Jan16

a bridge too far.

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 The bridge to Canada is the most aggressively well-marked exit in Michigan.

Giant signs. Multiple warnings. Lane arrows. Last-chance reminders. Border patrol energy from a mile away. And yet… everyone knows someone who has taken it by accident.

Your aunt. Your college roommate. A friend of a friend who “was just trying to stay left.” Suddenly you’re inching toward an international border with no passport, no plan, and a growing sense of doom.

You swear you didn’t mean to. The car knows you didn’t mean to. The signs absolutely warned you. But now you’re committed, rehearsing your explanation while Googling “what happens if you accidentally enter Canada.”

It’s a Michigan rite of passage. You don’t live here long enough without either doing it yourself—or knowing someone who has a story that starts with:

“So I accidentally crossed into Canada once…”

And somehow, despite all the signage, it keeps happening. I’ve done it myself. More than once. Along with most everyone I know. It is south of Detroit…

—

Here are some responses from other Michiganders when asked –

I knew someone that did it, went through customs, explained the mistake, came back. Then followed the GPS to do the exact same thing again. Border control was not as nice the second time.

I crossed, my phone didn’t get coverage, and it’s much harder to cross back!

 Took kids on prom night, we were trying to get to Wendy’s.

 I think we all did it once.

 Years ago I was heading somewhere different but ended up going towards Canada I kept seeing signs last minute I caught a exit and got off that route.

When it was under construction I went over. The agent before the border said that there was a turn around right before the bridge, however by the time you see it, it’s already too late.

Years ago, John Steinbeck wrote of such an episode in “Travels with Charley.” Canada Customs told him he could bring Charley (a dog) into Canada but he didn’t have the papers to get the dog back into the States. Back on the Stateside control point, when he told the U.S. he hadn’t been away, an exchange that ran the better part of two pages followed. Resolved when Stateside officer rang up his Canadian counterpart who confirmed the story. Thus Charley hadn’t officially left the States and couldn’t be quarantined as a dangerous animal.

 I have accidentally done it TWICE. Which is hilarious cause how.

One of the main reasons i got an enhanced license is if i accidentally take the bridge to canada somehow

I told the guard “I can’t go to Canada, I have school tomorrow!” She let me turn around!

Should build a new bridge called bridge of shame as a turn around for people who accidentally do it…nothing better then telling someone you went to the border and have to use the bridge of shame to get home.

I’ve done that on a snowmobile. Didn’t realize we were in Canada until we stopped to fuel up and gas prices were in litres.

You look at the sign here and you think how can anyone accidentally cross it. But there you are, in Canada, and your phone is no longer working. And you panic.

The only place in the U.S. where you travel south to enter Canada.

I accidentally turned into the entrance to the tunnel and had to explain to the border guards that I’m stupid so please let me turn around.

Did it with a horse trailer in tow lol.

We did this many years ago. I had my niece, mother in law & aunt in the car, going to bingo! Somehow in the wrong lane! Guess I was thinking bingo! No excuses.

I was so terrified. Luckily, we always managed to avoid the Exit of Doom.

This is why I keep my passport in my purse. Just in case!

I went with my mother to get her global entry at border patrol. It is literally under the bridge!!! We couldn’t find it. Yep. Ended up in that lane!!

Guilty. I was messing with my CarPlay and missed my exit. That was a fun conversation with border patrol.

Yep, my dad did this helping his buddy learn to drive.

My husband and I and some friends ended up on that exit… I just sat back and watched the s*it show unfold… told them we are headed to Canada they said no I said yes… all I can say is our friends had a time explaining their reasons for taking that ramp.

Omg that one time we turned in before the concert and they searched my car..

We did it once trying to get to the Ren Hotel. Fortunately we stopped before we got beyond the parking garage or whatever it was and Border Patrol let us turn around by their barrier. They said it happens a lot.. 

My stepson announced he had to go #2 when we were halfway up the exit. My husband had to quickly put the car in reverse. I was positive they were going to come after us!!

We had a parent do it taking a car full of teens to a football game as part of a pep band.

I’ve come close. I couldn’t get left. Had to cut someone off. I mean, they knew too. I had my blinker on.

I’ll admit to being guilty of this one for sure!

I did it back in 2012. I had to wait for 2 hrs for an escort to the border exit. There were 2 other cars. They were out of their cars just socializing. I was inside my car texting and complaining that I did such a stupid thing

I’ve done it- It was a night I will never forget!!

Omg!!!! That was a funny day calling the boys saying we accidentally went over the bridge.

I did it years ago!

My brother and I took it by accident once! We were teenagers

—

“if the road is easy, you’re likely going the wrong way.”

-terry good kind

 

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108 responses »

  1. I am 100% sure that if I lived there, I would do that. And probably more than once. Fortunately, England is surrounded by sea, so to drive to another country involves using a ship, ferry, or a train through a tunnel. Not something you could do ‘mistakenly’. 😊
    Best wishes, Pete.

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    • I can’t tell you how easy it is to have this happen and it’s really hard to try to get off the exit once you’re on it, so if people here are honest, most all of us have done it by accident at least once )

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  5. I’m sure I would do it if I lived there. It’s funny, but I’m sure it’s easy to not get into the correct lane. Lots of people I know have accidentally gone over a bridge to Philadelphia when they hadn’t planned to.

