U.S. to Require Passport To Re-Enter Country 1223
The Hobo writes "The CBC is reporting that starting in 2007, most Canadians will require a passport to cross into the United States and by 2008 Americans who crossed freely into Canada will be unable to return to the United States without a passport. The tougher new rules still allow Canadians to cross without being fingerprinted, but every person from any other country will be required to submit to fingerprinting." From the article: "Currently, Canadians and Americans are able to enter the United States with little more identification than a driver's licence or a birth certificate, though a passport has sometimes made it simpler to satisfy immigration officers at the border."
Mexico, Eh? (Score:5, Funny)
What's the big deal? Canadians and Americans still don't need passports to get home, nor do they need to worry about fingerprinting.
If you're an American without a passport, just come back through California, Mexico, and Arizona. The desert's hot, you'll pick up lots of dust, and after a few days' hiking, you'll have picked up a nice Mexican tan. Se Habla Espanol! You're in!
If you're a Canadian without a passport, remember that you're indistinguishable from the American as long as you remember to pronounce it "owwwwt" (like you stubbed your toe), instead of "oot" (like if you're going oot and aboot), and if you can pretend that Budweiser is beer for a few days. Grab a six-pack of Bud for your American friend and follow him across the desert. Then take a US domestic flight (for which no passport is required) to New York State. Go to the Six Nations Reserve and offer to haul some smokes 'n' booze in across the St. Lawrence. If it's winter, you can even walk home, eh?
Or remotely sniff the RFID off some other poor schlub and just use his passport.
Seriously, what's the big deal? Don't have a passport, go to Mexico, eh? :)
Re:passport? (Score:5, Funny)
That could never happen to me, as my voice is my passport. Please verify me.
what? (Score:2, Funny)
aww who cares by then I'll be 21 anyway
returning americans (Score:5, Funny)
how hard would it be eh? (Score:4, Funny)
The big secret (Score:3, Funny)
Whew! (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Mexico, Eh? (Score:5, Funny)
Yes, because these states all share a border with Canada, right?
I think you might wanna brush up on your geography a little.
Re:The big secret (Score:2, Funny)
Re:YRO? (Score:4, Funny)
No, you'll have to go online to get a good fake passport.
Re:YRO? (Score:5, Funny)
War on Terror..... oops... I mean Tourism (Score:5, Funny)
Deportation (Score:4, Funny)
Re:passport? (Score:2, Funny)
Re: not really (Score:5, Funny)
It's so busy with tourists during your summer month.
We're from Microsoft and we're here to help (Score:5, Funny)
Trust us.
has anyone asked Canada??? (Score:5, Funny)
Has anyone asked Canada what they think about all the dickhead americans that didn't bring their passport with them being left in their country...american arrogance at it's best:
America: And if you don't bring your passport we won't let you back.
Canada: Hang aboot...don't we get a say in who get's to stay in our country and for how long?
America: Is that oil?
Canada: Oh shit
Re:What's next? Interstate travel? (Score:3, Funny)
Well, if you'd stop driving 93 MPH this wouldn't happen as much.
Re:What's next? Interstate travel? (Score:1, Funny)
-Jesse
Re:Because passports are never wrong! (Score:3, Funny)
Re:YRO? (Score:2, Funny)
Its more like "Your Rights Over a Line".
Re:The big secret (Score:1, Funny)
That's so cool how you make fun of Americans. They are so provincial, aren't they (it's best to say this sentence like Thurston Howell, III). Obviously, you are enlightened and intelligent.
Re:Mexico, Eh? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:What's next? Interstate travel? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Mexico, Eh? (Score:5, Funny)
Brits: Shop at home and have goods imported because they live on an island.
Aussies: Shop at home and have goods imported because they live on an island.
Americans: Cross the southern border for cheap shopping, gas, & liquor in a backwards country.
Canadians: Cross the southern border for cheap shopping, gas, & liquor in a backwards country.
