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Crossing into Canada

I think I recall a similar incident arising in the 70's or 80's. The US and Canadian governments claimed no such plan existed.

I and my friends had quite a giggle over the denial. We thought that if the plans did not exist, the staff at the various Staff Colleges in both countries would be fired.

Such planning exercises are of course conducted, likely quite seriously, even though they would never be executed.

My father's comment was that a plan was not necessary, most of the time, because a simple phone call to Ottawa would do the job! LOL

The last time we invaded, it unified French and English speaking Canada against a common enemy.

So, you could say.....a (actually, several) failed invasions by America recreated Canada.

And, by the way, you're welcome :)
 
Decide in advance who is your spokesperson

I haven't seen this mentioned yet-
If you riding with a passenger, decide in advance who is going to answer the questions at customs. If it's the driver or the passenger-- normally would be the rider unless hard of hearing.
Unless the question is specifically directed at the passenger, that is.

At the Spokane Rally a couple of friends, he a LEO, decided to make a quick trip up across the border. He had his pistol safely stored in Spokane. When customs asked if he had any weapons, he said NO, & passenger, trying to be helpful, started to explain that their pistol was in Spokane---
Well you can guess the result, they spent the next hour and a half watching EVERYTHING on the bike taken off and inspected.
Moral: Nobody says anything unless you are specifically asked, and then just answer the question. DON'T try to answer for someone else.

Jerry Sjostrom
Chicago Region BMW Owners
 
Although not motorcycling but boating, I once watched two Canada Customs folks dismantle the innards of a boat and display it all over the dock because the owner said they had a flare gun on board. He should've mentioned a "pyrotechnic signaling device." Anytime you mention "gun" and you are an American the Canada Customs folks go crazy.
 
Keep it simple

I haven't seen this mentioned yet-
If you riding with a passenger, decide in advance who is going to answer the questions at customs. If it's the driver or the passenger-- normally would be the rider unless hard of hearing.
Unless the question is specifically directed at the passenger, that is.

At the Spokane Rally a couple of friends, he a LEO, decided to make a quick trip up across the border. He had his pistol safely stored in Spokane. When customs asked if he had any weapons, he said NO, & passenger, trying to be helpful, started to explain that their pistol was in Spokane---
Well you can guess the result, they spent the next hour and a half watching EVERYTHING on the bike taken off and inspected.
Moral: Nobody says anything unless you are specifically asked, and then just answer the question. DON'T try to answer for someone else.

Jerry Sjostrom
Chicago Region BMW Owners

If someone asks you "Do you know what time it is?" -you simply say "yes", not "It's 430". They asked you if you knew the time, not what time it was.
 
Standing up on your GS Pegs.

Just a note to all GS Riders out there:

If you come on over to Ontario Canada for a ride don't get caught standing up on the GS Footpegs while on a street or highway.
It's considered "Stunting" by the Police. $1000 fine, confiscation of motorcycle for 7 days + storage fees + 6 points on your licence.
 

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Interesting - I often stand on my RT when first slowing down into small towns to allow my old knees and butt to get some blood flow and did so in your fair province last year. Maybe they don't ticket old farts on RTs just youngsters on GSs. :dunno
 
Darryl, Do you have a sense of whether or not the police are actually enforcing this law? There are some locales down our way that have the same law on the books, but the LEOs seem to reserve enforcement for more egregious acts.
 
To play it safe, I occasionally raise my butt a little off of the seat, to give the legs a bit of exercise. However I am no longer interested in standing on the pegs in my home province to find out if the cops actually enforce that law.

On a different topic about crossing into Canada, a few weeks ago, the CBC Marketplace Investigative show had some interesting information. It is common knowledge that some areas charge a tourist tax, as does Niagara Falls. The difference however, is that other jurisdictions pass that tax onto the municipality to enhance and maintain the tourism centre. The Niagara businesses do not. They keep the fee for themselves and this fee ranges from 5% to 18%, depending on the business that you are dealing with. It also a variety of names in Niagara. However, if you simply state that you do not wish to pay this tourist tax, apparently, according to the CBC, it will be deducted from your bill. FYI
 
Darryl, Do you have a sense of whether or not the police are actually enforcing this law? There are some locales down our way that have the same law on the books, but the LEOs seem to reserve enforcement for more egregious acts.

