I wanted to share my experience and don't know where to begin. Maybe what happened to me is considered normal by Canadian standards, but I felt utterly violated, abused and, essentially, terrorized by the Canadian Border Police.
Yesterday, I drove up from my where I live in Washington to Vancouver, BC to visit a friend and see the city. I was going through the border checkpoint and all the other people were literally stopping and letting pass in a matter of 2 or 3 minutes. It is true that the other people ahead of me were all Canadians and I was the American. Maybe, they don't terrorize their own citizens like they do Americans?
Well, this is what happened. I pull up to the border gate. The Canadian border patrol agent named Officer Sidhu is the officer working at the booth and is the one who questions me. It starts out normal for a minute where he asks me where I am going, where I am from, etc. Then, after a minute he starts asking me about guns.. I am like what????? He asks me if I own a handgun. I say yeah, in my country I have a handgun. Is there any guns in the vehicle? I said No, I studied Canadian laws and I know that I am not allowed to bring any guns into Canada and that there is no guns in the car. I told him all I have is Bear Pepper Spray, which is marked properly, which was acceptable.
This is where things started to get dirty. He then asks me how many handguns I own. I told him I have a few and that they are all locked in my house in the USA and not with me. He starts interrogating me, saying where do I carry my gun when I have it. I said on my hip and I do not have it with me.. THen he asks do I have a Concealed Weapons License... I was trying to be polite and honest and told him yes. Then the evil look came onto this guy's face like I was a criminal and up to no good, simply because I am a law abiding American gun owner. He then told me I will need to have my car searched and that I must pull over to the car search area. I did not argue and complied with his orders. He also sternly told me not to take the bear pepper spray out of the car and leave it right where it was.;. DUH!!! Yeah, I was not planning on grabbing the bear pepper spray.. It was like he was prepared to shoot me then and there, like I was plotting some type of evil act.
So, then they bring me into the Border Patrol office where I am brought to the counter and interrogated harshly by Officer Sidhu. Officer Sidhu starts demanding explanations of where I am going, what I am doing there. He then wants to know the guy I will be meeting. I was being polite and answering, but it got to the point where I lost my temper and couldn't bear his antagonizing and derogatory treatment of me. Me and the friend I had in Canada met on Facebook and he was demanding I tell him all the details of which social networking site I met him. He demanded to see my phone and he seaid he would need to view all the text messages between me and my friend and that he would want to see my text messages.
At this point, I yelled out "I AM A LAW ABIDING AMERICAN CITIZEN, I AM NOT A CRIMINAL AND I HATE BEING TREATED LIKE A CRIMINAL. MY RIGHTS ARE BEING VIOLATED AND I WANT TO TALK TO YOUR SUPERIORS OR TO MY EMBASSY." I became furious and felt like I was being harassed and terrorized simply because I am a gun owner and have a concealed weapons permit. I tried explaining to Officer Sidhu that Americans who have concealed handgun licenses are law-abiding citizens who are even more trustworthy than other citizens as they have went through State and Federal background checks by local law enforcement and by the FBI. I have four concealed handgun licenses, including a Utah, which has some of the strictest standards of any state.
I knew that Officer Sidhu somehow had information either through my driver license or my license plate that I had a concealed handgun license, because he started harassing me right from the start about guns and treated me like a criminal because of my ownership of guns. I feel somewhat violated by my own country for sharing personal information with the Canadian government that should be none of their business. Why should the Canadian government have access to my personal information, outside of criminal history, such as warrants or convictions. The permits I possess in my own state and country should be none of the Canadian government's business.
HE told me that he has done this job for many years and that people with concealed handgun licenses feel too comfortable with guns and tend to bring them to Canada. I told him that people with concealed handgun licenses are law abiding people who generally will follow all the laws of where they reside. I explained to him that people obtain a concealed handgun license so they can comply with the law, not break it.
