Transport Canada's new security procedures

Laurie said:
Hilarious!
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I did not think so. That looked too much like a factual documentary to me.











:D:D:D:D

Serioulsy:

Coming back from Canada is such a PIA currently that later this year when I have a meeting in Vancouver I am flying to Seattle and renting a car to drive back and forth across the boarder
 
smigaldi said:
I
Coming back from Canada is such a PIA currently that later this year when I have a meeting in Vancouver I am flying to Seattle and renting a car to drive back and forth across the boarder
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Wow Its that bad? Man I had no idea.
 
smigaldi said:
Coming back from Canada is such a PIA currently that later this year when I have a meeting in Vancouver I am flying to Seattle and renting a car to drive back and forth across the boarder
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AdamZ said:
Wow Its that bad? Man I had no idea.
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Yes, it really is bad, Adam.

CATSA has made people check computers, other electronics, and so forth. Long lines, different standards in different places (in some, you can't even carry a computer bag - just the computer by itself), and so forth.

I'm with Scott - if there comes a reason for me to give my money to Canadians while this circus is going on, I will fly to a border town (Seattle, Detroit, Buffalo) and drive across. Or take the train from Montreal.
 
I had a trip to Toronto last December. From the experience I had, it wasn't quite that bad, in fact clearing customs was worse. I get to go back to Toronto sometime in the next few weeks so we'll see how that goes.
 
Laurie said:
I had a trip to Toronto last December. From the experience I had, it wasn't quite that bad, in fact clearing customs was worse. I get to go back to Toronto sometime in the next few weeks so we'll see how that goes.
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Was you December trip pre or post Nigerian bomber?
 
Laurie said:
:rofl:
I thought this was serious until I got to the part about complimentary prostate and pap smear exams.
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So did I. :eek:

The Calgary Herald is a real newspaper, not like the Onion. :)
 
This is a very surprising development, since Canada seems to have had much more reasonable "security-theater" requirements than the U.S. Crossing into Canada - 1 minute and pleasant border inspection guy. Going to the U.S. - 10 minutes and some absolute idiots....

Too bad that seems to have changed!
 
sba55 said:
This is a very surprising development, since Canada seems to have had much more reasonable "security-theater" requirements than the U.S. Crossing into Canada - 1 minute and pleasant border inspection guy. Going to the U.S. - 10 minutes and some absolute idiots....

Too bad that seems to have changed!
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As I understand it, Canada is hamstrung.

The *US* insists on the additional searches, but only requires them of persons traveling from (or citizens of) certain countries plus a random selection of others.

Canada's constitution prohibits discriminatory treatment based on national origin. Therefore, Canada must search everyone, or just a random selection of everyone. Ergo, we have searches of everyone. And since facilities and screeners are limited, Canada chooses to severely restrict carry-ons.

I'm sure I will be corrected if my analysis is wrong.
 
OK guys, stop the Canada bashing! I'm Canadian by choice, have lived in other parts of the world and travelled extensivelly.
This is the only country where true democracy exists...no! its not perfect.
I had two children born and raised here and if I had to do it all over again I would not change it!
I can live and work legally in every country of the European union and have decided to stay here.
Take a look at our crime rates, specially murder, rape, B&E's and every other type.
Drive trough a Canadian city and then go trough the nearest US city and tell me where you feel safer, which city is the cleanest, we are a Country where every citizen upon arriving has Health Insurance.
As I travel troughout the world, I have strangers walk up to me and thank me for what Canada stands for, buy me beer because I'm Canadian, I'm not hated , disliked or victimized because of my Nationality.
I have, and will defend Canada and also the USA, as I believe that both countries have a lot to give, not only to its citizens but also to the world.
We need to stop appeasing the Arab world and call a spade a spade, stop driving the 350 V8 and start driving the 1.4 liter Diesel, less reliance on the Arab oil, ignore and completlly isolate all countries that promote and close their eyes to terrorrism.
Get out of Afganistan, Iraq and every other Islamic place....Isolate them and they will realise that Oil alone wont work for them.
Stop appeasing the Israelis also and have them deal with he Arabs, it took the Iberian Peninsula 500 years to push them into Moroco, why do we want to fool ourselfes that we can do it in 50 years .

Well these are my thoughts...I had to vent !!! stop the Canada bashing!!!
God bless Canada and the USA, and lets hope that our governments start profiling, so the rest of the world can stop paying the price.
Not every Arab is a terrorrist but every terrorrist has been an Arab.

Peace
 
star57 said:
OK guys, stop the Canada bashing!
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Nobody was Canada bashing at all. We were complaining about onerous security requirement and the US DHS has forced Canada's hand on this. See Bill's note.

We do have several Canadians on the board. Occasionally we will poke fun at Canada, but just in fun and never to be mean. If you got offended it was not intentional. Stick around we are a nice group of guys and gals.

star57 said:
Not every Arab is a terrorrist but every terrorrist has been an Arab.

