Interesting tidbits of information ...

[Lin]

Why don't we give Point Roberts to the Canadians?

A brilliant idea

The US and Cdn govt's would save millions in border control costs and those of us that sail out of there wouldn't have to get up an hour earlier than needed just to pass through some of the most miserable and surly border staff.

It really makes no sense for us to keep it, most of it is owned by Canadians anyway.

A wee bit of border history between US & Canada. - > http://youtu.be/qMkYlIA7mgw

[Tucky]

While you folks on the west coast are at it, I'd like to break Maine off the east coast (remember, single syllable, single attachment point) and join up with Nova Scotia, Cape Breton and Newfoundland. We would have a bit of oil, nice access to the hinterlands via the St Lawrence,and no pesky language issues.

Just going to half hour Newfoundland time would be worth it, and I wouldn't need a passport to go anywhere I really want to. Newfundyland has a nice ring to it.

[LarryHoward]

Why don't we give Point Roberts to the Canadians?

A brilliant idea

The US and Cdn govt's would save millions in border control costs and those of us that sail out of there wouldn't have to get up an hour earlier than needed just to pass through some of the most miserable and surly border staff.

It really makes no sense for us to keep it, most of it is owned by Canadians anyway.

A wee bit of border history between US & Canada. - > http://youtu.be/qMkYlIA7mgw

I'd support giving Pt Roberts over but you'd have to take Detroit as well in Compensation - bankruptcy and all. .

[kimbottles]

I'd support giving Pt Roberts over but you'd have to take Detroit as well in Compensation - bankruptcy and all. .

Excellent idea! Can we give them Washington DC and Congress too?

[Ish]

Why don't we give Point Roberts to the Canadians?

A brilliant idea

The US and Cdn govt's would save millions in border control costs and those of us that sail out of there wouldn't have to get up an hour earlier than needed just to pass through some of the most miserable and surly border staff.

It really makes no sense for us to keep it, most of it is owned by Canadians anyway.

Maybe we can give them Quebec in exchange.

[Lin]

I'd support giving Pt Roberts over but you'd have to take Detroit as well in Compensation - bankruptcy and all. .

Excellent idea! Can we give them Washington DC and Congress too?

Only if you take Harper and Rob Ford!

Second thought ... no you can keep DC and Congress. : )

[Lin]

Why don't we give Point Roberts to the Canadians?

A brilliant idea

The US and Cdn govt's would save millions in border control costs and those of us that sail out of there wouldn't have to get up an hour earlier than needed just to pass through some of the most miserable and surly border staff.

It really makes no sense for us to keep it, most of it is owned by Canadians anyway.

Maybe we can give them Quebec in exchange.

Only if we can keep Old Montreal and Quebec City. They can have the rest.

The US border staff at Point Roberts are indeed nasty, surly, rude and absolute control freaks (90 % of them). Doesn't matter if one has a Trusted Travelled ID like Nexus. I think they failed at other border crossings so they got transferred to Point Roberts as punishment.

[BeauV]

I have to admit I can't figure out why the US owns it - pobably an artifact of someone in Washington and Ottawa drawing a straight line without bothering to check what it crossed. Typical of politicians, act without information and without much thought.

[kimbottles]

I have to admit I can't figure out why the US owns it - pobably an artifact of someone in Washington and Ottawa drawing a straight line without bothering to check what it crossed. Typical of politicians, act without information and without much thought.

But they did not cut through the south end of Vancouver Island? They adjusted the line to make sense only a couple miles to the west.

None of this makes any sense

[Ish]

I have to admit I can't figure out why the US owns it - pobably an artifact of someone in Washington and Ottawa drawing a straight line without bothering to check what it crossed. Typical of politicians, act without information and without much thought.

But they did not cut through the south end of Vancouver Island? They adjusted the line to make sense only a couple miles to the west.

