So as of 1 January 2007, everyone arriving in the US from Canada via plane or ship will need to have a passport. And all land crossings will require something similar a year later. And that includes kindly gray-haired ladies heading for the gym, one presumes. But it won’t include … well …
While speaking to legislators and business leaders from both sides of the border at the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region’s annual summit, Michael Chertoff said a “practical approach” is necessary.
“In particular, we will not be, for example, including in this set of regulations a requirement for passports for ferries or private watercraft, recognizing that this is a particular form of transportation that we don’t want to interfere with,” said Chertoff.
“We don’t want to force it into the model we might use, for example, with international jet flights or international sea travel.”
So … we’re going to protect the border from penetration by Black Hats via car, cruise ship, or jet … but we’re leaving private boats and ferries off the list?
Hmmmmm … let’s see … I’m a terrorist … I read the paper … and, yeah, I think a ferry trip is definitely in order.
And, meanwhile, there’s Marn, trying to paw past the zombie make-up and hosta clippings to find the the little booklet in her purse that proves she’s not a jihadist in disguise.
Well, I’ll sure sleep safer tonight …
(via Schneier)
***Dave, what’s kind of sad about all this is how it has hurt American businesses close to the border. The tiny little town where my gym is used to have a small supermarket. It was possible largely because Canadians came down and bought things there that were cheaper in the U.S. than they were in Canada–dairy products, poultry products come to mind.
Well, when it got to be a hassle to cross into the U.S., the shine of saving a few bucks on the grocery bill dimmed considerably. Last year the grocery store had to close. Now the residents of the little town have to drive 10 miles to a much bigger town to get their groceries.
About a quarter of the members of my gym are Canuckistanis like me. When we have to buy a passport to go into the U.S., how many of us are going to add up our gym memberships plus the cost of a passport, plus the aggravation that we get from time to time from border guards and decide that it just ain’t worth it? Hrm.
The Canadian membership numbers are what keeps my wee gym afloat. Without us, it goes down, too. I don’t know how many jobs that grocery store provided, but I can tell you that my gym provides eight full time and three part time jobs.
Americans and Canadians share a border that’s more than 3,000 miles long. From the uproar from the U.S. political representatives of border states over the tightened entry restrictions on Canadians, I don’t think the tiny little Vermont town I visit is alone. I understand the need for security, but it’s too bad the system can’t be more flexible.
I suspect that the guards themselves have been rattling the cage. It used to be that every time I went through this year I had to produce photo ID and pop my trunk. In the last few weeks that has changed–I’m guessing that a list of harmless folks like me who come through 3 to 5 times a week at the same time for the same purpose has been created. Once my licence plate is entered into the computer I get waved through now with a few perfunctory questions and a smile, which is what used to happen prior to Sept. 11.
I miss the way I used to always feel welcomed into your country.
*pictures Marn at the Border with a trunk load of Hasta…trying to explain the T-Rex and how it is for her husband.*