goodtime said:
For the Canadian boys & gals, definitely NO as many are summer students & part-time. Without proper training, they risk hurting themselves than protection. If safety was an issue, bulletproof vest is a start.
Yep, I used to be one of those students in the late 80's.
I worked one summer at the Peace Bridge and another at Queenston Lewiston.
The issue of armed Customs Officers was being discussed back then too, coz one summer in Windsor a female student was beaten senseless by an enraged US trucker.
As a result, the summer I started we were issued 2 way radios with a "panic button" which went off in the main office.
Basically the idea was we went running to the aid of the officer, and yes the "button" was pushed a couple of times, but never for anything as serious as happened in Windsor.
One canNOT issue firearms without ensuring everyone is properly trained, and I agree 22 year old students aren't people I'd want to be handling 40CAL Glocks !
I can tell you HONESTLY that I felt very safe working on the border. Usually the most dangerous people we'd deal with were Toronto shoppers smuggling in booze and cigarettes on a Saturday afternoon.
As a sidenote:
Americans are NOT allowed to carry their firearms (handguns) into Canada, but some seriously believe it's their God given right. If they don't want to turn them in to be held by Customs, they're turned back to the US....
.... and YES, some are stupid enough to turn around in Buffalo and try smuggling them in in Niagara Falls!
If the firearm is undeclared they're arrested on the spot, and the local police is called in to deal with them...
Ah, the good old days.... LOL