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, don含羞草研究社檛 shut off your GPS if you haven含羞草研究社檛 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 we含羞草研究社檙e entering the U.S. and we didn含羞草研究社檛 see a U-turn. I said, 含羞草研究社淣o big deal. The guys at the border will help us out when we tell them what happened.含羞草研究社�

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

含羞草研究社凄别蝉迟颈苍补迟颈辞苍?含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淎ctually we含羞草研究社檙e trying to turn around back into Canada, we missed our turn to Vancouver.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淧补蝉蝉辫辞谤迟蝉?含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淣o, we weren含羞草研究社檛 intending to cross the border.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社泪顿?含羞草研究社�

I hand over our driver含羞草研究社檚 licences.

含羞草研究社淰补肠肠颈苍补迟颈辞苍蝉?含羞草研究社�

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

含羞草研究社淒o you have any liquor in the car?含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淵es. We含羞草研究社檙e not supposed to be here.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淔谤耻颈迟?含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社渊别蝉.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淎ny cannabis, weapons in the car?含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淣辞.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淩oll down your back window for me.含羞草研究社� (Glances inside. Sees cooler, but apparently no cannabis or weapons.)

含羞草研究社淒id you stop at the duty-free store?含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淲hat? No. We含羞草研究社檙e not supposed to be here.含羞草研究社�

The Osoyoos border crossing that day 含羞草研究社� maybe most days 含羞草研究社� 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, 含羞草研究社淪o, when was the last time you intentionally crossed the border?含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社�2019.含羞草研究社�

It was the answer he was looking for, I guess, because he handed back our licences and said, 含羞草研究社淗ey, Chris, you were born in Los Angeles and you含羞草研究社檙e all vaccinated. You know you含羞草研究社檙e welcome to come and go anytime, right?含羞草研究社�

Strange said pre-pandemic they含羞草研究社檇 get at least one car an hour that missed the turn and ended up at the border. We said, there含羞草研究社檚 no sign. We含羞草研究社檇 have to talk to the Canadians about that, he said, and handed us a yellow slip to give to the CBSA people next door 含羞草研究社� the Canadian and U.S. border services in Osoyoos share the same building with a wall between them 含羞草研究社� and said to get back into Canada we含羞草研究社檒l likely have to set up the ArriveCan app and that含羞草研究社檒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, 含羞草研究社淭his just isn含羞草研究社檛 that interesting.含羞草研究社�

(Well, maybe it含羞草研究社檚 just part of the background noise to you, buddy, but you含羞草研究社檙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 含羞草研究社楾oll Free Serv.含羞草研究社� Because we含羞草研究社檇 visited the U.S., she含羞草研究社檇 been selected for random COVID testing.

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