The Best POE Review Ever - Land Border Sarnia Blue Water Bridge

[The Mean Lady 604]

Parents drove up with their truck and a trailer on Friday.

Left Saturday afternoon, parents left about 20 minutes earlier thinking I'd just catch up.

Get to the last exit before crossing, no parents yet.

Called them up, found out then never exited onto the 402 and continued onto the 401 towards windsor.

Told them they had to come meet up with us to get all of hubby's stuff in the country.

Original plan was for them to change cars will us so we could cross with the stuff and be held up for 2+ hours while they explored the town.

Now, since they were 2 hours in the wrong direction, we just crossed with my car which was virtually empty.

For anyone that doesn't know, Sarnia typically likes to open (1) CARS ONLY Lane on the left side with the trucks and cars never notice so it's always WAY shorter than all the lanes on the right.

As usual, lane was open and moving fast.

Was inside w/in 5 minutes.

Had packet on dash (CBP officer even said this is the way they like to see it).

Asked citizenship and I said 'me, US, him, Canadian, activating a Visa.

She asked if I had done this before because I said all the right things lol.

I told her no, just did research!

Pulled inside, first guy saw me set down packet and was like, 'oh, no, sorry, i'm leaving i'll let this guy do that lol'

So, we shift over one spot and this guy begins the process of something I've never read in my years on VJ.

Man enters info in computer.

Gets furrowed brow.

Asks Hubby for license.

Hubby says 'I don't have a license'

'Because I don't drive'

'Why not'

'Because I don't...'

'Give me your wallet'

Then we start to struggle to remember where it us.

Hubby doesn't have anything important that he would need in there.

Remembers it is in center console and tells officer

Officer proceeds to tear vehicle apart for 15 minutes.

Including careless ripping open one of hubby's collectible toy boxes.

Thank god he didn't damage the actual toy box inside but he couldn't have cared less.

Finally back in side, he says to me 'ok fine give me your license'

'it's in my car'

'ok fine! go get it!'

Bring back license and give to him.

He pokes around more on computer.

Then, he proceeds to ask husband if he has his ties to canada.

I respond 'no...'

'you've had trouble at the border before?'

'yes'

'You have a history of lying to us, so I don't know why I should believe you with all of this stuff now'

'uhm... ok....'

'Matt, when was the last time you lived in the US'

me: 'he hasn't...'

'don't answer for your husband! I'm talking to HIM not YOU!'

husband- 'I don't live in the US'

'right, then where did you live in canada'

'XXXXXXX'

'okay give me your landlord's number'

both of us- 'don't have it, it's in the trailer'

'how come everything I need is in this trailer?'

'because it's not stuff you should be asking for'

/insert nasty look

hubby mumbles 'can we have someone that knows what he's doing?'

me: 'you do know this is an immigrant visa, right?'

officer: (mocking tone) 'Yes. I know this is an immigrant visa. Matt, what do you do for work?.'

'I used to pack skids'

'you can both go sit down'

Offer shouts over: 'Matt, when's the last time you worked?'

'I just quit like a week ago'

me: 'he quit about 3 weeks ago before the last time we crossed to visit without an issue'

/insert about 5 minutes

me: 'i think I might have like a paystub of his in the car'

'a current paystub?'

'yes'

'go get it'

Then, I ripped apart the car finding a paystub, a tax return receipt, the letter of acknowledgement of move-out from my landlords, and a couple other pieces of mail showing husband's address.

I take them up to the counter and start explaining each piece

officer: 'i do NOT want to speak with you about this, MATT! Come back up here, she can sit down'

officer: 'it's rather convenient she has all of YOUR paperwork in her car'

'it's where we toss random mail if we get it on the way out, or my paystubs from after she picks me up from work'

'because you don't have a license'

'right... I don't...'

'what's this?' /picks up sheet

'I don't know what she found'

/calls me back up and I proceed to explain everything again

officer: 'it sure seems like you know more about his paperwork than he does'

'because we're married and I handle paperwork and money'

/no answer for a few seconds

officer 'i need to get someone else with me on your case, stay here'

Officer proceeds to make us stand there for about 10 minutes and FINALLY comes back with a second guy.

Same Officer (big smile on his face) OKAY! I found someone with fancier toys than me so we're ready to get started on this! Are you excited? I brought this guy over because he's an expert on these things so we should get you going in no time

/husband and I slack jawed

This offer was SERIOUSLY jeckle and hyde it was CRAZY.

NOW comes to the weird part.

Once we started processing the paperwork, the entire thing was maybe 10 or 15 minutes.

