The way I remember the Blaine border crossing (US-Canada), the US officials were polite and reasonable but many of the Canadians acted like nasty little thugs who wished they had guns.

Have there been any incidents of Canadians being unreasonably detained in recent years? I'm not aware of any.

What toasts my skittles is many TSA employees who rudely treat US citizens travelling domestically, as if they wish THEY had guns. They trash my suitcase frequently. Twice now I have asked them to speak in a civil manner. They really can't do much but slow you down and call for cops. I know a frequent flyer (rhetoric professor) who makes an almost full time hobby of taking them to task. The cops now know him and ask him to go easy on the TSA people.

With all that said: Yes, it seems the Bush administration blunders a lot in inhibiting tourists and daily border crossers. I look forward to better days (late) next year.

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