Anyone who lives anywhere near, and travels across the US and Canada border will find this humorous. It also reflects rather poorly on our education system.

First off, look at the attached map for context. This screen shot is of the border area of northwest Washington State and the "lower mainland" of the Vancouver area of British Columbia, Canada. Find Maple Falls Washington, and Abbotsford BC, a little to the east side of the map. The pink, east-west line is the US/Canada border.

So, last weekend (new years) a big extended family that I know, rented a bunch of cabins near Maple Falls Washington. At about 10PM on December 30, one of the moms asked two of the boys, 16 and 15 year old's, to run to Walmart in Bellingham with a shopping list.

Off they went. Of course they entered into their phones, "directions to closest Walmart". These kids (like most adults) are geographically and geopolitically illiterate.

Unbeknownst to the two boys, was that the closest Walmart, was in Abbottsford, British Columbia, Canada.

So as they are chattering along, and blindly following their phones navigation, they suddenly realize that they are approaching what looks to them like a toll booth. Dima, the driver quickly pulls out his wallet and grabs the smallest note that his mom gave him, a 20 dollar bill. As he pulls up to the "toll booth" he reaches out, and hands to what you have probably figured out by now, the Canadian Border Agent the 20 dollar bill. The dumbfounded agent looks at the kid and says "what's this for". The kids says "for the toll, it's the smallest bill that I have".

The border agent then asks Dima for their Passports. Dima still thinking he's at a toll booth says., "what do you want them for", (he didn't have one).

The 15 year old who was telling me this story said the border agent didn't know what to say at this point, but finally asked the kids, "do you know where you are"?, Dima, the driver replied; "a toll booth...?". The border agent says, "NO, you are entering Canada".

Quite a bit of head scratching and general chaos followed. After about 30 minutes of detention, and a complete vehicle search, the border agents instructed the kids to drive north about a third of a mile, cross the train tracks, do a "U" turn and head back into the USA.

The kids followed the instructions up until the "U" turn, which they missed. They figured what the heck, Veronica is going to chew us out if we don't complete the errand, so they continued on to Walmart. Nikita, the 15 year old said they started to get a little nervous, he said everything seemed a little weird, and not quite normal, so they quickly hurried-up their shopping and hit the road.

Of course, as they entered the US border control checkpoint, they had a rather disjointed, and a little hard to believe story to tell the US agents. Finally, after the same amount of chaos as before, the US border agents realized the humor of the situation, and by the time it was all over, nearly the entire office staff was outside laughing about the event, and sent the kids on their way.

LOL It sure sounds true to me !
Fits todays confusion to a T.
BOCO doesn't know illegals crossed the border?

Good one…from my experience, border patrol doesn’t have any personality let alone a sense of humor!

If they brought things back from walmart they would have to pay duty on it. Also if they only had American money, they would have to pay the Canadian walmart in canadian funds so there would be an exchange. Lots of things don't add up in this story.

sounds like a day they will never forget

Back in about 2009, before you needed a passport to cross the border, a friend and I were bear hunting in Maine and decided to drive into New Brunswick to say we had been in Canada. We also went to Walmart and bought a few souvenirs for the family. I paid with a Visa card. My friend paid in US currency and even got his change in US currency. When we returned to the border we declared what we bought to the agent. He didn't seem to concerned and we were not charged any duty fees.

Groceries are well as many other items can be purchased in Canada and brought back into the USA duty free, the maximum amount used to be $600, it's probably higher now.
Also, Canadian merchants near the border are more than happy to except US currency, especially considering the current exchange rate. Most honest merchants will give somewhat of a decent rate.

This story is even better than most of Rag's! Good dang story. And from what I've seen of today's youth.... 100% believable!

BernieB
I just decided to do a little sleuthing. The only thing that "doesn't add up" is the kids description of going 1/3 of a mile to cross the RR tracks. The kid doesn't know fractions let alone distances.
Check out the screen shot I just took of that border crossing. and you can see how nearly anyone could miss the U-turn. Especially a couple of rattled, half scared kids.

Haven't been across in a lot of years, but I used to cross over at Blaine and I never bothered to get Canadian money. Every place I ever bought anything at was more than happy to take US dollars.

that crossing gets a lot of lost people and the U turn advise.
their phones are going to get surcharges like crazy

When crossing at Niagara with two grandkids in the backseat, the border agent asked the kids if we were their parents. Of course the kids said NO. I guess he was trying to determine if they were kidnapped.

