Fast Track Border Crossings with These 5 Travel Tips Bill McGee - USA Today
go to original June 30, 2016

Border Tips for Road Trips to Canada and Mexico (USA Today)

Imagine the scene: International travelers approach U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at an American airport. They refuse to provide ID or access to their bags. One continues speaking on the phone while the officer inquires about her travels. Another refuses to remove his baseball cap and sunglasses when asked for a positive match with his passport photo. All the while, they continue talking to other members of their party, don’t remove earphones and even munch on mangoes while swearing categorically they haven’t brought any fresh fruit with them.

Hard to believe? At U.S. airports, perhaps. But daily, at dozens of border crossings connecting the United States with Canada and Mexico, these very same CBP officers encounter all this and more. Apparently the same uniforms, badges and firearms have little effect on large numbers of Americans who aren’t criminals or suspected terrorists, but simply rude and antsy road warriors. Psychologically many tourists may view a border crossing as akin to a toll plaza, but their carelessness makes long lines longer.

Over the last few years I’ve crossed both the northern and southern borders by car and bus, as well as on foot, and I can testify to the long lines. There’s plenty of room for improvement at the Department of Homeland Security, but many travelers could help reduce those wait times as well.

Read the rest at USA Today

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