Let me start by saying that I have crossed into Canada many times. Once a month if not more. Been more times than I could even begin to count. But never again, last night at the Landsdowne, ON port (I-81) I was treated like a complete criminal, had my truck tossed and all my electronic devices gone through.
I get to the check point and the lady there starts asking me all these strange questions, questions I've never been asked like "what company did I last work for" and "why I never crossed with them" and "what my next load was and why had I never crossed here before". I answered them honestly and she made me park. Then things got bad.
The male officer searched me, including my wallet then told me to sit down. He then went out to my truck and searched it completely. When I went back to it later everything was a mess, it was like the movies after a police search. My bed was askew, my mattress cover and sheets were off, my computer bag and ps4 case were on the ground and my rugs were all pulled up. Chargers, food, my shower bad and all its contents were everywhere.
I didn't know this at the time because they made me sit, I couldn't stand, in the office. They wouldn't even let me pee. Then he comes back in with both my cellphones, my kindle and my laptop. He makes me give him my code to my laptop and searches through it. He read all my text messages and viewed all my pictures. He found a picture of all my guns on my phone then gives me a lecture on Canadian gun laws. He repeatedly asked if I had a concealed carry permit and basically didn't seem to like that I was a gun owner.
Point is this, I get that countries have laws but I have never caused any trouble in Canada. I'm simply a working man trying to deliver a load. If the price for that is to be made a criminal have my privacy and basic human dignity violated then it's a price I refuse to pay. Tomorrow when I cross I will cut up my fastcard and I will inform my company today that I will never cross the border again. And if the price that I pay for that is my job then I will pay it. I will never again be in that helpless of a position. I will never again lose my privacy, have my truck tossed and be treated like scum. I am done, completely and forever with Canada. I don't understand the need for this and I don't need to feel this way again. I am homicidal with my rage today, I honestly can't remember ever being this angry. I don't need this and all I want is to get back to the states, back to where I have some basic rights.
Well I'm done with Canada forever.
Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by ethos, Feb 25, 2016.
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If you think that's bad... dont ever want the US customs guys to search you. I've bet through that's same procedure going south 5 times I can remember. Maybe more. I use to haul entertainment, and bands mean drugs right? I've been strip searched EVERYTHING removed from the cab, and left on the ground. The load completely removed, then repacked wrong with no straps or load bars and they would not let me fix it. Had to drive 3 hrs to find a warehouse that would let me unload a 53 ft trailer and repack it so things on wheels wouldn't smash everything else around it. There is no reason for either border to treat us like they do. But they do, a certain number have to be done each day, and if your that number or a flag or two pop up they make you that number. It's not just z Canada thing.
Lepton1, trucking for family, peterd and 8 others Thank this. -
Wow. I would have expected something like that crossing back into the US. Never going into Canada. That's just complete BS.
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I don't even know what my options were. Anyone know what would have happened if I refused to give up my password?
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You don't HAVE to give them the password, but then they just keep your laptop.
Customs officials on both sides of the boarder have more power and discretion to search than the police do. Certainly some are more professional about it than others. -
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I think I could live with my phones and laptop being searched. I wouldn't like it but I would just clear everything out before I crossed but I'm not going to have my truck tossed and my stuff treated like that again.
Badmon, tinytim, hunted and 1 other person Thank this. -
Not to politicize this, but in fact, the U.S. maintains a "100 mile border zone." The only way to assure you are never searched at a border is to never cross a border. It is unfortunate what happened, but it happens multiple times, every day, in both directions.
The border search exception is a doctrine of United States criminal law that allows searches and seizures at international borders and their functional equivalent without a warrant or probable cause.[1]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Border_search_exception
As for refusing to give them your password, again, going in both directions; you could expect your device to be seized, you could be detained for a period and then charged with some kind of hindering or obstruction offense and then, if you're not a citizen of the country you're entering, turned around, sent back and have your name put on a "watch" or "no entry" list.Prof.Gringo, freightwipper, hunted and 2 others Thank this. -
#####, Ethos . . . sorry you had to go through that. Makes me feel like tearing up MY Twic card, that I never use anymore, anyway. Sheesh.
lisamomof4boyz Thanks this.
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