Re:what? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:what? (Score:1, Funny)
Yeah, but then you'd be coming back for REAL beer anyway. There's a joke in Canada about American beer.
Q.) How's American beer like sex in a Canoe?
A.) They're both f***ing close to water.
Re:Strange.. (Score:3, Funny)
Depends on where you keep your passport. Zing!
Re:how hard would it be eh? (Score:3, Funny)
Best College Prank in 2008! (Score:1, Funny)
A few hours and a vomit covered tire-iron later, you might find yourself waking up on the wrong side of the line!
Re:has anyone asked Canada??? (Score:5, Funny)
Apocryphal passport story (Score:3, Funny)
Friend's brother flew from Hong Kong to Sydney. Flight was delayed on the ground in HK, somewhat significantly, so everyone was kind of late. The immigration person checking passports was, in the spirit of all good bureaucrats with functionally unlimited power within their sphere of influence, taking their time and making sure to ask the predominantly caucasian, Commonwealth-origin visitors lots of annoying questions.
The man in front of my friend's brother was a British businessman (suit, etc) who was kind of put out by the slowness and the delays previously experienced. Once he got to the head of the queue, the immigration official apparently sensed this and began asking a series of questions of dubious value, including asking if the man had ever been incarcerated.
Finally at his breaking point, the man said in a fairly haughty tone, "Why? Is that still a prerequisite for entry to Australia?"
At that point the Briton was refused entry and was told he had to go back to Hong Kong.
Like I said, I have no idea if this is true (did you ever need a passport to go from Britain, to HK, to Australia?) or not, but it's kind of a funny story.
The chain of deception (Score:3, Funny)
Terrorist Plan #27:
Texan (Score:1, Funny)
I replied "Texan".
He asked, "You mean American, eh?".
I responded, "Oh yeah, I keep forgetting that the rest of the USA is in Texas too."
Even the passport office doesn't believe that! =) (Score:3, Funny)
When I showed up at the passport office with my barcode receipt, the girl behind the counter scanned the barcode and then went and retrieved my passport.
And then she said: "I'll need to see some ID."
I swear, I Am Not Making This Up.
Her: "I'll need to see some ID."
Me, flabbergasted: "Er... I thought that was the id."
Her, with a warning tone in her voice: "Well, this is a travel document, but in order to release it to you I have to see some ID."
Me, getting snarky: "Well, you know, I thought you could open the passport, look at the picture, look at my face and say 'Hey, that's the guy!' You know -- like you expect border control at every other country in the world to do?"
Her, chilly as the Arctic: "That's as may be, but I'll still need to see some ID."
Me, exasperated: "All right, but what does it say that you trust the Alberta Driver's License security process more than your own?"
I still haven't gotten over that one. =)
Re: not really (Score:2, Funny)
All you pansies near the border can STFU. Farther north, we're lucky if summer falls on a weekend.
Re:Of course it's not (Score:5, Funny)
At the time I was a Canadian resident ("landed immigrant"), my brother's a Canadian citizen by birth. We were driving back from Ohio, heading to cross at Detroit/Windsor. About half way there I realized I'd left my (British) passport, along with some other papers, at my girlfriends house (where we'd been visiting). I was a little nervous about crossing without it, even though the usual routine when reentering in a vehicle with Ontario plates was just "where do live" and "how long were you gone".
As it happened, we (me driving) decided to cross through the downtown tunnel, rather than the bridge (I think we just missed the turnoff). Still just a little nervous, we pulled up to the Canadian C&I booth, and I waited for the -- I hoped usual -- questions.
The agent gives us both a look, leans over, and says "got any guns?"
"Uh, what? No."
"Okay, go ahead."
And away we went.
This was about 17 years ago, I imagine it's a little different now, even if that is a very busy crossing.
Re:The big secret (Score:2, Funny)
My God, I see the plan now! Bush intends to use this technique to dump a whole bunch of stupid Americans on Canada! Fiendish...