None of this makes any sense

I think this comes from the maps of the time, nobody being really sure of where anything was, especially that little appendix.
Quote from Wiki:

The Oregon Treaty of June 15, 1846, resolved the Oregon boundary dispute by dividing the Oregon Country/Columbia District between the United States and Britain "along the forty-ninth parallel of north latitude to the middle of the channel which separates the continent from Vancouver Island, and thence southerly through the middle of the said channel, and of Juan de Fuca Strait, to the Pacific Ocean

There was much haggling over the boundaries after this because nobody wanted to give up any territory. It was a panel set up by Kaiser Wilhelm that determined the US/Canada boundary was in Haro Strait and not Rosario Strait.

[JoeP]

Ah yes, the Pig War.

[SloopJonB]

Another little tidbit that shows how dumb the line is there - the Tsawassen/Swartz Bay ferry crosses through U.S. waters on every run.

Somehow I don't think they clear in with U.S. Customs on every run.

[SloopJonB]

The trick of the Tampa Bay flight (and you can't use Miami) is that you are completely west of South America and this trips up a lot of people who don't realize how shifted over the continents are.

I have a great puzzle- it never takes anyone more than 30 seconds to recognize what the pieces are, and only one person has ever put it together in less than ten minutes (and she is a master puzzler who often does puzzles upside down). All it is is the 38 states in red plastic with no indicated right side up and no framed border. People start where they live and quickly get a portion of the country done, but it is surprising how hard it is to get each state right side up and there are portions of the country where almost everyone struggles (those damn Virginias or damn Colorado Wyoming or who cares about Alabama anyways)

Just remember there is only one state with a one syllable name and only one state that only touches one other. I was raised on this stuff.

If you wuz raised on it, you should know that there are more than 38 contiguous states.

No wonder it takes more than 10 minutes!

[BeauV]

The trick of the Tampa Bay flight (and you can't use Miami) is that you are completely west of South America and this trips up a lot of people who don't realize how shifted over the continents are.

I have a great puzzle- it never takes anyone more than 30 seconds to recognize what the pieces are, and only one person has ever put it together in less than ten minutes (and she is a master puzzler who often does puzzles upside down). All it is is the 38 states in red plastic with no indicated right side up and no framed border. People start where they live and quickly get a portion of the country done, but it is surprising how hard it is to get each state right side up and there are portions of the country where almost everyone struggles (those damn Virginias or damn Colorado Wyoming or who cares about Alabama anyways)

Just remember there is only one state with a one syllable name and only one state that only touches one other. I was raised on this stuff.

If you wuz raised on it, you should know that there are more than 38 contiguous states.

No wonder it takes more than 10 minutes!

I never understood why the US has square states - geesh, no marketing at all. How can you make a logo out of a square state!!




Now, Texas, that's the right shape for a logo. Clearly Sam Huston had a marketing guy.

[Soñadora]

whereas Finland Sweden and Norway have failed to capitalize on the marketing value of the 2-headed penis.

[Orestes Munn]

whereas Finland Sweden and Norway have failed to capitalize on the marketing value of the 2-headed penis.

Marsupials bought in several million years ago, or so I'm told.

[LarryHoward]

whereas Finland Sweden and Norway have failed to capitalize on the marketing value of the 2-headed penis.

Marsupials bought in several million years ago, or so I'm told.

Smedley,

I tried to call but they told me I had reached the pi shop.

[Lin]

whereas Finland Sweden and Norway have failed to capitalize on the marketing value of the 2-headed penis.

Marsupials bought in several million years ago, or so I'm told.

Smedley,

I tried to call but they told me I had reached the pi shop.

Smedley's tag line made me laugh out loud this morning. Maybe he is out Hunting for clean pants

[Tucky]

Here on the east coast the US Canada border is the St. Croix river, but when it gets to Passamaquoddy Bay things go a little off. The story is that The US rep (Daniel Webster I think) and the Canadian rep agreed to drift down the river and out the bay with the tide and settle things. Webster might have had a little too much beer at lunch and fell asleep, so one little nudge with the oars at the right time put the boat down through Quoddy narrows and gave Campobello Island to Canada. Thus the only way to drive there is through the US, though Canada runs ferries in the summer. I used to be glad the Canadians got Grand Manan at least, until they put in a way oversized ferry and made the island a destination.

And it means the eastern most place in the US is West Quoddy Head, which just isn't right.

America's Hat.jpeg