I recently discovered you can cross the border into the U.S. without passports and with booze and fruit in the car.

But to avoid this, donB次元官网网址檛 shut off your GPS if you havenB次元官网网址檛 driven through Osoyoos in 30 years.

My wife and I were on our way back to the Island from the Okanagan and I wanted to take Highway 3 instead of the Coquihalla. We saw the sign in Osoyoos to go east to Castlegar, but nothing pointing west, so I kept driving straight. A short time later we encountered a sign saying weB次元官网网址檙e entering the U.S. and we didnB次元官网网址檛 see a U-turn. I said, B次元官网网址淣o big deal. The guys at the border will help us out when we tell them what happened.B次元官网网址�

Moments later, a U.S. customs agent recites a script of questions he seemed incapable of deviating from.

B次元官网网址凄别蝉迟颈苍补迟颈辞苍?B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淎ctually weB次元官网网址檙e trying to turn around back into Canada, we missed our turn to Vancouver.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淧补蝉蝉辫辞谤迟蝉?B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淣o, we werenB次元官网网址檛 intending to cross the border.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址泪顿?B次元官网网址�

I hand over our driverB次元官网网址檚 licences.

B次元官网网址淰补肠肠颈苍补迟颈辞苍蝉?B次元官网网址�

I hand him our little green cards with the QR codes.

B次元官网网址淒o you have any liquor in the car?B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淵es. WeB次元官网网址檙e not supposed to be here.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淔谤耻颈迟?B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址渊别蝉.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淎ny cannabis, weapons in the car?B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淣辞.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淩oll down your back window for me.B次元官网网址� (Glances inside. Sees cooler, but apparently no cannabis or weapons.)

B次元官网网址淒id you stop at the duty-free store?B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淲hat? No. WeB次元官网网址檙e not supposed to be here.B次元官网网址�

The Osoyoos border crossing that day B次元官网网址� maybe most days B次元官网网址� seemed devoid of human life except for us and border security people, at least three of whom jumped on their computers to do background checks on us. Minutes later, Agent Strange, according to his name patch, asks, B次元官网网址淪o, when was the last time you intentionally crossed the border?B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址�2019.B次元官网网址�

It was the answer he was looking for, I guess, because he handed back our licences and said, B次元官网网址淗ey, Chris, you were born in Los Angeles and youB次元官网网址檙e all vaccinated. You know youB次元官网网址檙e welcome to come and go anytime, right?B次元官网网址�

Strange said pre-pandemic theyB次元官网网址檇 get at least one car an hour that missed the turn and ended up at the border. We said, thereB次元官网网址檚 no sign. WeB次元官网网址檇 have to talk to the Canadians about that, he said, and handed us a yellow slip to give to the CBSA people next door B次元官网网址� the Canadian and U.S. border services in Osoyoos share the same building with a wall between them B次元官网网址� and said to get back into Canada weB次元官网网址檒l likely have to set up the ArriveCan app and thatB次元官网网址檒l probably be more hassle than dealing with him.

We made a U-turn and explained our situation to a CBSA agent who asked us much the same questions his American counterpart had, handed us instructions on how to set up the ArriveCan app, had us pull into a parking stall to set up the app, and told us to go inside the office if we need help. About 90 seconds later, we went inside for help.

I did make a comment to a young CBSA officer filling out forms to get us back into Canada that this could be an episode on the Border Security TV series. He kind of grimaced and said, B次元官网网址淭his just isnB次元官网网址檛 that interesting.B次元官网网址�

(Well, maybe itB次元官网网址檚 just part of the background noise to you, buddy, but youB次元官网网址檙e not standing on this side of the counter.)

Nobody confiscated our liquor or fruit and we arrived at Tsawwassen in time for our ferry to Duke Point.

Two days later my wife received a call from B次元官网网址楾oll Free Serv.B次元官网网址� Because weB次元官网网址檇 visited the U.S., sheB次元官网网址檇 been selected for random COVID testing.

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