Did a road trip to Canada!

[1995E]

So I did a road trip to Toronto Canada to do a segment for Discovery Canada for their High Tech Toys TV show. The Explorer gave me no problems and the remote start really helped in cold weather. I noticed the roads in Canada were really well maintained despite it being colder than MD. The km/h speed limit signs threw me off. I thought that the speed limit was actually 100mph for a while LOL. Good thing I didn't get pulled over because I heard they could impound your car for 7 days for speeding. No wonder I didn't see anyone speeding.

I noticed while driving back through the Appalachian mountains that the car would downshift more for the hills and for the declines as well. Power was still good at the higher altitudes.

I wonder when it does engine braking, does it use any fuel or is fuel cut off? Using the drag of the engine to slow down?

Also, a question for Canadians. I had like 3 parking tickets in Toronto just leaving my Explorer for 5 minutes each time. I even bought a parking permit from the city of Toronto and I still got a ticket 1 min exactly before I printed my permit to put on my dash... I thought I read the signs right because each of them said 1 hour parking. Your cops are pretty quick to ticket people or maybe I had a cop follow me the whole time.

Now I know this is a pretty stupid question but I really refuse to pay these parking tickets. Can I appeal online or do I have to go to court to argue parking tickets? What if I don't pay the tickets? I'm never going to go to Canada again anyway. Some of my friends did say that it was a different country, why should I care about the tickets. Will they flag the MVA or come and get me?

 

[peterk9]

A belated "Welcome to Canada".
Your post and my resulting searches on the Internet made for some interesting reading. One article said that as of 2010, Ontario had $1 billion in outstanding parking fines, the majority of which were incurred by American drivers and were probably not recoverable. The only way to have any chance to recover fines from 'out of province' jurisdictions would be to set up a kind of reciprocal agreement with other provinces and/or states. Another article mentioned that unpaid fines continue to gather interest and may be sent to collection agencies.
In any case, I don't think you have much to be concerned about but keep peeking out through the curtains just to make sure you see a swat team vehicle pull up.
BTW, most parking tickets here are not issued by the police but by parking enforcement officers. Here in Ottawa they are usually referred to as either 'meter maids' or 'green hornets'. A reference to their uniform.

Peter

 

[bj6395]

I read articles before that Ontario and Quebec have agreements with adjacent US states that they share information on traffic tickets. So if there are unpaid tickets then the associated license plate cannot be renewed or something like that. If Maryland is part of the deal then you are out of luck.

I know those tickets suck but you already got a good discount with current exchange rate. Come on, otherwise how can we keep those roads well maintained for your next visit? Are you sure you don’t want to come back? Our new leader will legalize recreational marijuana soon in Canada.

 

[1995E]

I read articles before that Ontario and Quebec have agreements with adjacent US states that they share information on traffic tickets. So if there are unpaid tickets then the associated license plate cannot be renewed or something like that. If Maryland is part of the deal then you are out of luck.

I know those tickets suck but you already got a good discount with current exchange rate. Come on, otherwise how can we keep those roads well maintained for your next visit? Are you sure you don’t want to come back? Our new leader will legalize recreational marijuana soon in Canada.

Haha! Pretty convincing argument there. I'll see if I can argue the tickets without going to Canada first.

Also, as a reply to Peter. Your green hornets must be everywhere and they must be invisible because I didn't see a single one yet they managed to ticket me within 5 minutes of parking.

Also, I have to say that I have never been to a nicer beer and wine store ever. Everything is all laid out like a nice grocery store and there are experts you can ask to help you. I didn't know if I was getting alcohol or that I was going to buy furniture. I heard all your alcoholic dispensaries are government run. Your drinking age is also 19 which is a huge plus. 21 here is ridiculous and only done because of insurance companies. I really enjoyed my trip to Canada.

If any of you guys watch high tech toys in Canada, you guys might have seen me on TV on Monday.

 

[Miami-Beach]

Going back 20 years I got a parking ticket in Toronto.. A few months later I got a letter saying they were issuing a warrant for my arrest if did not pay..No warrant was issued and did not pay.

Planning a road trip to go back up there in the spring as I finally got my Passport Card..I will be very careful were I park this time around.

 

[Tech By Trade]

Cold, LOL.
Toronto is at the same latitude as northern California. We swim outdoors on their cold days up here. The babies have to bring in the military if they get a snow storm.

