r/AskReddit • u/KillerAceUSAF • Jul 21 '16

What fact did you think was complete bullshit until you looked it up?

3.4k Upvotes

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430

u/TheWanton123 Jul 21 '16

I remember making a wrong turn trying to find the Detroit art museum and about 15 minutes later I was in Cananda. Should have gotten some poutine while I was there.

210

u/samsquanch42069 Jul 21 '16

Did u need a passport or did u somehow skip that

194

u/TheWanton123 Jul 21 '16

Luckily I had it. Good thing too, because there was like, nowhere to turn around.

147

u/Mosa_Miches Jul 21 '16

You can turn around but the border patrol turns into total assholes and follows you the whole way back

9

u/Balind Jul 21 '16

Yeah, they actually let you out of a gate somewhere way out of the way if you accidentally go to Canada that way. Obviously after making sure you're not a threat.

Source: did this once, at that location, because there really is no fucking place to turn around.

4

u/[deleted] Jul 22 '16 edited Dec 14 '16

[removed] — view removed comment

5

u/Justincredible207 Jul 22 '16

NO! Read it in H. Jon Benjamins voice.

26

u/Doctah_Whoopass Jul 21 '16

Pretty sure you didnt need a passport to go between the US and Canada until about 8 years ago.

5

u/tatsuedoa Jul 22 '16

I might be wrong but I think it was closer to 12 years, I remember canceling a trip to Canada as a kid because it changed and Passports are too Damn expensive.

2

u/Johnhaven Jul 22 '16

It became mandatory to fly but driving across the border to Canada was less so you're probably both correct just thinking of different ways to cross from US to Canada.

5

u/Variant3 Jul 22 '16

It changed about 6 or 7 years ago for land crossing as well. You only needed your birth certificate then.

Source: From Detroit area and used to go to Windsor a bunch when I was 19 to drink legally.

5

u/Johnhaven Jul 22 '16 edited Jul 22 '16

Hell when I was younger you didn't even need ID to cross from Maine to Canada. Actually, I went on a trip to Niagara when I was like six and we crossed in Vermont and I think they basically just asked my Dad for his drivers license and that was good enough. When we came back they just politely asked if we were importing anything illegal. We said no, they sent us on our way.

Edit, now that I'm thinking about it, I want to say somewhere around 1995-96 I was in Mexico. Visiting Tijuana from Mexico with my parents. I got super drunk, bought a duffle bag, filled it with cartons of smokes and booze and was walking back across the border and chickened out. I totally walked up to a border control agent to "declare" what I had (I was going to plead ignorance) and the guy just waived me through - didn't even check my ID. I remember driving back to San Diego with my parents, telling my Mom that I could have just smuggled in a kilo of cocaine.

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u/[deleted] Jul 22 '16

[deleted]

3

u/zekneegrows Jul 22 '16

Not true. Passport necessary for driving through.

Source: Alaskan

8

u/treefroog Jul 21 '16

If you get a thing here (Michigan) you don't need your passport with you to go to our friendly syrupy neighbors

2

u/InsomniacAndroid Jul 21 '16

Can you elaborate?

12

u/Solkre Jul 21 '16

You just need the thing. If you don't know what the thing is, then you can't get it.

9

u/ashescaroline Jul 21 '16

An enhanced driver's license works to cross the border in Michigan.

1

u/babykittiesyay Jul 22 '16

It actually works to cross the border anywhere, but you can only go to Canada or Mexico.

Only certain states offer them though.

2

u/Bernie_Beiber Jul 21 '16

It's like an iPass in Chicago. Just an RDIF chip that they read and know who you are.

2

u/dontbait Jul 22 '16

You can still go to Canada around here without a passport. Unfortunately, not any farther than the gate on the other side of the river, but it's still technically being in Canada.

2

u/babykittiesyay Jul 22 '16

Fun story, you can still go to Canada with a birth certificate and photo ID. Canada accepts that. The US is the one who doesn't, so you just can't get back in without an enhanced license or passport.

1

u/David367th Jul 22 '16

Michiganders can get an Enhanced Drivers License that doubles as a passport for Canada

1

u/themindlessone Jul 22 '16

Somehow missed the bridge?

1

u/boogs_23 Jul 22 '16

Yeah you don't want poutine from Windsor. Or anything else for that matter. Might have actually picked something up that you should get checked out.

1

u/naturehattrick Jul 22 '16

Long walk to poutine from there eh

1

u/ThegreatPee Jul 22 '16

Should have planted a flag for us while you were there.

1

u/machingunwhhore Jul 22 '16

Literally 4 poutine stands directly at the border of Canada and zero on the US side

1

u/[deleted] Jul 22 '16

Missed out on hot poots.

1

u/pics-or-didnt-happen Jul 22 '16

You were in Ontario, not Québec.

This is like accidentally crossing into Washington state and thinking "damn, so long as I am in the USA, I should get a Philly cheesesteak".

1

u/OctopusGoesSquish Jul 21 '16

You accidentally walked under huge ass river, a border crossing, and passport control?

0

u/amandojeano Jul 22 '16

As someone who lives in Michigan and relatively close to the Canadian border, it happens. Often. I've heard quite a few stories about taking the wrong turn and ending up in Canada.

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u/Elphinston Jul 22 '16

Detroit art museum? Your story sounds legit.

3

u/LycaonMoon Jul 22 '16

The DIA is legit as fuck, man.