I have not heard as yet, not will to test it out.
 
Just a note to all GS Riders out there:

If you come on over to Ontario Canada for a ride don't get caught standing up on the GS Footpegs while on a street or highway.
It's considered "Stunting" by the Police. $1000 fine, confiscation of motorcycle for 7 days + storage fees + 6 points on your licence.

Looking at this thread again, Darryl I think that you left out one zero. Stunt riding or street racing I believe comes with a $10,000 fine as well as everything else as you listed. (and yes, standing on your pegs is one of the definitions of stunt riding in Ontario). :banghead
 
Frustrating to see laws made by people who far too often don't actually know what they're dealing with.

I'll try to remember this when I pick up my RTW in Ontario in three weeks time, and ride it home to Nova Scotia. However, I will still stand up on my pegs, momentarily, every 2-3 hours to keep my legs fresh. I'd rather be safe and have to fight a stupid and arbitrary law, than be unsafe.

I'd like to see what "expert" witness they'd find who would swear that it is safer to remain seated on a motorcycle than to stand when traversing an unavoidable pothole or an uneven railroad crossing, or that it is safer to remain seated for an entire day of riding, than to stand on the pegs for a few seconds every couple of hours.

There are, unfortunately, plenty of stupid laws on the books and to my way of thinking this is one of them. I would hope that CMA (Canada's AMA) has made a strong submission to the province(s) on this. If not, I feel that this is an example of something that they should be involved in an pursue. There are already plenty of laws that deal with "dangerous" driving / riding that could be used for someone who is actually standing on their pegs goofing around. We don't need such a misguided and arbitrary law to deal with that.

This is certainly an area where MOA could contact both the AMA and the CMA to raise a concern regarding the states and provinces that have such laws. It is after all, part of the AMA/CMA mandate I believe to provide a coordinated and active voice on these types of matters.

I'm not suggesting that people be allowed to ride down the highway standing on their pegs for long stretches, simply that there should be common-sense applied to things where possible. Every rider safety program that I've seen teaches riders to stand on the pegs when traversing obstacles or rough patches of road. We also have, in both countries, a basic tenant in the law, that the punishment should fit the crime. These types of laws fail on both fronts and every other one as well in my opinion.
 
Looking at this thread again, Darryl I think that you left out one zero. Stunt riding or street racing I believe comes with a $10,000 fine as well as everything else as you listed. (and yes, standing on your pegs is one of the definitions of stunt riding in Ontario). :banghead

You are right it's a $10,000 fine.
 
Shotgun law to cover stunting boneheads with no common sense interpretation.The stunters standing on the pegs wheelying in traffic no doubt the cause...danger to all.


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These are tame...and one fairly old:thumb

When I started in the power delivery business, an old lineman used to come riding into the parking lot on his panhead doing this on occasion...he was in his 60's with one of those pencil thin twisted mustaches and gave us young riders a stinkeye. Talk about a character .


I know H and me stretched a few times up 'der in the Provinces...guess we were lucky eh?
 
Just a note to all GS Riders out there:

If you come on over to Ontario Canada for a ride don't get caught standing up on the GS Footpegs while on a street or highway.
It's considered "Stunting" by the Police. $1000 fine, confiscation of motorcycle for 7 days + storage fees + 6 points on your licence.

As I mentioned above, Darryl left out one zero; the fine is $10,000.

However, both Darryl and I neglected to mention that the roadside officer, issuing the ticket, is your cop, jury and judge. There is no appeal once you are given a ticket for stunt riding or street racing. :cry
 
My Pennsylvania State Inspection sticker is out of Date................

Will that prevent me from Entering Canada?

jason
 
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