They weren't there yesterday a.m. and the US folks in YYZ have stopped asking (they ask if I have it at YUL but don't want to see it...). Last week at YYZ racing for a connection to YHZ I went to the right hand Nexus machines; apparently everyone who went to the left side machines got secondary (and almost missed the connection).

I doubt US folks at YYZ have completely stopped asking for cards - its probably depends on when you're there. As I've mentioned before, at YYZ, T1 anyway, IME, it's hit or miss whether they ask for your card - either way, I don't think its really a big deal. If I have to spend an extra 5 - 10 seconds to pull my card out of my wallet, so be it - I am entering another country, and beats the heck out of having to get questioned by immigration every time like most of those traveling. What I have noticed more often recently, is when you hand in the declaration form/Nexus receipt, they are asking for my BP to stamp it - initially, that never happened, and then for a while, happened sporadically. Now, it happens everytime.

Flu check
 

New question (new to me) on the YYZ T1 screen last night. In between "did you say yes" and "are you over your limit" was "do you have a fever and a cough?" Like anyone will say yes.

I have a different question for anyone who knows the answer - it doesn't seem to be answered on the official Nexus site. If using the regular lanes at the border entering the US, e.g. because I am transporting a non-Nexus passenger, can I still present my Nexus card to the officer instead of my passport? If so is this advisable? Thanks.

Only in a perfect world.

You hand your nexus card to them...they will give it back and ask for your passport.

Non-Nexus lane = regular treatment

This has not happened to me at a border crossing, but at airports when the machines are down, the agents do not want to see the nexus card; they are looking for the regular documentation.

Here's a news snippet:

http://www.vancouversun.com/Travel/B...832/story.html

265k Nexus cards issued since Jan. '08. 55k in BC/WA. Wonder how many are air-enabled.

If you are using a regular lane, in the case of the question about traveling with a non-Nexus member in the car, then you will need regular documentation, for sure. You will need to hand them a passport at some point, so I wouldn't even bother with a Nexus card.

I've never seen the machines down (well, not all down at the same time), however, you are supposed to be able to use the crew lanes in this case. The crew lanes, since they are supposed to be for Nexus too, I'm not sure if you "need" a passport. However, as has been discussed ad nauseum in this thread, you should have a passport with you anyway, regardless of whether you use Nexus, since you could be sent to secondary, or otherwise have to deal with an agent who doesn't agree that a Nexus card is good enough (and, trust me, no matter who is actually right or wrong in that debate, you know its always gonna be the officer that wins).

You'd probably be asked for a passport if the Nexus terminals are down, not least because it's simply easier to scan a passport and will, thus, take less time to process each traveller.

True, though I wonder if the crew/nexus lanes have an RFID reader that can read the new Nexus cards issued this year. That would be smart (though, I'm guessing they don't have them, but would be nice....)

Unfortunately, intelligence is an often neglected attribute when it comes to any bureaucracy.

License Plates and VINs?
 

I've read several posts that say this information is not part of the application, but I in the midst of applying for a Nexus card online (at the US gov't website), and it is asking.

You are not required to fill in that information -- I did not (applied in late December, got card in February).

Caveat: I have absolutely zero intention of using nexus for land crossings, and may have indicated that to agents at the interview time. If not, maybe they would have been more interested in my vehicle info.

You do not need to provide that information. In fact, when I asked about it at a Nexus office, probably almost 2 years ago now, they refused to take it, saying that it was no longer necessary.

I went through T3 yesterday in YYZ.
US Customs guy asked "Do you have your nexus card?"
"Yes, do you want to see it?"
"No. Just verifying that you are carrying it."