Keep your criminals at home, please:o)

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A friend of ours has part ownership in a computer shop. Recently, someone broke into the shop and removed $800 worth of stuff. The surveillance camera shows them plainly, even to the New York plate on the getaway car. Other than reporting the plate number to the border patrol, there is not much to be done. The Canadian government does not care to pursue the matter. Young rogues can cross into this border town, take what they want, and skip back over the border without much hassle. Put on a calm demeanor, lie to the border patrol without batting an eye; the chance of being searched is practically nil. Anybody want to smuggle any explosives? (Sorry, but I am not impressed with the idea of keeping the border free and easy just so we can trade goods with each other.)

-- Cathy N. (homekeeper86@sympatico.ca), February 28, 2002

Answers

if you were allowed to have a gun in Canada,, you would be able to take care of that yourselves, thief will go after easy pickins

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), February 28, 2002.

How awful! If it were me, I would be terribly upset at the lack of follow-up. Would calling the police in the states directly do any good????

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), February 28, 2002.

Stan -- who said we aren't allowed to have guns in Canada? My brother has quite an impressive collection. My father ran a 100 acre farm and there were guns throughout the house the entire time I was growing up. Yes, we have to register our firearms. Last I heard, so did you. And we only had to start doing this a couple of years ago.

The difference is, in the US it is considered a right -- the "right to bear arms". Canadians consider it a privilege and those who abuse it have it taken away.

I am a strong proponent of the fact that guns don't kill people, people kill people. I agree with a very common bumper sticker -- if guns are outlawed only outlaws will have guns. I also believe that those who have proven themselves unable to handle the responsibility should not be allowed to be armed.

Call me Canadian. Please.

-- Tracy (trimmer31@hotmail.com), February 28, 2002.


I must be missing something here. Where are you, Cathy? Canada?? Assuming that, would the Canadien authorities do anything if the perpetraters were detained in Canada? If so, run the plate number, get a good address and send them some tickets to a show or game in your town. When they arrive-gotcha!

I've used that ploy successfully in doing repossessions when more conventional methods have failed. It's a bit deceptive, but as they say, "All's fair..." Good luck to you. I hope this helps.

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), February 28, 2002.


I like the idea of taking away the guns if you abuse the priveledge. In my opinion, if you are not willing to learn the proper way to handle a gun, you shouldn't be allowed to own one. After all, you have to take a test to be able to drive a car, right?

-- Christine in OK (cljford@mmcable.com), February 28, 2002.


Wow, the border patrol must have different rules for cars and truck drivers! My husband is an over the road truck driver. Everytime he crosses the border to go into Canada, he has to have clearance faxed before he even gets there and if he doesn't he waits for hours to get okayed to get thru. One time the company forgot to add the word "steel" on his paper work, so he set at the border for sixteen hours to get the okay to go thru. This was a joke, besause he was pulling flat bed trailer and they could see what he was hauling! Also, the company he drivers for crosses the border several times a day, so it's not like they are a company they wouldn't recognize! Sounds like there is double standards here.

-- jo in PA (farmerjo02@yahoo.comJo), March 01, 2002.

Gary, we are in Ontario, close to the border of northern New York state. Yes, if they are detained, they could be hauled in, but once they cross back to NY, Canadian hands are tied. I do not know if calling New York would work.

Jo, you are right...cars rarely get searched. I have only known of a search to happen if a person "looks suspicious", if you forget to bring ID for your children, if you have duty to pay on goods bought across the border (then they only look in the shopping bags), or if you and your spouse are driving separate vehicles and you each have a child or two with you. This last one is to see if kidnapping is going on, which makes no sense when both parents are right there. They don't search one parent driving alone with children!

Typical questions asked are: Where is your citizenship, Do you have ID for all your children, Are the children all yours, Did you buy anything, Are you bringing any goods over that will stay in the country you are going to, Do you have any firearms or alcohol or tobacco, Where are you going and how long do you plan to stay. We have had all these questions asked at once, or sometimes only 2 or 3 questions.

A stop at the border usually takes about two minutes.

-- Cathy N. (homekeeper86@sympatico.ca), March 01, 2002.


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