[at-l] Border crossings

[lwbooher@halifax.com (Leslie Booher)]

I just got a passport in the mail today.  It weighs nothing.  What, an
ounce, at worst?  Why not carry it if you're going to cross the border?  It
might save you a huge hassle that you'd rather not remember as part of your
trek.  anklebear

----- Original Message -----
From: Jim and/or Ginny Owen <spiriteagle99@hotmail.com>
To: <at-l@mailman.backcountry.net>; <saunterer@jimbullard.org>
Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2001 4:53 PM
Subject: [at-l] Border crossings


> saunterer@jimbullard.org wrote:
> >A passport is *not* required for trips to/from Canada for either US or
> >Canadian citizens.  Any immigration agent who suggests otherwise is on a
> >personal power trip and trying to intimidate you.  If you have proof of
> >your citizenship (usually a driver's license or other picture ID and a
> >birth certificate) that is all you need.
>
> Jim -
> First question that comes to mind is - How many thruhikers carry their
birth
> certificate?   :-))
>
> Anyway - I think before Sept 11 it probably depended on "where" you were
> crossing the border.  There was a huge flap in Seattle/Vancouver last year
> about how Customs/Border Patrol was overstepping their authority - they
> pulled a female Chinese business executive off a plane and held her
> (allegedly illegally) for several days at one point.  At the same time,
> that's the area where they caught some people smuggling explosives into
the
> US.  What's "real" is as fuzzy here as anywhere else.  In any case, we got
> hassled big-time coming out of Vancouver.
>
> On the other hand, when we crossed into Mexico (home of the proverbial
> "wetback") - from both New Mexico and Arizona, there was no problem at all
> in getting back into the US.  In New Mexico, we left our packs at the
Border
> station, crossed over, celebrated finishing the Trail with a beer and then
> walked back.  When we got to the Border station, there was literally
nobody
> in sight - we found our packs, hitched a ride with a Mejicano - and never
> even saw a Border guard - on either side.
>
> In Arizona, we walked into Mexico without even talking to anyone and when
we
> came back a couple hours later, the Border Patrol looked at us, said
> "Anglos, huh?" and waved us through.  No ID, no hassle, not even a
question.
>   Funniest (???) thing is that 30 yards west of that Border station there
> was a hole in the fence that you could (and some people obviously did)
drive
> a truck through.  And while we were wandering in the Monument area on the
US
> side, we practically tripped over a 'coyote' who was headed home (back to
> Mexico) after delivering his load of humanity to the US side.
>
> Message? -- real simple - all those highly touted efforts to keep
'illegals'
> out of the country are (or at least were) pure show (BS).  Some years ago
I
> wandered through California south of San Diego sometime after dusk - and
saw
> hundreds of illegals openly headed north along the highway.  Same thing
> headed north from Campo on the PCT - I just advised someone yesterday to
NOT
> camp anywhere along the PCT within 20 miles of the border.  The CDT is no
> better - the "official" southern trailhead is in the desert about 10 miles
> east of an isolated border station that itself is 45 miles from the
nearest
> town and closes down at 3 pm every day.  Any guesses about how many
illegals
> come through there every month?
>
> When I used to cross the border into Canada via Maine, NH and NY, there
was
> never any hassle - a drivers license was all I needed.  But one thing
about
> the drivers license - it doesn't indicate nationality or citzenship.
>
> I wonder how all of this has (or will) change after Sept 11?  I sure hope
> some of it has.
>
> Walk softly,
> Jim
>
>
>
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