Nexus to the rescue.

[Trail Boss]

In Quebec, all construction work ceases during the last two weeks of July and construction workers take their vacation; it is commonly known as the 'construction holiday'. Most other people take their vacation during this period as well. You can imagine the congestion at the border crossing, on the final weekend of the two-week period, when everyone is returning from the US.

Sunday evening, my wife and were returning to Montreal after a pleasant afternoon of hiking in the Adirondack Mountain Reserve. We had forgotten that it was the final weekend of the construction holiday.

As we approached the Champlain border at 9:15 PM, we saw it was bathed in red light from the tail lamps of hundreds of cars. The vehicle in front of us swerved to the right and barely negotiated the highway exit (to head to another, hopefully less congested, border crossing).

My wife and I have Nexus cards. We entered the reserved lane for Nexus users and drove past five lanes of vehicles, at least 100 deep (> 500 cars). We were stopped just short of the crossing gate and asked to produce our Nexus cards. This is an unusual procedure and probably instituted, on this madhouse of an evening, to turn back non-Nexus users who were 'playing dumb' and attempting to use the Nexus lane. The guard examined our cards, asked us a question and then allowed us to pass. At the gate, the guard asked the usual questions, we had nothing to declare, and we were allowed to pass. Total time at the crossing, less than two minutes. I suspect most people suffered through a mind-numbing 1.5 to 2 hour wait before clearing the border.

A Nexus card costs $50 and is valid for 5 years. If you visit the US frequently, it is worth every penny.

[Samsquanch]

I was in exactly the same situation as you an hour earlier on Sunday coming back from hiking Hurricane with my better half. As we rolled through in two minutes flat, she turned to me and said, "this almost feels like cheating." I don't know why more people don't invest the ten bucks a year, but I'm sure glad they don't!

[Willie]

Shhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

The more Nexus cards out there, the more cars in the Nexus lane.

By the way, it's great in airports, too.

[DSettahr]

But is there an equivalent for getting back into the US as an American citizen?

Crossing the border to get back into the US always takes me a fair amount of time... because "I look nothing like my photo ID" (that's what they tell me).

EDIT: Looks like the card is available to both US and Canadian citizens...

[pete_hickey]

And they're only useful if your border crossing has Nexus lanes.

[Faline]

DSettahr: Nexus is a joint program between the USA and Canada...so Nexus is your program too!

[Thudley]

Originally Posted by Samsquanch

I was in exactly the same situation as you an hour earlier on Sunday coming back from hiking Hurricane with my better half. As we rolled through in two minutes flat, she turned to me and said, "this almost feels like cheating." I don't know why more people don't invest the ten bucks a year, but I'm sure glad they don't!

We've had FastTrac and EasyPass here for many years, and I'm still amazed that I can wizz through the pass lanes on bridges and highways while dozens are lined up to pay cash. A very good example is the toll plaza at the end of I-90 at Buffalo. Hundreds of cars waiting in line and very few in the pass lanes.

Suits me fine!

[Samsquanch]

Originally Posted by pete_hickey

And they're only useful if your border crossing has Nexus lanes.

That's true. I remember the first time heading from the High Peaks to my parent's house in Ontario after I got my Nexus. We crested the bridge at Cornwall and started looking desperately for the Nexus logo before realizing there was none and resigning ourselves to a 40-minute wait. I'm actually surprised they don't have a Nexus lane at Cornwall. It certainly seems like there's enough traffic there to justify it.

[Faline]

I think there is no NEXUS at Cornwall because of the makeshift border crossing since issues arose between CBSA and Akwesasne. Hopefully the new permanant crossing will have a NEXUS lane. (whenever that happens)

Too bad because I just spent an hour there on Sunday!

[pete_hickey]

Originally Posted by Faline

I think there is no NEXUS at Cornwall because of the makeshift border crossing since issues arose between CBSA and Akwesasne. Hopefully the new permanant crossing will have a NEXUS lane. (whenever that happens)

I wouldn't count on it. The old location never had one.

Too bad because I just spent an hour there on Sunday!

When I know I'll be heading back on Saturday or Sunday late afternoon/early evening, I plan on crossing at Ogdensburg. Depending on the trailhead, the most it is is about 20km longer (shorter when near Tupper), and the line is ALWAYS shorter than Cornwall.

[timmus]

To Nexus card holders : be extremely careful, check your car and remember about everything you bring with you when crossing the border... I just lost my card because I had an orange in my car.

I usually eat it before crossing, but one morning I forgot about it, so I said ''no'' to the usual question : do you have any fruits and vegetables. Two seconds later I added : OH wait, yes, I have an orange ! It was too late, the officer said I tried to hide it from them, and that I was not trustable anymore.

I may have a chance to have it back, if I can reach the Nexus supervisor and beg for it. But those people are hard to talk to, they are too busy to deal with the Canadian hiker who wants to climb in the ADK's !!!

Take the program seriously, it's a privilege !

[Trail Boss]

Sorry to hear you lost your Nexus card privilege. Your experience, which to any reasonable person sounds like an extreme response to a mere orange, is why I take the program very seriously. It is clear they do not give Nexus users any leeway.

The interview process explains the rules about fresh produce and, rather than risk running afoul of them, I never bring any fruits and vegetables with me. There was a curious rule about tomatoes that said you could bring them only if they were already sliced because it meant they were suitable for eating. If you bring a whole tomato, it could be harbouring a disease that you won't find until you are in the US and then discard the infected tomato on US territory. It all seems reasonable but a little too easy to overlook so I simply bring no fresh produce. I stop at the Price Chopper in Plattsburgh and get what I need.