BigAura

My take: he's a social-misfit, trying to find his way, rather than a conman looking for his next mark. He's not the typical-cycle-tourist on this site (me included) , but he is part the world you'll find on-the-road if you care to look. I'm rooting for him, but have grave doubts.

TBH: I've not watched any of his videos, in it's entirety, so my perspective is somewhat bounded.

krisman101

Thank you all for taking your time out to watch his videos.

I didn't care much for the drunken video either but kudos to him for putting it out there anyways. Everyone deserves a release every now and again.

I'm gonna try to reach out to him tonight to read these comments.

Thanks again!

downtube42

Reading this thread a day after riding a 300k. I strikes me that the spectrum of responses here, from supportive to hostile, mirror the behavior of motorists on the road. Most are benign, a few are surprisingly kind, and a very few are hostile. Funny, that.

DanBell

One of the comments under the video of him getting drunk and arrested noted that he does not have a passport and whatever ID he is carrying has expired. I foresee him having a difficult time getting into Canada.

mev

What I find most disappointing about his drunk video is something he relates: (1) he was locked out of his borrowed lodging (2) he said he had been told "stay as long as you want" but then told he was locked out because he was loud/obnoxious and disturbing others. He can't recall these actions from previous evening.

I've spent four of the last twenty years on the road in a variety of long-distance tours. When I am cycle touring, I sometimes think of myself as an ambassador. I'll be friendly to others I meet and satisfy their curiosity about my travels. I figure it can only help if they later are on the road - spot a touring cyclists and think, "wonder where they are going, remember the guy we met in the campground a few days ago" rather than "why is that bicycle in my way". It may not help that much, but I like to think at least it doesn't hurt.

Wes travels on his trip are slightly different than mine. Prior to my last trip, I did quit my job, put my stuff in storage and rent out my residence. So in that sense, I was also "homeless and unemployed". However, I was also fortunate to have savings, investment and rental income.

In contrast, Wes has traveled in part with charity of others. By itself, this isn't something I feel strongly about, since it is a free transaction where others are inspired enough to contribute and perhaps live vicariously through Wes's efforts. I even see it as positive the extent to which he does some of that "ambassador" role where others may think more positively of cyclists on the road.

I am most disappointed the extent to which he abused his charity of his host, and the extent to which that might reflect on similar charity afforded to cycle tourists in the future.

skookum

He won't get in.

Maybe he can convince somebody to pay his way on the ferry, but its fairly pricey.

Agreed.

The guy has personal demons to overcome, I wish him well in doing so.

indyfabz

Good point about lack of ID. And his recent arrest itself my keep him out:

Entering Canada with a Criminal Record 2019

mev

An additional thing to watch for is "proof of funds" - https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-v...c-rnc-eng.html (see the "reasons for secondary inspection").

Canada doesn't seem to be as picky on this for visitors coming from the US - as the US is for visitors coming from Canada. However, one thing border patrol in both countries sometimes check is whether you have the funds to support yourself when traveling through the country. So if his standard opening line is "I'm going to Alaska without any money", that may not be the line to use with the immigration official.

I've entered Canada many times riding across the border with a bike - and not had difficulties. In 2016, when I came in at Beaver Creek, YT the official thumbed through my passport and explicitly remarked about my visa stamp from Sudan (one of the countries the US at least had for travel restrictions of those who had visited). She also visibly changed reactions after I mentioned renting out my house for this trip. I guess that established both an anchor point to return - and enough means to own a house that could be rented.

alan s 

axolotl

If he doesn't have one of the required forms of ID for a U.S. citizen who wishes to enter Canada, i.e.a valid U.S. passport, passport card, or NEXUS card, he won't be allowed into Canada. And even if he had one of those, he still probably wouldn't be allowed to enter Canada with his arrest record. And even if he didn't have an arrest record, there's a good chance he'd be denied entry due to insufficient funds.

There are websites where you can read horror stories by both Canadians and Americans who were treated very badly when attempting to enter their neighboring country.

I hosted a warmshowers guest who was allowed into Canada on his bike the first time when he was with another cyclist who had dual citizenship. But a couple of months later, when he attempted to re-enter Canada by bike by himself, he was denied entry due to a DUI on his record.

stardognine

DanBell

When I was about 19 in Ohio my friends and I would drive up into Canada regularly for the weekend to party. Crossing into Canada was usually the border agent asking for our driver's licenses, glancing over them, and asking, "You boys going drinking?" "Yes sir." "Well, ok. Don't do anything stupid." And we'd drive on through.

Coming back was basically the same but the question was, "You don't have any beer in the trunk do you? Ok, welcome home."

Times have changed indeed.

Happy Feet

I live 5 minutes from the border and often ride along it. Here it is!
I'm standing in Canada and the stumps are in the US.
Back in the day we would often cross without any ID at all.
I can still go for a nice day trip through Lynden WA. but need my passport now

And yes, the chap will have a tough time crossing. Besides the obvious ID issue no money will concern the CBA that he intends to work in Canada without a permit.

indyfabz

The last time I rode into Canada (B.C. from Roosville, MT) was in 2009. It was the second day of about 10 riding. The GF were both full-loaded and I got a bit of the third degree. Even got quizzed on what we both did for livings. Then the border agent snaps off "When's you next day back at work?" Glad she was good with dates because I couldn't even remember what the date was that day. When we re-entered the U.S. at Chief Mountain the two young border agents told us how the Canadian youngsters like to enter the U.S. and try to sneak back beer and cigarettes because of the price differential.

mev

Yup...

Back in 1988 I was cycling with a friend from Boston to Minnesota. All was well until we accidentally threw away her wallet, including ID, at a McDonalds near London, Ontario. We didn't notice until ~10 miles later when we stopped to fix a flat. We went back, looked through as much of the trash as we could, but didn't find the wallet. Not sure what to do, we went to the police station to file an official report we could use later. We also cancelled a credit card and ATM card.

Coming back in through Port Huron, MI we talked with border officials, showed the police report and were let back in the US. It wasn't completely smooth sailing though since our primary source of extra cash (other than ATM) was some $100 traveler's checks. There was a story on the local news about people passing fake travelers checks that made them a bit harder to cash with a signature but not ID. ATMs were still part of "networks" and my card was part of the Plus network. The system had a 1-800 number you could dial with local exchange but we discovered Plus machines weren't very prevalent in Michigan/Wisconsin. I eventually called my bank back home to understand there were four Plus related banks in all of Wisconsin. We eventually had her parents wire some funds to a Western Union near Green Bay so we had enough funds to complete the trip.

CraigMBA

A buddy of mine (now deceased) was mixed up with a stripper when he was 18. She got drunk one night and hit him with a frying pan, so he picked up the lit cigarette that he had been smoking and used it to get her to stop. Somebody called the cops, who arrested them both.

Twenty years later, after cleaning up his life, he and his wife were denied entry into Canada for it. Which kinda sucked because he had just been diagnosed with cancer and was taking a bucket list trip before he passed.

I spend a lot of time in the bike coop around homeless. Some people are super cool, others are major drama. This guy is fairly chill, IMO, but the videos are edited so who really knows. I hope he figures it out.

CraigMBA

He made it somewhere north of SF. That video was shot mid Feburary and posted in the past couple of days, so who knows how he's doing now.