Also, I told him that he had no probable cause to keep questioning and harassing me. I said that the only reason you pulled me over and searched me was because you knew I had a concealed handgun license and you thought there may be possibly be a handgun in my car and I complied with your orders. I said that you are treating me like a criminal simply because I am a law-abiding American citizen with a concealed handgun license. He told me I am not being treated like a criminal, that if I was a treated like a criminal , I would be in handcuffs right now and hauled into jail. Being already furious and losing all my respect for authority at this point, I told him if they put me in handcuffs I would contact my embassy and I would be suing him. He says he doesn't know who I am, that having a concealed weapons license means that I am a suspicious person. Officer Sidhu started going off about how there is a lot of sex/child **** trafficking on the border and that the questions were relevant. So, I yelled back at him, "So, now you are accusing me of possibly being a pedophile? Why? Because I have a concealed handgun license?" So, using his logic, I suppose the Canadians before me he just let through the border in a minute or two are not sex traffickers or child **** distributors because they don't have concealed weapons license. I suppose Officer Sidhu somehow made this connection that Americans with concealed weapons permits are potentially the most dangerous criminals that can enter their country.
I was very angry and they could see they were pushing me to the edge. Officer Sidhu now had my phone and was browsing all my messages. I sat down and waited while they searched my car thoroughly. I was watching a few other people being searched. They realized how aggravated I was by their treatment and didn't even bother searching me, which I thought was kind of strange. I think they felt they already pushed me to the edge and figured being searched would have pushed my over the top.
Although, in all honesty, I would have complied with the search, even if I did it grudgingly. Had all they wanted to do was search the car and search me without the interrogation or criminal treatment, I would have just complied and not complained at all.
Officer Sidhu then called me and told me I am free to go.. I told him I didn't like my treatment and that I want to contact the CBSA (Canadian Border Services Agency) and report my account to him and that I wanted his badge number or identification. He told me he has no badge number, that his only identification is "Sidhu" the name on his tag. That sounded very odd that an officer would not have any type of identifier except his last name. I suppose he would not be hard to point out , at least his last name wasn't Johnson.
I then proceeded to tell him that people who obtain Concealed Handgun Licenses are law abiding people and are more trustworthy than even average citizens. I told him again I went through multiple State and Federal Background checks and that being treated and interrogated, simply for possessing this license is uncalled for. Everything I said seem to go over his head and I gave up even bother trying to argue and just got in my car at this point and headed for Canada.
Perhaps, Canada is not a country where people have rights and terrorizing Americans who possess concealed handgun licenses or who own guns is considered normal by their governments standards. What I am wondering is if the treatment I experienced was because of the particular border patrol officer I encountered or if they are all like this? I want to file a complaint to the both the CBSA, as well as to any other agency that is involved in border affairs and relations with Americans, tourists, immigration, etc. If I do file a complaint, will I essentially be blowing hot air?? Will my voice go unheard and am I just wasting my time?? Of course, I would think the Canadian government may have disdain for Americans and perhaps talking to someone on the American side who can talk to the Canadian government on my behalf would be a better option? I don't know, I just feel like I should do something, but maybe it is a lost cause, but at least I can voice out my discontent with the harassment, invasion of my privacy and degrading treatment I received by their border agents.
I was considering contacting NRA, American Embassy, in addition to CBSA to share my experience.. Maybe, I am just blowing hot air and being terrorized at the Canadian border is normal treatment for Americans.
I want to finish by saying that I understand border officers must protect their borders. If there was some probable cause for suspicion or concern, they should interrogate, search and question a person. However, there was nothing odd about my story. I live just 1 hour from the Canadian border and was going to see Vancouver and a friend. My crime was being a law-abiding gun owner with a legally obtained concealed weapons license, which I had to undergo multiple State and Federal background checks to acquire. Officer Sidhu's only basis for searching and interrogating me was that I had a Concealed Handgun License. Because I have a WA CHL, now I have to be humiliated, interrogated and detained every time while they search my vehicle. Perhaps, the Canadian government should realize how many Americans have guns and concealed weapons licenses, especially in the cities that border the Canadian border. If they terrorize enough of us, obviously we will stop visiting their country.
Anyway, I just thought I should share my experience and also give warning to other law-abiding American citizens who may experience similar treatment by the Canadian border patrol.
Yesterday, I drove up from my where I live in Washington to Vancouver, BC to visit a friend and see the city. I was going through the border checkpoint and all the other people were literally stopping and letting pass in a matter of 2 or 3 minutes. It is true that the other people ahead of me were all Canadians and I was the American. Maybe, they don't terrorize their own citizens like they do Americans?
