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BUSH: Road trip wrong-turn triggers bungle at the Osoyoos border

Don香蕉视频直播檛 shut off your GPS if you haven香蕉视频直播檛 driven through Osoyoos in 30 years, warns columnist
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When taking a road trip to border towns like Osoyoos, don香蕉视频直播檛 travel without your passports or turn off your car香蕉视频直播檚 GPS. (Black Press Media photo)

I recently discovered you can cross the border into the U.S. without passports and with booze and fruit in the car.

But to avoid this, don香蕉视频直播檛 shut off your GPS if you haven香蕉视频直播檛 driven through Osoyoos in 30 years.

My wife and I were on our way back to the Island from the Okanagan and I wanted to take Highway 3 instead of the Coquihalla. We saw the sign in Osoyoos to go east to Castlegar, but nothing pointing west, so I kept driving straight. A short time later we encountered a sign saying we香蕉视频直播檙e entering the U.S. and we didn香蕉视频直播檛 see a U-turn. I said, 香蕉视频直播淣o big deal. The guys at the border will help us out when we tell them what happened.香蕉视频直播

Moments later, a U.S. customs agent recites a script of questions he seemed incapable of deviating from.

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香蕉视频直播淎ctually we香蕉视频直播檙e trying to turn around back into Canada, we missed our turn to Vancouver.香蕉视频直播

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香蕉视频直播淣o, we weren香蕉视频直播檛 intending to cross the border.香蕉视频直播

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I hand over our driver香蕉视频直播檚 licences.

香蕉视频直播淰补肠肠颈苍补迟颈辞苍蝉?香蕉视频直播

I hand him our little green cards with the QR codes.

香蕉视频直播淒o you have any liquor in the car?香蕉视频直播

香蕉视频直播淵es. We香蕉视频直播檙e not supposed to be here.香蕉视频直播

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香蕉视频直播渊别蝉.香蕉视频直播

香蕉视频直播淎ny cannabis, weapons in the car?香蕉视频直播

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香蕉视频直播淩oll down your back window for me.香蕉视频直播 (Glances inside. Sees cooler, but apparently no cannabis or weapons.)

香蕉视频直播淒id you stop at the duty-free store?香蕉视频直播

香蕉视频直播淲hat? No. We香蕉视频直播檙e not supposed to be here.香蕉视频直播

The Osoyoos border crossing that day 香蕉视频直播 maybe most days 香蕉视频直播 seemed devoid of human life except for us and border security people, at least three of whom jumped on their computers to do background checks on us. Minutes later, Agent Strange, according to his name patch, asks, 香蕉视频直播淪o, when was the last time you intentionally crossed the border?香蕉视频直播

香蕉视频直播2019.香蕉视频直播

It was the answer he was looking for, I guess, because he handed back our licences and said, 香蕉视频直播淗ey, Chris, you were born in Los Angeles and you香蕉视频直播檙e all vaccinated. You know you香蕉视频直播檙e welcome to come and go anytime, right?香蕉视频直播

Strange said pre-pandemic they香蕉视频直播檇 get at least one car an hour that missed the turn and ended up at the border. We said, there香蕉视频直播檚 no sign. We香蕉视频直播檇 have to talk to the Canadians about that, he said, and handed us a yellow slip to give to the CBSA people next door 香蕉视频直播 the Canadian and U.S. border services in Osoyoos share the same building with a wall between them 香蕉视频直播 and said to get back into Canada we香蕉视频直播檒l likely have to set up the ArriveCan app and that香蕉视频直播檒l probably be more hassle than dealing with him.

We made a U-turn and explained our situation to a CBSA agent who asked us much the same questions his American counterpart had, handed us instructions on how to set up the ArriveCan app, had us pull into a parking stall to set up the app, and told us to go inside the office if we need help. About 90 seconds later, we went inside for help.

I did make a comment to a young CBSA officer filling out forms to get us back into Canada that this could be an episode on the Border Security TV series. He kind of grimaced and said, 香蕉视频直播淭his just isn香蕉视频直播檛 that interesting.香蕉视频直播

(Well, maybe it香蕉视频直播檚 just part of the background noise to you, buddy, but you香蕉视频直播檙e not standing on this side of the counter.)

Nobody confiscated our liquor or fruit and we arrived at Tsawwassen in time for our ferry to Duke Point.

Two days later my wife received a call from 香蕉视频直播楾oll Free Serv.香蕉视频直播 Because we香蕉视频直播檇 visited the U.S., she香蕉视频直播檇 been selected for random COVID testing.



photos@nanaimobulletin.com

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Chris Bush

About the Author: Chris Bush

As a photographer/reporter with the Nanaimo News Bulletin since 1998.
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