Peace
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Um no they are not.

The Nigerian underwear bomber was not an Arab, he was NIGERIAN. Richard Reid, the shoe bomber was British not an Arab. One of the 911 hijackers was also not an Arab. The IRA is well, IRISH! I bring them up because I have been touched personally by their terror. They are nothing but a group of thugs too.

And of course I have not even mention Tim McVeigh (American) nor the abortion clinic bomber, Richard Rudolph, again an American. Let us not forget that the likely suspect in the Anthrax attack after 9/11 was also an American. This is but a few examples that it is not just Arabs that can be terrorists.
 
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sba55 said:
This is a very surprising development, since Canada seems to have had much more reasonable "security-theater" requirements than the U.S. Crossing into Canada - 1 minute and pleasant border inspection guy. Going to the U.S. - 10 minutes and some absolute idiots....

Too bad that seems to have changed!
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When I was still living up north and coming to the US every month or so on work (before they just gave up and moved me here), I never had a problem going south...the standard "How long will you be in the US?" questioning, no big deal.

Returning home, I invariably wanted to reach across and strangle the guy. Stuff like "Who do you work for? Why were you in the US? How long were you there?" ad infinitum. I wanted to pick my passport up, point to the "Canada" on it and say "What business is it of yours who I work for? I'm a Canadian Citizen returning to Canada." But being a polite Canadian, I simply answered the annoying questions and went on my way.
 
JeffDG said:
Returning home, I invariably wanted to reach across and strangle the guy. Stuff like "Who do you work for? Why were you in the US? How long were you there?" ad infinitum. I wanted to pick my passport up, point to the "Canada" on it and say "What business is it of yours who I work for? I'm a Canadian Citizen returning to Canada." But being a polite Canadian, I simply answered the annoying questions and went on my way.
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I cross the border both ways every month or so, sometimes more but in a GA airplane. I've never dealt with the Canadian version of the TSA but I have dealt with Canada customs. We always need to give advance notice on the phone and we clear customs on the phone a majority of the times which usually makes it very easy although they ask a lot of questions at times. Oddly they will ask more about the Canadian citizens than the US citizens. When we do get met by an inspector they, on a whole, seem much more inquisitive than in the US, especially about the business people are conducting in Canada. The often want to know who the people work for and what they will be doing in Canada, in some detail. Also if someone on the airplane has had even a minor brush with the law they will ask about that. US customs seems more concerned with what you might be bringing in that might be a threat whether it be explosives, drugs or food. You are not allowed to open the door until the inspector gets there which was fun when it was hot in airplanes without an APU. Nowadays they walk around the airplane with a Geiger counter checking for radiation. Depending on the place they will take all the luggage out and go through some of it. The procedures can be very different depending on the location and the inspector. Clearing in Denver is pretty easy but there are some places which are more of a headache.

We haven't been to Canada since the underwear bomber so I don't now how things are for GA now. I know, however, that security on the ramp, even in Calgary was being tightened because of the Olympics (which aren't even in Calgary). It will be nice when it is over.
 
wsuffa said:
As I understand it, Canada is hamstrung.

The *US* insists on the additional searches, but only requires them of persons traveling from (or citizens of) certain countries plus a random selection of others.

Canada's constitution prohibits discriminatory treatment based on national origin. Therefore, Canada must search everyone, or just a random selection of everyone. Ergo, we have searches of everyone. And since facilities and screeners are limited, Canada chooses to severely restrict carry-ons.

I'm sure I will be corrected if my analysis is wrong.
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That makes perfect sense. It seemed out of character for Canada to overreact in this way....
 
FYI here is what Canada was doing last week on flights to the US from Calagary.

TC is stating no carry on. EXCEPT purses for women and a laptop bag for all.

By laptop bag it cannot be a backpack or any bag with a shoulder strap. It may be a small laptop bag and you can bring support materials for the laptop on it.

You will be hand searched and patted down. That is 100%, no exceptions.
 
smigaldi said:
FYI here is what Canada was doing last week on flights to the US from Calagary.

TC is stating no carry on. EXCEPT purses for women and a laptop bag for all.

By laptop bag it cannot be a backpack or any bag with a shoulder strap. It may be a small laptop bag and you can bring support materials for the laptop on it.

You will be hand searched and patted down. That is 100%, no exceptions.
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Until that changes I will not be flying through Canada for vacation. If they think I'm checking my camera bag, they can think again. And I'll just take the shoulder strap off my computer bag.

These idiots will be the end of air travel yet.
 
Ghery said:
Until that changes I will not be flying through Canada for vacation. If they think I'm checking my camera bag, they can think again. And I'll just take the shoulder strap off my computer bag.

These idiots will be the end of air travel yet.
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I agree. What I wrote came straight from one of the Calgary Standards Mafia that attends standards meetings. Unfortunately they have no choice.
 
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