Well, this is what happened. I pull up to the border gate. The Canadian border patrol agent named Officer Sidhu is the officer working at the booth and is the one who questions me. It starts out normal for a minute where he asks me where I am going, where I am from, etc. Then, after a minute he starts asking me about guns.. I am like what????? He asks me if I own a handgun. I say yeah, in my country I have a handgun. Is there any guns in the vehicle? I said No, I studied Canadian laws and I know that I am not allowed to bring any guns into Canada and that there is no guns in the car. I told him all I have is Bear Pepper Spray, which is marked properly, which was acceptable.
This is where things started to get dirty. He then asks me how many handguns I own. I told him I have a few and that they are all locked in my house in the USA and not with me. He starts interrogating me, saying where do I carry my gun when I have it. I said on my hip and I do not have it with me.. THen he asks do I have a Concealed Weapons License... I was trying to be polite and honest and told him yes. Then the evil look came onto this guy's face like I was a criminal and up to no good, simply because I am a law abiding American gun owner. He then told me I will need to have my car searched and that I must pull over to the car search area. I did not argue and complied with his orders. He also sternly told me not to take the bear pepper spray out of the car and leave it right where it was.;. DUH!!! Yeah, I was not planning on grabbing the bear pepper spray.. It was like he was prepared to shoot me then and there, like I was plotting some type of evil act.
So, then they bring me into the Border Patrol office where I am brought to the counter and interrogated harshly by Officer Sidhu. Officer Sidhu starts demanding explanations of where I am going, what I am doing there. He then wants to know the guy I will be meeting. I was being polite and answering, but it got to the point where I lost my temper and couldn't bear his antagonizing and derogatory treatment of me. Me and the friend I had in Canada met on Facebook and he was demanding I tell him all the details of which social networking site I met him. He demanded to see my phone and he seaid he would need to view all the text messages between me and my friend and that he would want to see my text messages.
At this point, I yelled out "I AM A LAW ABIDING AMERICAN CITIZEN, I AM NOT A CRIMINAL AND I HATE BEING TREATED LIKE A CRIMINAL. MY RIGHTS ARE BEING VIOLATED AND I WANT TO TALK TO YOUR SUPERIORS OR TO MY EMBASSY." I became furious and felt like I was being harassed and terrorized simply because I am a gun owner and have a concealed weapons permit. I tried explaining to Officer Sidhu that Americans who have concealed handgun licenses are law-abiding citizens who are even more trustworthy than other citizens as they have went through State and Federal background checks by local law enforcement and by the FBI. I have four concealed handgun licenses, including a Utah, which has some of the strictest standards of any state.
I knew that Officer Sidhu somehow had information either through my driver license or my license plate that I had a concealed handgun license, because he started harassing me right from the start about guns and treated me like a criminal because of my ownership of guns. I feel somewhat violated by my own country for sharing personal information with the Canadian government that should be none of their business. Why should the Canadian government have access to my personal information, outside of criminal history, such as warrants or convictions. The permits I possess in my own state and country should be none of the Canadian government's business.
HE told me that he has done this job for many years and that people with concealed handgun licenses feel too comfortable with guns and tend to bring them to Canada. I told him that people with concealed handgun licenses are law abiding people who generally will follow all the laws of where they reside. I explained to him that people obtain a concealed handgun license so they can comply with the law, not break it.
Also, I told him that he had no probable cause to keep questioning and harassing me. I said that the only reason you pulled me over and searched me was because you knew I had a concealed handgun license and you thought there may be possibly be a handgun in my car and I complied with your orders. I said that you are treating me like a criminal simply because I am a law-abiding American citizen with a concealed handgun license. He told me I am not being treated like a criminal, that if I was a treated like a criminal , I would be in handcuffs right now and hauled into jail. Being already furious and losing all my respect for authority at this point, I told him if they put me in handcuffs I would contact my embassy and I would be suing him. He says he doesn't know who I am, that having a concealed weapons license means that I am a suspicious person. Officer Sidhu started going off about how there is a lot of sex/child **** trafficking on the border and that the questions were relevant. So, I yelled back at him, "So, now you are accusing me of possibly being a pedophile? Why? Because I have a concealed handgun license?" So, using his logic, I suppose the Canadians before me he just let through the border in a minute or two are not sex traffickers or child **** distributors because they don't have concealed weapons license. I suppose Officer Sidhu somehow made this connection that Americans with concealed weapons permits are potentially the most dangerous criminals that can enter their country.