Try our neighbor to the west, its 18 as the bar age, as it was here at one time. (might be 18 in Manitoba too, but no one would want to get booze in the peg of fear of getting stabbed)

As for tickets, the pricks send them to collections.

 

[peterk9]

It's 47F here today. Calling for 52F and rain on Friday. Some kids are wearing shorts! No sign of the white stuff yet. Hard to get in the Christmas spirit.

Peter

 

[1995E]

Cold, LOL.
Toronto is at the same latitude as northern California. We swim outdoors on their cold days up here. The babies have to bring in the military if they get a snow storm.

Try our neighbor to the west, its 18 as the bar age, as it was here at one time. (might be 18 in Manitoba too, but no one would want to get booze in the peg of fear of getting stabbed)

As for tickets, the pricks send them to collections.

Well... Damn. I have no way of disputing the ticket yet they will force their hand and make me pay. How can they push it onto collections if they don't know who the driver is. I'm going to find a Canadian police officer to ask about this and hope he doesn't snitch on me. XD

 

[peterk9]

Well... Damn. I have no way of disputing the ticket yet they will force their hand and make me pay. How can they push it onto collections if they don't know who the driver is. I'm going to find a Canadian police officer to ask about this and hope he doesn't snitch on me. XD

I believe that the fine is levied against the registered owner. Doesn't matter who was driving it. If you were to sell it and the new owner doesn't register it, any tickets the new owner gets will go back to you.
Not sure if these guys deal with parking tickets or not; http://www.pointts.com/traffic-tickets/toronto-south/

Peter

 

[tmg19103]

Be careful trying to enter Canada if you may have anything outstanding. Get it cleared up first before you go.

I have a friend who is a highly respected corporate lawyer. Former public defender. Just drove this past summer from Philly to the Canadian border to go to a fishing resort in Canada with his two sons and brother.

20 years ago, when he lived in Chicago, his then wife filed domestic battery charges on him which the DA dropped after reviewing the case (she is a nutcase, believe me) and he, being a public defender at the time, made sure the arrest record where the charges were dropped was legally expunged.

Well, it showed at the Canadian border as on open case and he was not allowed entry. His brother and sons went on while he rented a car for the long ride back.

Called the Chicago DA and the DA said it was expunged but the DA would not bother to notify Canada as it was expunged in their state records. Now he has to get certified records and send them to Canada. He has just decided he will never go to Canada.

Also understand a DUI will prevent you from being able to enter Canada. I have a 16 year old low-level DUI with no accident or harm done thankfully (learned my lesson and hardly even drink at all anymore at this stage in my life - and never while driving). So, given that and what happened to my friend, when I plan my next out of country vacation where I intend to spend my money for another country's economy, Canada is out of the question. Seems more than a bit draconian. I can perhaps understand a recent DUI. But a minor one 16 years ago with no problems of any sort since? I would no doubt get a waiver, but it would be a paperwork hassle. Every other free country in the world will take me as is, so that is where I plan vacations.

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/402/~/entering-the-u.s.-and-canada-with-dui-offenses

 

[peterk9]

From a few articles I've read on the Internet, it seems that outstanding parking tickets will not cross border entry. Apparently they are not cross referenced to any files they check into at border crossings.

Peter

 

[Odrapnew]

I didn't see a response to your engine breaking question. I'm fairly certain the engine completely shuts off the fuel to the engine when costing for a long period. "Long" as in over 5 or 10 seconds. I can feel it in my 14 when costing on the freeway. It'll start to slow down faster after about 5-10 seconds(but not downshift) if you don't touch the throttle.

One thing I don't like is if it's costing with the fuel off and I downshift with the paddle shifter, the fuel seems to kick back on and the deceleration decreases(if that makes sense) for a few seconds before fuel is shut off. This is annoying because I want to slow down a little faster, but not step on the brake. I'm sure hitting the brake is less wear than downshifting, but it's what I like to do.

 

[1995E]

From a few articles I've read on the Internet, it seems that outstanding parking tickets will not cross border entry. Apparently they are not cross referenced to any files they check into at border crossings.

Peter

Yeah. I found this:

http://ticketcombat.com/parking/ignoreit.php

I am so glad I never got pulled over. Then I would actually have to pay the ticket. It also says there's a benefit of doubt where the ticket could have been blown away. Now that I think about it, I don't remember seeing a ticket.

