Crossing 12/30, w/ expired/no passports

[Stuart]

I can see that happening. I bring my boat back and forth a lot. And they always inspect it. Have even X-rayed it a time or two. Never been handcuffed, though, while they went through the boat. Usually, they just ask about what I do for a living and how I can afford such a nice boat!

 

[rockyptjoe]

After looking into the details of our friends who were handcuffed the story is this:

Their boat in tow on a trailer had an abundance of sand in the hull due to a mishap with a sandbar. The presence of the sand created a situation that the guards wanted to verify further. The folks were both handcuffed for a couple of hours as the mystery of the sand was investigated.

Maybe based on an initial "profile" of your friends, the customs people felt the "need" to handcuff.....and yes, there is profiling.....they couldn't do their job if there wasn't, for all you ACLU types :stir::rofl:

I sometimes bring two large jetskis across....sometimes they give them a cursory look, aq ocuple of times, they pulled the seats, etc to look inside....but I'm 60, and usually have my daughter along...so they probably consider me harmless!!

 

[cactusamigo]

Wahoo - I think I missed something. Of what country are you a citizen and live in? What document do you use to enter the U.S if you don't have a "green card"?

Also, A U.S citizen not having a passport is not "breaking the law" entering the U.S. at a port of entry, as long as the person is truthful about his citizenship. Telling the inspector: "I'm a U.S, citizen, but I do not have my passport" is not breaking the law.

It is a fact that many people have been routinely handcuffed when sent for secondary inspection, whether at the discretion of the primary inspector, or randomly selected by the computer.This recent policy is very intimidating, and the experience can be traumatic to some individuals. It hasn't been publicized by the government. It began about the time that outgoing inspection was initiated. U.S. outgoing inspection agents carry machine guns and shotguns, which is no less intimidating to U.S. citizen tourists than machine gun bearing Mexican soldiers at Mexican highway check points. Why the need for agents armed with automatic weapons where there wasn't a previous need for even a checkpoint? Mexico is responsible for checking people entering Mexico.

 

[kazpilot25]

Ok so we just got back and had no issue whatsoever at the border upon return. We came back across around 8am, handed the border guard my valid passport, wifes expired passport, and our friends birth certificates and ID's. She looked at the passports, scanned mine, reviewed the birth certificates and then proceeded to examine the jeep. She shuffled around the blankets, went through the ice chest, and unzipped and poked around our bags. All while we sat in the line holding up the traffic. In all my years of going back and forth I've never had such an extensive search while we sat in line. Then again, I've never come across without the proper documentation. Hope this helped for you all.

 

[brother d]

Incaroads wrote:
"In all the back and force that I have done with passengers they have not make us pull to the side or make us wait longer than 15 minutes for not having a passport."

So this just increases the wait for everyone in line and takes the time of the border people. Sounds like it would be helpful if people would simply get the border the cards. They can be flashed at the camera as you pass by, you get a question or two and you are on your way.

For 45.00 plus a picture it's just such an easy fix.

 

[jerry]

Damn the man found my big assed bag of Oranges yesterday at the border.The Asparagus made it safely. There was a caravan of 8 police trucks with guys with long guns in the back headed into a side street with sirens blaring yesterday...looked like trouble

 

[InkaRoads]

.....So this just increases the wait for everyone in line and takes the time of the border people. Sounds like it would be helpful if people would simply get the border the cards. They can be flashed at the camera as you pass by, you get a question or two and you are on your way.

For 45.00 plus a picture it's just such an easy fix.

That would be in a perfect world, however since this is new, well if you can call it that, most people that travels in a regular basis have a passport and the card are for those that do not want to travel other than by road to the border towns, I guess?
I do not think that they will ever let you go by with a wave of the hand, when it comes to terrorism, contraband, etc. they are going to continue stopping cars and with or with out the card it is going to take at least 15 minutes, undercarriage check with mirrors, tap in van body, open doors, etc. and not just because I drive a commercial vehicle, this happens to any and all cars they feel like doing it to, and let me tell you, as Wahoo above says go to Europe and try to cross any border with a piece of paperwork missing, you'll be in for a surprise

 

[cactusamigo]

Wahoo - What country is your citizenship? What is a G4 visa?

All new passports and passport cards have RFID chips. However, even though the readers have been installed at Lukeville, they have not been functioning, as of the last time I crossed. Passports and cards still have to be manually scanned by the inspector.

 

[cactusamigo]

Jerry - You should know better than to try to smuggle oranges across the border. You could have been slapped with a "big assed fine" for your "big assed bag". Not a good example to set. Asparagus is OK, so long as it is declared. If you don't declare what is legal to cross, it can be confiscated solely because of not being declared. There is a long list of fruits and vegetables that can be crossed, as long as they are declared.

 

[MIRAMAR]

Our passport cards with the readers worked last weekend in Lukeville.