We all had passports and all had the same last name. We were allowed entry.

Did these kids grow up in that corner of Wa.? How does a teenager, if they grew up there, not know there is a border?

^^^
No, south of it about 150 miles. Kids don't pay attention to anything nowadays that's beyond the reach of their arms .

Last month I may or may not have driven to Sault St. Marie to pick up a dog from an acquaintance. (he is not welcome to come south for a few years).

I pull up to the toll booth to give the person my $4 and get a (well hello darling how are doing today, have a great trip).

I had not been to Canada for about 20 years so I am not up on the procedures.
When I pulled up to the patrol both the officer asked for my passport. I handed him my enhanced driver licence which is acceptable. Then it was, where are you headed? Me, just going over to meet an old friend for lunch. Whose your friend? Mike. Mike who? Pause. Where is mike from? Not sure, over by Toronto but don't know the city. So where are you meeting today? Pause, not sure I have a pin on my phone. You want to see it? No have a nice day. 10 minutes later we meet at Tim Hortons parking lot. I grab the dog and hand him the money and I'm off.
In a total of 15 minutes I'm back at the border patrol crossing (USA) Officer, How are you doing today, what is you business? Me, I just had lunch with an old friend. Your a long way from home to just go for lunch. Me, Well i'm traveling for the holidays and thought we should catch up. Well your windows are pretty dark do you mind rolling them down? Then it was, what is that big box thing in the back? Oh that's just a home made dog crate. I use this rig a lot for hunting. Do you have any dogs with? Lump in throat, yea just one. Well she must be well behaved because shes not making a sound. Have a great day welcome back to the States.

A big sigh of relief, I made it through with no problems.

I pull up to the toll booth and the window opens. Well hey there sweet heart how are you today? Wait didn't I just see you about 15 minutes ago? Oh never mind have a good day. She switched sides and in a heart beat I thought I was going back to the start.

On my farm in WV we have a shooting range behind the Barn complete with Skeet. We had some kids that were lost get off of I-79 and wandered into the driveway. They asked what all of the shooting was and my wife told them they are out back shooting lost city slickers. They rolled their windows up and left.

Here is one that followed the GPS a few years ago just south of my house. The road had been flooded since spring. Drove around the barrier, the GPS said to go that way.
Claimed she didn't know she was on ice until she was that far out on it. Stopped and fell through.

The area area around my camp in north-central PA is pretty rural. Most of the township roads are dirt, some are little better than two-tracks. Here is the road to my camp. It's a named township road.



Former Tman member PCR lives near my camp and some of the roads around his place are the same way.

For years semi drivers coming from Olean, NY to deliver goods to the Dollar General in Shinglehouse, PA have followed their GPS's up to the top of a very steep township road in worse shape than mine. At the top is a hard turn none of them can negotiate. Most try turning around and get stuck. It keeps the local tow operator busy.

The township has had signs at the nearest intersection warning truckers not to go that way for a pretty long time now but they just keep coming.

How can someone be that stupid to follow GPS onto a frozen lake.

That's a funny story. Those two were treated better than two others and I when i entered Canada at age 15 a couple hours after midnight, . We were not only detained, but also deported! 3 of us had planned the trip for months. We were going to head on up north of the Soo into the bush for a couple weeks of Canadian fishing and living off the land "Wildwood Wisdom" style. The oldest one of us (16)had a 1962 Mercury that had a loud muffler and had to be pushed to start. He was the only one with a valid license to drive, I was a month or so away from even having my "trainer's permit". When the customs guy was questioning us and commented about how loud the car was, the kid answered him with the fact it had "a Thrush muffler and they were made in Canada". The guy didn't appreciate the remark and said, verbatim, "Don't get smart with me boys, I'll throw you in the pokey!" Being only a budding delinquent, my reaction was to pucker up quite neatly. Long story is that we were questioned inside for some time, left to stew about it for a while, then told that coming into Canada was a privilege and not a right......and promptly sent back over the bridge to America. It got worse after we got back in the U.S. of A. The story involved beer, an understanding, but firm, state trooper, and a swift visit to court, and a filthy hippie hitch-hiker eating our grub before the merry band of underaged marauders disbanded and we headed back home, tails between our legs.