He filled out a while piece of paper with blue boxes on it w/hubby's info.

Make him sign it and finger print it, and that was IT.

PLEASE someone tell me if ANYTHING is missing.

This second guy seemed to know exactly what he was doing so I just want to make sure.

He even asked if we paid the fee and told us to make sure to do so w/in the next few months.

The entire process including harassment, interrogation, and processing, lasted 50 minutes.

It would have been less than 20 if the guy hadn't treated us like criminals.

He was SERIOUSLY acting like our passports and visa were fabricated in my house.

He kept inspecting them.

It was disgusting and I WILL be filing a complaint.

Now, for another fun part.

We had to wait for my parents and the trailer!

So we're sitting in the building for about 40 minutes when I finally go back out to call my mom again.

She's at the border, but tells me the Canadian side somehow let my 62 year old step dad into Canada on my (then) 15 year old sister's now EXPIRED passport!

NOT KIDDING! Apparently didn't even LOOK at the date or the people in the car.

So we thought they have trouble and get pulled in on our side.

NO.

They end up just going right through.

Don't get pulled in for the stuff in the trailer, lack of passport, nothing.

Don't even ask to see inside anything.

It was hilarious.

AND THERE'S MY STORY! HOPE YOU ENJOYED!

I'll get around to trimming it for the actual POE reviews soon.

[SAT 9,609]

welcome back

[Darnell 8,478]

I laughed, I cried, I gnashed my teeth, I pulled out my hair, I shouted to the Goddess of Sarnia

about the slow-brained idiot on the payroll.

grrrrr

Welcome to USA !

Whatcha cooking, to celebrate?

Please examine the passport, I not read of him getting an endorsement stamp by a CBP human.

Edited July 28, 2013 by Darnell

[The Mean Lady 604]

Yes, sorry passport was stamped and dated properly

[NikLR 13,220]

The second guy did all the right stuff.. filled in the boxes, do the fingerprint and sign. It really should have been that easy to begin with. I dunno ####### was with the first guy, I agree to file a complaint about the moron!

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Good heavens! The first guy sounds like a recent import from the Mexican border or was hoping to star in an upcoming episode of Border Wars! I was told on one of my visits to a former American boyfriend that guards on the Canadian border had to serve at least a year on the Mexican border before they were transferred north. Your guy must have just arrived!

Yes, definitely file a complaint.

Edited July 28, 2013 by Kathryn41

[TBoneTX 43,285]

Or, he was a former vice-consul at Guayaquil. Raise holiest hell.

[Caryh 5,206]

Welcome back to the USA, and welcome your husband to his new home for me.

Well at least you had time to kill while the jerk border patrol agent played bad cop good cop with himself.

[Allanah and Chris 8]

It would have been less than 20 if the guy hadn't treated us like criminals.

He was SERIOUSLY acting like our passports and visa were fabricated in my house.

He kept inspecting them.

It was disgusting and I WILL be filing a complaint.

As a US citizen I can confirm that this is the treatment I receive every time I come back stateside. They act like I violated some law leaving the country. "Why would you ever leave the US?! There is no legitimate reason to leave Amurrica. Terrorist."

We got NEXUS merely so I would not be berated at the border every time I cross back into the US.

[hikergirl 277]

Wow. That guy sounds nuts. My POE went way better and we had: USC, Me (CR-1), Teen (CR-2), unaccompanied minor (teen’s friend - brought for road trip/visit with notarized letter from family), cat, UHaul & a car to import.

On reflection it may have been because the guy who didn’t know quite what to do left most of our paperwork to the girl who did know what to do. He did watch over her shoulder what she was inputting into the computer and such though.

Maybe your guy was hypoglycaemic and went and got some sugar as well as help.

Glad you guys made it through!

[Stubby and Rio 4]

Another EPIC review KDH er I mean madam mean lady a nail biter all the way through....great review !!!

[Autumnal 25]

I don't even...

This is why I love and miss my Canadian customs people. Friendly AND competent. :/

[gwenstar 66]

I laughed, I cried, I gnashed my teeth, I pulled out my hair, I shouted to the Goddess of Sarnia

about the slow-brained idiot on the payroll.

grrrrr

Welcome to USA !

LOL!

Wow, just wow. Glad you made it through and THANK you for sharing.

[sumit381 2]

Nice review That's what you get when you let high school rejects protect our borders... What's scary is that they give guns to those guys. Anyway welcome home! I'm definitely POEing at Windsor

[carocaro 22]

Completely entertaining!!! Sorry that it was stressful at times. Glad your story has a happy ending :-)

Caro