 

[InkaRoads]

Jerry - You should know better than to try to smuggle oranges across the border. You could have been slapped with a "big assed fine" for your "big assed bag". Not a good example to set. Asparagus is OK, so long as it is declared. If you don't declare what is legal to cross, it can be confiscated solely because of not being declared. There is a long list of fruits and vegetables that can be crossed, as long as they are declared.

but cactus a big ars bag of oranges and very juice costs $5 in Mexico and now with the freez in Florida they say that orange prices will go up, so wwhat will they do (orange growers)? they will buy $5 sack from Mexico and sell them for $25 in the USA, I know about all the overhead involved however overly pricing it (guaging?sp) takes place all the time so why not beat them at their own game, specially if you are just bringing them for your own use, "not for re-sale" stamped in outside of orange peel in each one, american style, that should not bother anybody :eek3:

 

[jerry]

Jerry - You should know better than to try to smuggle oranges across the border. You could have been slapped with a "big assed fine" for your "big assed bag". Not a good example to set. Asparagus is OK, so long as it is declared. If you don't declare what is legal to cross, it can be confiscated solely because of not being declared. There is a long list of fruits and vegetables that can be crossed, as long as they are declared.

Damn. I usually have them hidden but I picked up hitch hikers and in making room for them exposed the little orange devils.I can't believe i forgot to recover them up. I would be a bad smuggler

 

[rockyptjoe]

Damn. I usually have them hidden but I picked up hitch hikers and in making room for them exposed the little orange devils.I can't believe i forgot to recover them up. I would be a bad smuggler

Did the hitch hikers include some "melons"?:rofl:

 

[Kenny]

>>>Individuals in the U.S. as representatives of an international organization-e.g., the United Nations and their dependents. <<<


http://www.buffalostate.edu/offices/hr/visa.asp

As of Country ---> here is my flag

Columbia. Say, you don't happen to know...never mind.

 

[Kenny]

"Say, you don't happen to know", where I can find "A Bohemia especial"..

 

[jerry]

Good call

A Bohemia especial is on me when we meet.

Ecuador, Venezuela have the same flag. Colombia is the only one with out an ensignia in the middle.

We did some work for a Columbian woman (with a phd from Harvard) last year at here mountain top house near Sonota

.She was so beautiful we would both forget what we were saying when talking to her Ever day we'd try not to do it but it was no use.

 

[cactusamigo]

Inka - The law is the law, and you can't rationalize breaking it based on personal economics, or whatever. Try getting away with smuggling marijuana, based on it being almost free in Mexico, and quite expensive in the U.S. "Oh, this pot is very expensive in the U.S., and it's for my own personal use. I don't intend to sell it, I promise". Well, not really the same because oranges are legal in the U.S.

The warning signs about crossing restricted agricultural products are very visible. They prevent using ignorance of the law as an excuse. The reasons for restrictions vary, depending on the particular fruit or vegetable. In any case, the undeclared restricted items will be confiscated, if found, and you can also be subjected to significant fines, at the discretion of the inspector. You will not be subject to sanctions if you declare something that happens to be restricted.

Restrictions based on preventing the spread of disease to our domestic crops are easy to understand and accept. Oranges fall into this category, preventing the spread of "quick decline" virus, and other diseases that are a threat to our domestic citrus (orange) industry. Sounds good, but the actual "threat" may be more of a myth than reality. However, other types of citrus aren't restricted.

Other restrictions are based on economic reasons. I believe avocados are an example. Avocados can be imported if the pits are removed. This makes no sense from a disease prevention aspect. Removing the pit makes the fruit rapidly perishable. The same applies to importing coconuts. They can only be imported if the milk is drained. Try to find an inspector who can explain the reason behind this.

Many importation restrictions may be no more than nonsense, and we may not agree with them. However, getting caught violating them may cause one to get flagged for secondary inspection on subsequent border crossings.

 

[InkaRoads]

Cactus, believe me when I say I understand your point and also understand the consequences of transporting across the border items that are not acceptable/illegal, however I have seen when the crops are bad here in AZ and the prices skyrocketed and a week later you see all the sonoran produce come into the stores and the prices do not reflect the change, remember tomatoes a couple of years ago? :eek3:

 

[Kenny]

"The law is the law" is no way to live a normal and productive life Cactus, and I can give hundreds of example why...get real![video=youtube;qLm3HMG8IhM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLm3HMG8IhM[/video]

 

[cactusamigo]

Kenny - Being real is having an understanding of the law, and the consequences of being caught breaking it. One makes his own decision in regard to this in regard to weighing the risk/reward for one's actions. My point is that one should not make light about casually bringing prohibited items across the border. Losing a bag of oranges may be insignificant, but being slapped with a hearty fine, and being added to the border "watch list" may not be a lot of fun. One's personal belief about the law has nothing to do with this. You miss the point.