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  8. I think we all have ended up in a place. We didn’t intend to when we were driving in traffic. We’re just simply driving. It’s easy to make a wrong turn when you’re in a place that you are not familiar with. Heck, I even made a wrong turn on something I’ve driven hundreds of times. But sometimes the consequences of your wrong turn or a little higher. So funny. Been to Canada one time. Took the Port Huron route.

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    • it’s super crazy, but Canada is actually south of detroit here, and the way the ramp is set up leads right to it and is really hard to get off to once you’re swept onto it, so most all of us have done it at least once

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  16. Hahaha! That is too funny. And sad. Once upon a time, we only needed a driver’s license to go to and from the States. sigh…
    I particularly liked this one:
    “Should build a new bridge called bridge of shame as a turn around for people who accidentally do it…nothing better then telling someone you went to the border and have to use the bridge of shame to get home.”

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    • no, not at all. yes, here in detroit, Canada actually falls south of Detroit, and the ramp is very illogically placed, so it’s very common to have gone over the bridge by accident and it’s near impossible to get off of it without going all the way through the border. now with the times, I would advise people to not go anywhere near it

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    • yes, the Canadian border here has dealt with it forever, as Canada actually falls south of detroit at this point and the ramp is very confusing as far as where it’s located in the city. most everyone here has done this at least once. in present times, I’d advise people to be very cautious when downtown and not get on that ramp unless you meant to go through the border.

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    • it’s especially problematic here. the logistics are crazy. Canada falls south of detroit here, and for some reason the engineers designed the ramp to blend in with the ramp that looks like you are heading to a major thoroughfare in downtown Detroit but instead it takes you directly to the bridge to the border and there is nowhere to turn around and get off of it, so you have to go all the way through, pay both ways, go through customs both ways and explain and drive back. most everyone has done it at least once.

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    • people go for real reasons, we do that as well, because Canada is really nice and people do work and live on both sides and travel back and forth, they have passes they show. if we are going for travel or fun or a night out it’s no big deal, but this is about all of us ending up there my accident, it is very common.

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  28. Back when the US president liked Canada here were small boarder communities where people went back and forth on a regular basis. On both sides. Quite often for something as simple as shopping and or eating out. I do hope our countries will get back to that place in the future.

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  29. Sorry about first post, it was meant to go elsewhere!!! – Delete it if you wish. . .
    I missed the exit because the sign appeared too late. In the third lane and no way to get to the exit ramp. So, off to the tunnel! Which we finally found after touring Detroit at 1:30 at night.

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  31. With computers, security cams, and flock cameras everywhere, it should be easy to set up a “no harm, no foul” turnaround someplace. Cameras record your car entering Canada, going through the turnaround, and returning to the US. AI, ya’ll.

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  32. We arrived an hour early to a party because we accidentally took the route reserved for busses and emergency vehicles even though we left way early precisely because we (along with everyone else in the State) knew about the well-publicized long workaround to a damaged bridge. I think the other party goers were annoyed we got a first-time warning instead of the big fine.

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  33. This is crazy… for 5 years, from the late 70s through 1983, I worked at the Ambassador Bridge. For a Custom House Brokerage firm… Never did I ever see such a sign. We were in Canada ALL the time. Partially because it was right there, the price of gas was better in Windsor at the time, and the neighborhood of the bridge plaza entrance held NO place to grab something to eat. This is just so crazy to me… gee whiz (and what makes it worse, is that my dad had to choose between Canadian and U.S. citizenship when he wanted to join the Navy. Not because he wasn’t born here, but his parents never became citizens here, therefore he held dual citizenship. Guess I won’t be planning a family reunion in Quebec anytime soon… eh?

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  36. That is funny. If this is a bridge in Detroit I might have travelled this way myself but a lont time ago. When you travel between, for example, Norway and Sweden there is no issue either way and you don’t need a passport. There is not even a control of any kind, just a sign that says entering Norway. That is despite the fact that Norway is not part of EU.

    When you travel from Germany to Switzerland you do need a passport (Switzerland is not in the EU either). Between Konstanz, Germany, and Kreuzlingen, Switzerland there is even a fence. However, there is a big hole in the fence and people cross through it all the time from both sides and no one cares. I crept through the hole 20 times in one day just for fun just so I could say that I entered Switzerland illegally 20 times in one day. Well I am not sure it is really illegal since they let people do it.

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  37. Pingback: What’s Up in the Neighborhood, January 17 2026 – Chuck The Writer

  40. Love these stories, Beth. The prom night excursion to Wendy’s made me laugh. One of these days, depending on how the next three years unfold, you may just very well drive down that road and escape to our part of the world!

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  41. This post is hilarious 😂 Love the stories.
    We live two hours from the Canadian border, and my daughter and I were just driving one time – until we saw the sign for the border and quickly turned around for these reasons.
    I heard once you get stuck, it’s tough to get back.
    A 2nd time would be wild lol

    Have a great week! 🩵

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      • My son has a friend in Canada we want to go visit, but I’m so nervous. lol. And – because we can’t get there from our way – which sucks because we’re only two hours from the border – we have to go all through Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan.

        One day.
        I still find it funny when people catch themselves on either border – and it’s always a blessing when they are able to turn around without issues. 😊

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