My wife Linda and I are driving to Toronto this summer to visit our daughter, her fiancé and one of our grandchildren.
Invariably, when we tell people our plans, the first question they ask is “Are you taking the Canadian route or the American route?” They go on to explain that the American route is much quicker. And it is, by five minutes according to Google Maps.
What they fail to tell us is that while we’re in the states, we lose forty cents on the dollar.
What they also don’t tell us is that we have to cross the border twice. Once to leave Canada and once to get back.
That part doesn’t scare us if we have a relatively empty vehicle. But when you’re packed for two weeks, including camping and cooking gear, crossing the border comes with a bit of a risk.
Years ago, while waiting to cross the border, we were several vehicles behind one that was loaded to the gills. By the time we reached the border guard, the vehicle's owner had been pulled over to the side. The suitcases had been emptied and all their personal belongings were on the asphalt. Even some of the tires had been removed.
Fortunately, we were spared the same fate, but it did make us think about taking future five-minute-saving shortcuts.
We’ve never had a difficulty crossing any border, thankfully. And maybe that’s why I have such a huge regard for Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers, more familiarly known as border guards.
They have an incredible job to do. As one website puts it, they “ensure Canada's security and prosperity by managing the entry of people and goods into the country, while also preventing illegal goods and inadmissible individuals from entering Canada.”
They look drivers in the eye and watch for body language that signals people may be trying to pull a fast one, smuggling something across that they shouldn’t or that they should be paying for.
The officers don’t create the rules; they make sure they are followed.
If our government says items have to be taxed or duty has to be paid, the officers have no choice but to collect it. If the powers-that-be determine that something shouldn’t be brought across the border, the BSO’s have to make sure that those things aren’t coming into Canada.
The guards, unfortunately, take the brunt of people’s frustrations, even though they don’t create the laws.
It is incredible how "law-abiding citizens" see nothing wrong with smuggling something illegally across the border. Some do it inadvertently, not knowing all the restrictions, but others, not agreeing with the rules, will hide things under the seat, put things deep into purses and personal body spaces, and even take out the spare tire to create another hiding space. The creativity for petty smuggling is astonishing.
Then there are those who smuggle intentionally big-time – booze, cigarettes, guns, jewelry and bizarre things like horses, small planes and even bags of dead birds. How does one hide a small plane? Some go as far as smuggling people.
This is much more serious than inadvertent smuggling or intentional petty smuggling. Those trying to smuggle major things are usually on the wrong side of the law and officers often put their lives on the line to enforce the laws they didn’t make. Thankfully, close to 20 years ago, legislation was passed that enabled officers to be armed to deal with these sorts of folks.
I have a deep, deep respect for those who choose to be border service officers. Oh sure, they can come across as being gruff at times, but remember, they have to deal with all kinds of people and watch for all kinds of things.
Next time you’re at the border, consider showing the respect they deserve. After all, as another website states, they “act as the country's first line of defence against illegal goods and inadmissible individuals.”
