PSA: Ad on WGR about crossing the border with a DWI

[Eleven]

There is an ad lately on WGR informing people that if they have a DWI, they will not be able to enter Canada after December 18.

This is a half-truth.  Yes, if you have a DWI, you will not be able to enter Canada after December 18.  YOU ALSO CANNOT ENTER NOW, and you couldn't for years.

If you are in a rough situation and need to enter Canada, please contact competent counsel and not idiots with scare tactic ads.

Please note that my firm does not do this type of work, so I have no personal interest in this other than being disgusted by the ads.  I also do not know the lawyers in question.  (But I would question them.)

Edited September 26, 2018 by Eleven

[SwampD]

I always thought you were required by law to be drunk in order to enter Canada.

[IKnowPhysics]

22 minutes ago, SwampD said:

I always thought you were required by law to be drunk in order to enter Canada.

Story time.  Not a DWI story, but a border crossing story, just for shits.

About six UB undergrads, all under 21, packed into somebody's Nissan stanza, driving up to Niagara Falls CA (with a DD) on a Saturday night to go drinking at the night clubs.  We know we're underage, and we know the border agents know we're underage, so when they ask where we're going, we know the standard safe response is "Goin to see the Falls."

So we get to the border agent on the Canadian side of the Rainbow Bridge.  We hand over our IDs, and the Canadian border agent asks us where we're goin.  The driver responds, "we're goin up to the night club to get drunk. I'm the DD."  Everyone in the car freezes with fear.  I mean, he knows we're under age.

The border agent hands back the IDs and says, "Welp, carry on.  Don't do anything I wouldn't do."  We start to pull away.

And then we hear him scream at the top of his lungs "AND I DO A LOTTT!!!"

 

 

We lost our laughing about that all night.  The US folks aren't allowed to be that funny.

[Sabel79]

No word of a lie, my then-girlfriend and I crossed the Rainbow Bridge into Canada on a trip to see The Cure in Toronto, June 2000.  When we told the Customs agent at the border this, he literally squealed and shouted "Tell Robert (Smith) I said hi!"

Fast forward to June 2007, a bunch of friends and I cross into Windsor from Detroit for my bachelor party (much different girl, same result in the end).  Customs agent take some one look at us and, before asking a single question: "You boys coming for the ballet?"  Canadian Customs Agents rule so hard... 

[That Aud Smell]

4 hours ago, Sabel79 said:

No word of a lie, my then-girlfriend and I crossed the Rainbow Bridge into Canada on a trip to see The Cure in Toronto, June 2000.  When we told the Customs agent at the border this, he literally squealed and shouted "Tell Robert (Smith) I said hi!"

Fast forward to June 2007, a bunch of friends and I cross into Windsor from Detroit for my bachelor party (much different girl, same result in the end).  Customs agent take some one look at us and, before asking a single question: "You boys coming for the ballet?"  Canadian Customs Agents rule so hard... 

YMMV.

[sabills]

A guy I work with doesn't go to Canada because he gets hassled every-time he goes up there. Not because he has a DWI; because someone uses his real name as an alias and its been flagged.

[LTS]

1994, we're going to Lolapalooza.  There's 5 of us in the car and a female customs agent asks where we are going.  When we tell her, the response from her basically comes out to:

"I'm so jealous. Do you have an extra ticket because I'll get in the car with you right now."

Kinda wish we had an extra ticket..

[shrader]

3 minutes ago, LTS said:

1994, we're going to Lolapalooza.  There's 5 of us in the car and a female customs agent asks where we are going.  When we tell her, the response from her basically comes out to:

"I'm so jealous. Do you have an extra ticket because I'll get in the car with you right now."

Kinda wish we had an extra ticket..

You should have kicked the least liked of the 5 out (it was you, wasn't it??).  Have them trade spots or something.

[IKnowPhysics]

1 hour ago, shrader said:

You should have kicked the least liked of the 5 out (it was you, wasn't it??).  Have them trade spots or something.

"This guy's got weed on him.  Detain him and we'll take you."

[LTS]

1 hour ago, IKnowPhysics said:

"This guy's got weed on him.  Detain him and we'll take you."

I get the sense that would have only increased the value opportunity.

I was the driver... I was not getting kicked out.  ?

[shrader]

6 hours ago, LTS said:

I get the sense that would have only increased the value opportunity.

I was the driver... I was not getting kicked out.  ?

Well yeah, obviously she’s be bringing anything she confiscates with her to the show. 

Edited September 26, 2018 by shrader

[erickompositör72]

I've crossed the border many times by car, greyhound/megabus, and amtrak (long-distance relationship while living in NYC)

If border agents think you are a non-risk, they are the friendliest people.

If otherwise- trust me- they are nothing to mess with, and they become all business. They are highly trained and take what they do very seriously.

Edited September 26, 2018 by erickompositör72

[Andrew Amerk]

22 hours ago, Eleven said:

There is an ad lately on WGR informing people that if they have a DWI, they will not be able to enter Canada after December 18.

This is a half-truth.  Yes, if you have a DWI, you will not be able to enter Canada after December 18.  YOU ALSO CANNOT ENTER NOW, and you couldn't for years.

If you are in a rough situation and need to enter Canada, please contact competent counsel and not idiots with scare tactic ads.

Please note that my firm does not do this type of work, so I have no personal interest in this other than being disgusted by the ads.  I also do not know the lawyers in question.  (But I would question them.)

Is this true even if the DWI was 10, 20, 50 years ago?

[Eleven]

12 hours ago, Andrew Amerk said:

Is this true even if the DWI was 10, 20, 50 years ago?

I believe so for 10 and 20.  I don't know how well records are kept for 50.

[Sabel79]

The NCIC database goes back to 1967.  Some states are better than others, but by the late 70's every state was online.  Just an FYI.

[ubkev]

Hey @Eleven, does DWAI count? 

[shrader]

31 minutes ago, ubkev said:

Hey @Eleven, does DWAI count? 

I'm not 11, but I played him on tv.  I'm pretty sure I heard recently that DWAI is treated the same exact way.

[Eleven]

45 minutes ago, ubkev said:

Hey @Eleven, does DWAI count? 

 

13 minutes ago, shrader said:

I'm not 11, but I played him on tv.  I'm pretty sure I heard recently that DWAI is treated the same exact way.

As far as I know, it is.

Also, as a follow-up to my original post:  If you are barred entry into Canada because of a DWI or DWAI, it's probably best to talk with a Canadian lawyer, not the folks advertising on  WGR.

Also also, shrader is too good-looking to play me on TV.

Edited September 27, 2018 by Eleven

[Samson's Flow]

1 hour ago, Eleven said:

Also also, shrader is too good-looking to play me on TV.

There's more to life than being really really ridiculously good looking, and I intend to find out what it is.

[shrader]

31 minutes ago, Samson's Flow said:

There's more to life than being really really ridiculously good looking, and I intend to find out what it is.

Gasoline fights, of course!