Cars with US plates being vandalized in Canada

There have been reports of cars with out-of-country plates being scratched with keys, and drivers being tailgated and harassed due to their licence plates.

In some cases, the cars belong to Canadian citizens who reside either part-time or full-time on the other side of the border, and have seen fit to return to the country of their birth during the pandemic.

"I’m here to help my mother. I have every right to be here," commented Lisa Watt, a Canadian citizen and 20-year resident of Texas. Watt recently came back to Canada to help her mother cope with the current pandemic situation. She told reporters that she has been repeatedly harassed and tailgated, and that people's lack of tolerance and aggressive mentality made her very angry.

Reports of vandalism and harassment of cars with US plates have seen a sharp uptick in the last few months, and the incidences show no signs of slowing down.

The US-Canada land border has been closed to all non-essential traffic since March 31, although some people feel that enforcement of the rules has been very poor. Incidents such as the one where an Alaska man was able to cross the border and book a luxury hotel room in Banff without any impediment whatsoever have sparked outrage among some segments of the Canadian public.

Officials on both sides of the border continue to support its ongoing closure and there is no official word on when that situation might change.

The Premier of British Columbia, Joe Horgan, went on the record regarding the issue. He urged Canadians to "be calm; be nice."

He then turned around to suggest some dubious possible solutions for people who are confronting aggressive behavior because of their licence plates: "With respect to those who have offshore plates and are feeling harassed, I would suggest perhaps public transit." He went on to say, "I would suggest that they get their plates changed. I would suggest that they ride a bike."