comfortable if we positioned the front seats forward more than usual, so it's doable, but the real-world leg room was definitely less than that in our Impreza.

explorerx4

Back at the end of November, I replaced my A/C, heating and water heater(both gas) with more efficient models.
A/C hasn't been run yet, but I got my 3rd gas bill today.
The first 2 were for a different number of days and the avg temp for the bill was much colder than the previous year.
This bill was for the same number of days and this year was 1 degree warmer(35/34).
Consumption last year, 173 cu/ft, This year, 132. Huge difference, 24%.
Old system was 80% efficient, new one is 96+%.

abacomike

When we replaced our a/c unit 5 years ago, we noticed a difference in our electric bill after the first full month.  The bill dropped $6.50 a month and has maintained that savings all these years.  I expect a drop of $1-$2 a month, on average, with the new Whirlpool.  The old fridge was 25 years old and used to run almost continually.  The new one runs for 10-15 minutes and shuts down for 15-20 minutes.  That's significant.  Now if I convince Dad we need a new oven/range, that would save a buck or two (also 25 years old).

henryn

abacomike said:

When we replaced our a/c unit 5 years ago, we noticed a difference in our electric bill after the first full month.  The bill dropped $6.50 a month and has maintained that savings all these years.  I expect a drop of $1-$2 a month, on average, with the new Whirlpool.  The old fridge was 25 years old and used to run almost continually.  The new one runs for 10-15 minutes and shuts down for 15-20 minutes.  That's significant.  Now if I convince Dad we need a new oven/range, that would save a buck or two (also 25 years old).

If you're interested in how much electricity an appliance is using, search on Amazon.com for "Kill A Watt". It will cost you less than $20, and you will be amazed at how much electricity some of your old appliances are using.

abacomike

Thanks, henryn.  Yes, the 20-25 year old appliances were not energy efficient.  These new A/C units and refrigerators and oven/stoves use much less electricity.

stickguy

I have a 25 YO fridge, but it is the spare in the garage. given the size of the new one we bought, and since there are just 2 of us, you would think that it would not also be full. but somehow, it is. I don't understand it.

oh yeah, it is the same reason the master BR closet and the basement storage are also overflowing. The Wife.

stever

I got a Kill-A-Watt free in Michigan through some energy program and have yet to plug it in. Extra fridges in the garage are notorious energy suckers. I've just begun replacing the 65 watt floods here with LEDS. Only ten more to go....

Vette fans? Editorial here just got a 1966 Stingray for the long term fleet.