Its going to get a little harder for race fans to cross the border....

[devilmaster]

U.S. to Tighten Border Controls by 2008

By LARA JAKES JORDAN, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Americans traveling to Canada and Mexico would need passports to come home to the United States under guidelines proposed Tuesday in the latest effort to deter terrorists from entering the country.

The new rules, which would be phased in by 2008, apply to Americans traveling from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, the Caribbean and Panama. They also apply to citizens from those countries who want to enter the United States — prompting Canadian officials to announce that they might reciprocate.

The regulations mark a dramatic shift from a policy that allows Americans to return home from neighboring countries without a passport. They also raise the potential of hampering tourism and commercial traffic with the United States' two immediate neighbors.

Ugh. This is going to slow down the process unbelievably. Everytime i've seen someone present a passport, it gets taken by the customs agent and then cross-checked against the computer.

[Lizzerd]

So let me get this straight. You won't need a passport to travel to Canada, Mexico, etc., but you'll need one to come home? I have a passport and I've been to Canada and Bermuda both with and without it. Having it actually worked better than just a birth certificate at the time. But, that was all pre 9/11, too.

[JT265]

Just more complication Steve. Crossing by road, I've been blasted thru quicker by flashing my passport than a DL or birth certificate.

Your mileage may vary of course.

[indyfan31]

This, of course, only applies to legal citizens. If you're a illegal coming to California, just walk right across and we'll get you a driver's license and a college education ... for free.

[racer2c]

I don't know why the US doesn't just plop down the couple of million and buy Canada already. *runs* :)

[anait]

*anait lobs hard-packed snowballs at r2c's retreating backside* :p

[KLang]

I had heard this was coming so we finally got passports before our recent trip to Aruba. I thought it actually made the trip through immigration faster.

[TKGAngel]

This is freaking insane that I'm gonna need a passport to go visit a country that's 20 minutes away from my front door. :rolleyes:

This could make it very interesting for those kiddies that go across the border to hit the bars.

[Sean O'Gorman]

I don't know what I'd be more concerned about, needing a passport to get back into the country, or bulletproof armor to protect yourself from the amateur border patrol.

[JoeBob]

I've found having a passport makes getting in and out of the country faster as well.

They aren't that expensive, and they're good for 10 years. There's really no reason not to have one.

You have plenty of time. Here's what will be required, and when:
December 31, 2005 – Passport or other accepted document required for all travel (air/sea) to or from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Central and South America.
December 31, 2006 – Passport or other accepted document required for all air and sea travel to or from Mexico and Canada.
December 31, 2007 – Passport or other accepted document required for all air, sea and land border crossings.

[Racing Truth]

I don't know what I'd be more concerned about, needing a passport to get back into the country, or bulletproof armor to protect yourself from the amateur border patrol.

Good point. I know they mean well, but it could be dicey.

[KLang]

I've found having a passport makes getting in and out of the country faster as well.

They aren't that expensive, and they're good for 10 years. There's really no reason not to have one.


I was surprised how easy the process was. Download the form off the internet. Made an appointment at the local post office. They took the form and a picture and a check and that was it.

[fourrunner]

Congress is filled with Morons of every stripe ... This is "Feel Good" Legislation ... They will require you to get a Passport ( I already have one) but will probably not fund the requirement with additional help and infrastructure to make it go fast ! So like the Lines at the Airports just another line to wait in

The People they're trying to prevent coming in will just get Fake Passports ... The System can't handle it now .... it will just get worse!

[Racing Truth]

Congress is filled with Morons of every stripe ... This is "Feel Good" Legislation ... They will require you to get a Passport ( I already have one) but will probably not fund the requirement with additional help and infrastructure to make it go fast ! So like the Lines at the Airports just another line to wait in

The People they're trying to prevent coming in will just get Fake Passports ... The System can't handle it now .... it will just get worse!

Yeah, but they'll feel good about themselves. :rolleyes:

[indyfan31]

Good point. I know they mean well, but it could be dicey.
So far they're doing fine, there's been no shootings as most of them simply call the Border Patrol when they spot something; luckily the Border Patrol is responding to their calls fairly quickly. They even helped capture a gang member/drug runner 2 days ago. This just proves border security is not that hard to do.

The passport requirement is just eye candy to calm the masses. It's the most Bush is going to do so as not to upset the other U.S. President: Vicente Fox.

[devilmaster]

This is freaking insane that I'm gonna need a passport to go visit a country that's 20 minutes away from my front door. :rolleyes:

This could make it very interesting for those kiddies that go across the border to hit the bars.

Exactly, TKG. I live probably about the same as you.... I'll get the passport, but i'll probably also get Nexus.... That way, I can use those Nexus only lanes. Problem is, everyone in the vehicle needs to be Nexus'd to use that lane.

For me, its the thought that I probably go stateside to Detroit at least once every three weeks or so (before 9/11 i went much more often), hell, I just came back from the Tiger game (who lost :mad: ). For the most part, it'll just mean more money to the government and it won't speed up border crossings all that much.

The real funny thing in all of this is, they worry (as they should) about who they let into the border, but don't worry about the border crossing itself. Shortly after 9/11, the Ambassador Bridge (the biggest trade crossing between the two countries) instituted changes to how they collect monies and check entry. All tolls are collected on the American side. It is possible for terrorists to come to Canada, and be on the bridge without anyone checking you or your vehicle. You just drive on it. One would think that if security was that important to both sides, they would correct this problem....

Steve

[indyfan31]

A couple of years ago while waiting in the horrendous lines crossing the bridge from Juarez to El Paso, I got quite a laugh. I looked down at the river and, about 200 yards from the bridge, there were two guys on either side of the river. They each had hold of a rope that was tied to an inner tube between them, with a lady sitting in the inner tube. They were giving rides back and forth across the river, for a small fee I assume. It was funnier before 9-11-01.

[Ankf00]

I'm going to reiterate a proposal I've made on hornfans in the past.

We need to round up all of Congress and ship them to Zimbabwe. Let Mugabe sort them out.