Pre-Expo 2015: Motorburger II: What mertesn tells the border guard this time is INSANE...
This is happening again. @DeathJester and I will arrive in Detroit on Sunday, so this can happen on Monday or Tuesday. Just a quick trip south of the border into the frozen wilderness that is Canada for some tasty food at Motorburger.
Again, this is a pre-Expo event because of the time required to cross the border and learn the hard way that border agents at the vehicle crossing points have no sense of humor (the people inside at the "extra scrutiny because you're a dumbass" building are much nicer).
(thanks for the reminder @Thrax) A valid passport or enhanced driver's license is required for this trip (we'll likely do a passport check just before departing just to be sure). If you do not have one, it isn't too late to apply but I wouldn't wait much longer. The traditional and card versions are both valid for travel to Canada.
Canadian Burgernerds:
@mertesn
@DeathJester
@TroubleBaker
Maybes:
@Tushon
@evonnecameron
Comments
Still haven't been to Motorburger. May join this time.
I highly recommend it.
Please remember that you must have a valid passport (>6 months from expiring) or an enhanced driver's license from your respective state in order to be eligible for admission to Canada.
I guess I could get a passport. Just about enough time to do so...
Edited first post to add that requirement and a link for the LMGTFY crowd.
So weird to hear you say "south of the border" in reference to Canada. XD
No kidding. It made my brain hurt trying to read the map last year.
Maybe.
Border guard "What are you heading?"
"Canada"
Border guard "Excuse me? Park your vehicle over there."
in. im guessing evonne is in as well....if she remembers her passport this time...
This trip was why DeathJester and I got passports last year. Totally worth it.
Canadian Border Guards are always super nice in my experience, though now that I think about it they could be just like American Border Guards (Nice to fellow countrymen, weary of everyone else)
On the note, what /is/ the common response to learning you guys are heading over for burgers?
Going TO Canada has always been a joy for me (provided I don't say something dumb like dear @mertesn). Getting back has always been the chore. The US border guards, as a general rule, are much less willing to exhibit basic human decency.
My experience going to Canada for food many, many times (probably over 30 times in my life):
GOING TO CANADA:
"What is the reason for your visit?" "Oh, what restaurant?" "Oh, I heard that place was good, I should try it sometime." "How long will you be in Canada?" "Have a great trip. Enjoy your stay in Canada"
COMING BACK FROM CANADA:
"What were you doing in Canada?" "I'm sorry, what? You went for dinner?" "What restaurant?" "Where do you work?" "What do you do for a living?" "What does she do for a living?" "I'M TALKING TO HER, NOT YOU. WHEN I WANT YOU TO TALK I'LL ADDRESS YOU" "Why would someone go to a foreign country just for dinner?" "Sounds like an expensive endeavour" "You say you were only there for three hours?" "Dinner doesn't usually take three hours, what else did you do?" "Is this something you've done before?" "Did you meet anyone else while you were at dinner?" "How long have you been in Canada?" "Did you bring anything from Canada other than items purchased at the Duty Free?" "Did you bring leftovers?" "You can't get a burger in the US? You have to go to Canada for that?"
(no joke)
Only time I've been approached by a man with their hand on their firearm (In holster of course) was trying to cross into the States, but then I guess saying "I'm going to the States for a weekend to hang out with people I met on the internet" is a little odd when one doesn't themselves participate in that sort of culture.
(Also I think the guy was insecure about being a border guard, just from the way he carried himself)
Border Guards on the Detroit/Windsor border were far more polite when Magic picked me up. (Even let me bring some Maple Porter over because you guys couldn't get it in the States)
It's just dependent on people, sometimes they're great other times they think you're smuggling Kinder Eggs into America.
They were far more concerned we had the following IDs of the participants:
Iowa (I never was a MI resident)
Wisconsin
Oklahoma
Netherlands/ US passport
From people who were staying in Detroit, with friends they met on the internet.
They ran checks on all of us, and the guard doing so was enjoying poking fun at us while she looked up how many drugs we may have dealt in the past / Canadian jobs we stole.
Thanks to confusing signage, I was once railroaded into Canada with a bald white man from the UK, and a bald white man from Missouri. I, too, was a bald white man. We could not abort the crossing. None of us had passports. Returning to America was far worse.
Good times were had by everybody.
If memory serves, I believe your tribald troop also had a trunk full of beer, no?
A trunk full of beer and, had it been one hour earlier, a flamethrower.
This beats my first border crossing by a long way.
The flight I am looking at gets into Detroit at Noon on Tuesday. Can we make this plan for Tuesday afternoon\evening? I loved my one and only trip to Motorburger and would definitely be up for doing it again.
Thanks Obama
I suspect that wouldn't be a problem. Usually lunch happens sometime in the afternoon anyway. I'd say you could get picked up on the way, but given my last border crossing I don't think luggage would be the best thing to have in the car
I won't have anything but my Slappa backpack with my laptop in it and a few change of clothes in it. :-) I think adding a Florida Identification to mix can only add to the hilarity.
Try doing that when arriving from Norway, via Amsterdam... I'm pretty sure the guy held his gun at me under his desk.
My explanations crossing the border have been surprisingly well received, the first time I went to Nebraska to meet @Farge I was a little worried how that would go over but the border guard told me she see's it all the time (crossing to meet people from the internet/for gaming conventions). When @FettBacon flew to Canada to visit me, an officer came out to speak with me before they let him through customs and I wound up mentioning Expo because that's really when we started dating, she asked what kind of games the event was for and when I said "TF2" and then hesitated, wondering if I'd have to explain the acronym, she said "Team Fortress, yep". Actually in general she was the nicest customs/border officer I have ever interacted with.
So the flights from Orlando to Detroit went up from $112 last week to $168 this week. Given that I am going to just fly into Dayton and ride up with the rest of the Cincinnati crew. For that reason I'm out of the MotorBurger trip. :SadPanda:
Updated the original post to reflect the list of confirmed 'in' and 'maybe' people. Did I miss anyone?
I'm going to be arriving around 3P on Monday, so if this could be after that ... that'd be great.
Haven't done the whole passport thing. Am no longer a maybe :/