Crossing the Border? Time of Day Matters

21. November 2008 by admin.

Sorry gang for the hiatus in postings, I’ve just recently returned from a conference in Washington DC.  No, unfortunately, it wasn’t to interview for a position in the Obama Administration.

Today, I’m going to turn again to driving across the border since I’ve traveled between the two countries by car several times during the past week.

You would think that the time of day wouldn’t matter in crossing the border.  You would expect that you would be treated or asked the same questions by Customs Officials on either side of the border regardless of the time of day.  But that isn’t really the case.  From personal experience, it is much easier to cross the border during normal commuting hours around 8 am and 5 pm.  I wouldn’t say the policies are relaxed but generally speaking it is much easier (fewer questions) when you cross the border during the height of the rush hour traffic.  It must be in the morning that the officers are expecting you to stay, “going to work” and the in the evening “just coming from work.”  So much my little tip, if you want an easier time with Customs, go during rush hour but don’t expect to be any faster since there is a lot more traffic!

Posted in Time, Canadian Customs, US Customs | 1 Comment »