Don't let them 'get to you' as they can be quite harsh with the questioning. As has been said it's 'yes sir, no sir' .!...b.

 

Don't joke with the customs agents... on either side.... look at the agent when answering them.... don't cross with any fruit, if you answer that you have some, they may then get you to toss it, and then do a search.....If you are leaving a no helmet state, put it on before you cross.... as said above, yes and no answers, and don't be vague where you are going... have a destination in mind..... if you are crossing with several people, make sure they all have the same story..... don't drive up to the agent in a group... one at a time, even if your wife is riding with you. ... as said above, sunglasses off, turn the bike off, kick out the side stand, hand your passport, which needs to be easily accessible... I tuck mine between my windshield and pockets.

 

Things sure have changed. We rode through Grand Portage after the 105th and they waved us through with just a license check and a joke to stay as long as we want and to make sure to spend our American dollars!.

 

Some interesting questions I have been asked at the Canadian border:

- have you ever been arrested? (not convicted or anything, just straight up arrested)
- have you ever appeared in front of a jury?
- After establishing I had no firearm with me, Do you own a firearm?
- followed with, what do you own? (My cousin is Homeland Security, he tells me what I legally own and is registered would be on his screen)
- then he turned to my wife (on the bike she is right behind me) and asks her the same questions
- this went on for twenty minutes with a weird Frenglish accent, I must have said excuse me a dozen times, then he let us in

My buddy with a ton of old felonies, they asked him where he was going and then said welcome to Canada.

Real crap shoot at the border these days

 

Because my company trains drivers who haul explosives, both the company and I have gone through CSIS checks (our version of Homeland Security and CIA). And I assume all of that is on the screens... last few times going into the US I passed my passport, they scanned it and asked "Where you going this time Bob?".... the strangest question I have been asked is "have you ever been handcuffed?".... NO, i did not give the smart *** answer, although I really, really wanted to....

 

Yeah, don't joke. It's not as bad as joking about bombs with a flight attendant, but don't do it anyway.

Him: "Any firearms?"
Me: "Nope, I've been told you guys have no sense of humor about that whatsoever."
Him: Stone cold glare, pause..."So you normally do carry a pistol when you ride?"
Me, already shaking: "What? NO, NO, I NEVER CARRY A PISTOL!!"

Jeez.

 

I was crossing into the US once with my Tractor/Trailer ... it was about four in the morning... two agents searched the trailer... there was a skid in it with a bunch of box's so the customs guy starts stripping the pallet.... there was a large piece of plastic stashed in the middle of the box's... it had a bunch of white stuff in it..... the customs agent looks at the other guy and the other guy pulls his gun out, points it at my chest and says "Don't move"..... I didn't move.... it was just some white paper.... needless to say, I inspected all stuff from that day forward when crossing.

 

They were allowed to bust the seal?

 

There wasn't a seal on it, but if they choose to they can. That happened to me once and they put their own seal on it and made the notes on the manifest. I crossed the border for years, sometimes several times a week, and i was only searched a few times going South and a few times coming back into Canada.

 

Funny!
WTH good is the broker for such as Fritz?
They or someone like them has to clear it.
I sold my trucking company a few years ago as the BS was getting TOO much.
Arm chair advice---
I might be inclined to call the US Marshals.