I was very angry and they could see they were pushing me to the edge. Officer Sidhu now had my phone and was browsing all my messages. I sat down and waited while they searched my car thoroughly. I was watching a few other people being searched. They realized how aggravated I was by their treatment and didn't even bother searching me, which I thought was kind of strange. I think they felt they already pushed me to the edge and figured being searched would have pushed my over the top.
Although, in all honesty, I would have complied with the search, even if I did it grudgingly. Had all they wanted to do was search the car and search me without the interrogation or criminal treatment, I would have just complied and not complained at all.
Officer Sidhu then called me and told me I am free to go.. I told him I didn't like my treatment and that I want to contact the CBSA (Canadian Border Services Agency) and report my account to him and that I wanted his badge number or identification. He told me he has no badge number, that his only identification is "Sidhu" the name on his tag. That sounded very odd that an officer would not have any type of identifier except his last name. I suppose he would not be hard to point out , at least his last name wasn't Johnson.
I then proceeded to tell him that people who obtain Concealed Handgun Licenses are law abiding people and are more trustworthy than even average citizens. I told him again I went through multiple State and Federal Background checks and that being treated and interrogated, simply for possessing this license is uncalled for. Everything I said seem to go over his head and I gave up even bother trying to argue and just got in my car at this point and headed for Canada.
Perhaps, Canada is not a country where people have rights and terrorizing Americans who possess concealed handgun licenses or who own guns is considered normal by their governments standards. What I am wondering is if the treatment I experienced was because of the particular border patrol officer I encountered or if they are all like this? I want to file a complaint to the both the CBSA, as well as to any other agency that is involved in border affairs and relations with Americans, tourists, immigration, etc. If I do file a complaint, will I essentially be blowing hot air?? Will my voice go unheard and am I just wasting my time?? Of course, I would think the Canadian government may have disdain for Americans and perhaps talking to someone on the American side who can talk to the Canadian government on my behalf would be a better option? I don't know, I just feel like I should do something, but maybe it is a lost cause, but at least I can voice out my discontent with the harassment, invasion of my privacy and degrading treatment I received by their border agents.
I was considering contacting NRA, American Embassy, in addition to CBSA to share my experience.. Maybe, I am just blowing hot air and being terrorized at the Canadian border is normal treatment for Americans.
I want to finish by saying that I understand border officers must protect their borders. If there was some probable cause for suspicion or concern, they should interrogate, search and question a person. However, there was nothing odd about my story. I live just 1 hour from the Canadian border and was going to see Vancouver and a friend. My crime was being a law-abiding gun owner with a legally obtained concealed weapons license, which I had to undergo multiple State and Federal background checks to acquire. Officer Sidhu's only basis for searching and interrogating me was that I had a Concealed Handgun License. Because I have a WA CHL, now I have to be humiliated, interrogated and detained every time while they search my vehicle. Perhaps, the Canadian government should realize how many Americans have guns and concealed weapons licenses, especially in the cities that border the Canadian border. If they terrorize enough of us, obviously we will stop visiting their country.
Anyway, I just thought I should share my experience and also give warning to other law-abiding American citizens who may experience similar treatment by the Canadian border patrol.
This guy seemed to have a vendetta against people owning guns.. His questions were harassing right from the start and I know for a fact he had information about my CHLs, because only like after 1 min of questioning he starts interrogating me harshly about guns.. Demanding to know where I carry my gun, how many I own and if I have a CHL, etc etc. I was being honest, polite, relaxed and it just seemed to feed this wolf of a border agent even more. 
But then I was ready for that being in Africa.. I guess I was thinking Canada, although more strict than the USA about firearms, was still a democratic and relatively free nation. Heck, considering the type of government we have in the USA now, I have not been thinking we are all as free as we use to be.