I would love to support the Canadian economy but not in the form of parking tickets. I'd rather do that buying food from restaurants and tipping.

Anyway, thanks for all the inputs! Next time I go to Canada, I will make sure to double check the signs to see where I can and cannot park. I definitely won't be speeding either. That impound stuff doesn't sound like a joke. If the U.S. did something like that, I wonder if people would stop speeding. I didn't see a single Canadian speeding while I was there.

 

[Tech By Trade]

Lol, no speeding?, take a rip on the 401.

 

[ebender1965]

Lol, no speeding?, take a rip on the 401.

Or the 400 headed north out of Toronto!!!

 

[Jibs]

Yep - our borders are pretty tight when it comes to previous infractions - even as little as a DUI. I think despite having the charges dropped stateside, you actually have to apply for some sort of pardon in Canada as well before attempting to enter and that's no guarantee for entry.

Generally if you get past the guard at the gate, you're good. If they are suspicious and run a 'second level' check, those are what dig up old records.

Be careful trying to enter Canada if you may have anything outstanding. Get it cleared up first before you go.

I have a friend who is a highly respected corporate lawyer. Former public defender. Just drove this past summer from Philly to the Canadian border to go to a fishing resort in Canada with his two sons and brother.

20 years ago, when he lived in Chicago, his then wife filed domestic battery charges on him which the DA dropped after reviewing the case (she is a nutcase, believe me) and he, being a public defender at the time, made sure the arrest record where the charges were dropped was legally expunged.

Well, it showed at the Canadian border as on open case and he was not allowed entry. His brother and sons went on while he rented a car for the long ride back.

Called the Chicago DA and the DA said it was expunged but the DA would not bother to notify Canada as it was expunged in their state records. Now he has to get certified records and send them to Canada. He has just decided he will never go to Canada.

Also understand a DUI will prevent you from being able to enter Canada. I have a 16 year old low-level DUI with no accident or harm done thankfully (learned my lesson and hardly even drink at all anymore at this stage in my life - and never while driving). So, given that and what happened to my friend, when I plan my next out of country vacation where I intend to spend my money for another country's economy, Canada is out of the question. Seems more than a bit draconian. I can perhaps understand a recent DUI. But a minor one 16 years ago with no problems of any sort since? I would no doubt get a waiver, but it would be a paperwork hassle. Every other free country in the world will take me as is, so that is where I plan vacations.

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/402/~/entering-the-u.s.-and-canada-with-dui-offenses

 

[Sgt1411]

British Columbia and Washington State share info now.

BC Drivers have had their car seized in WA for outstanding tickets from previous WA state incidents.

I have been a cop in BC for 27 years, pulled over lots of US Drivers, never executed an outstanding ticket infraction, warrant, or other infraction.

In Vancouver you need 3 parking tickets on the same licence plate to initiate a warrant, Provincial Motor Vehicle Act Tickets don't go to warrant, they get added to your insurance premiums when your renew each year. The Government controls the insurance here.

Your likely safe to re-enter Canada without fear of vehicle seizure.

If you want to be sure just contact the issuing Agency and ask them over the phone.

BUT...If your a dope smoking Terrorist from Syria posing as a refugee, our new Prime Minister will meet you at the Airport with open arms!

 

[Junkmann2]

George Bush (the son, not the father) I was told was denied entry to Canada due to a DUI conviction when he was in college. This denial happened while he was President of the United States.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=82199

http://www.globalresearch.ca/barring-george-w-bush-from-canada-time-for-the-law-to-step-in/27058

 

[tmg19103]

BUT...If your a dope smoking Terrorist from Syria posing as a refugee, our new Prime Minister will meet you at the Airport with open arms!

But if you are an American with a 16 year old DUI and no other problems ever with the law, you are a danger to Canada....

I actually find this more laughable than insulting.

 

[Junkmann2]

It is politically correct to persecute drunk drivers for their entire lives, after the offense, but it is not politically correct to discriminate against people that are seeking refuge from a war torn country, even if they are hell bent on destroying the way of life in their newly adopted country. It is a very strange world we live in, and I have no idea what it will be like in another 20 years... that is, if we don't destroy it before then with nuclear weapons...