Canadians scolded for shopping in U.S.

[your_yellowbird]

Not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I thought this might interest some people (especially Canadians)...

Cross-Border Shopping Trip Becomes Nightmare
Group of Canadians say they were hassled by border guards
CBC News

A group of Canadians say they were chastised and forced to wait for hours in a bus at a border crossing between Buffalo, N.Y., and Fort Erie, Ont., because they had spent the weekend shopping in the U.S.

The group, which had planned the trip months ago and included a pregnant woman, said they patiently waited in the bus as other vehicles passed by. Some of the shoppers snapped photos of empty lanes at the crossing.
After waiting five hours, Deason said she left the bus to ask a Canadian border guard about the delay.

Deason said she was shocked by the response from the guard.

"He expressed very loudly, 'It'll take hours and hours and hours. Thank you for contributing to the U.S. economy, but I hope you got a good deal.'"

Some of the shoppers said they felt threatened.

"We weren't doing anything wrong. We have a fair trade agreement," said Deason.

"I felt targeted, in a way," said Canadian shopper Jessica Gorr.

Officials with the Canada Border Services Agency said the bus was held for hours because of heavy traffic, including 65 buses filled with roughly 3,000 Canadian shoppers.

As well, border officials allowed 75 buses carrying Canadian NFL football fans home from a Buffalo Bills game to cross the border first because they had no purchases to declare.

The agency told CBC News it is investigating the delay, which it admits was longer than usual, and the guard's comment, which it said was completely inappropriate.

Canadian shoppers have flocked across border crossings into the U.S. since late September, when the Canadian dollar reached parity with the U.S. greenback for the first time in almost 31 years. The dollar has continued to rise, closing at above $1.07 on Monday.

In a news segment recently aired on Buffalo's WGRZ-TV, the station said Canadian shoppers have raised the region's sales tax revenue by five per cent.
11-06-07 08:37 EST

 

[Jenner8675309]

Sigh. Considering that many Americans would shop in Canada for years because of the exchange rate, its sad that they were so rudely treated.

 

[lollicandy]

Hmm could it be that the border people are just tired because they've suddenly had to deal with an enormous influx of people from Canada when its been a lot different for several years? Plus don't you have to fill out forms on how much you've spent etc, I'm sure now they have to deal with loads more of paperwork.

I doubt this has anything to do with them being Candian and a lot more to do with more people going in and out to Canada.

But damn the exchange rate is crazy. Living abroad in Europe, the money just flowed right on out of my account like water. I know it has a lot of repercussions economically, but doesn't this make American products/labor look a lot more attractive than before? Maybe just superficially?

 

[yourbestfriend]

Canadians always travel to and from the border considering most of the population lives near the border whether the dollar is high or low, many times for them to get their A&F and Hollister fix . When travelling back into Canada from the US, they simply ask how long you were visiting for and how much you have spent. There are no forms to fill unless the amount you have declared is valued more than youare allowed to spend. Even then if you are honest, 3/4 times they won't bother you with forms becaus they have other things to worry about, such as narcotics trafficking.

 

[octopi]

they're probably just bitter because the canadian dollar is higher than the US dollar right now! hahhaa i joke i joke....actually we're improving the american economy by shopping there a lot more now. and then it'll be back to the same old same old. but that borderguard is an idiot with an awful attitude.

 

[lalabelle]

We're just shopping. Canadians never give the 18 year old Americans a hard time who come over and get trashed every weekend! sheesh

 

[Jenner8675309]

^

 

[Meg]

yeah, to be clear, it was not American border guards making the comments, it was canadian border guards to canadian citizens. I don't see why they care? It's not like they are personally invested in it. I know it affects the manufacturing industries but what about the rest of us who have suffered while the dollar was low and for once, have some sort of economic importance over the US?

 

[Autumn]

yeah, to be clear, it was not American border guards making the comments, it was canadian border guards to canadian citizens.

Interesting.

And let's keep it in context. It was one smart-mouth guard and one border check point. Hardly a representative for the whole American foreign affairs policy.

And as an American business woman, I can say I'm absolutely delighted to have the increase in Canadian sales that recent economic changes have brought to my business. You can shop at my store any time!