Your co-workers need to learn about mileage runs.
If a person leaves the country for an overnight to Europe or where ever, that isn't automatic grounds for a trip to the back room.
Use the search feature here to find some past complaints from posters.
That's nice. But frankly, if you do a MR, be ready for CBSA crap. The system flags this stuff whether we like it or not. Get used to it.
(I'm not saying I agree with it, but I am saying that it is not surprising that we do get the crap that we do when we cross the border to do the stuff that we do. It isn't the 1980s anymore.)
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Well I have a complaint about the line minders @YVR! If they find out you are a non-resident they try and shunt you off to the foreigners line (which at 11 AM can be hellish). No disrespect intended but I will not be treated as a foreigner in the place where I was born (and still pay taxes)!
I would echo the sentiment already expressed by someone else that power is what many CBSA personnel are seeking. Just like every job that involves potential power over others, there are some who are great (and fair), and others who are just looking to show how much power they have. I take umbrage at this. In addition, there is a perception that this is just a union job where people are lazy. To wit, I have missed several connections in the past (which has greatly inconvenienced me) when I had to pay sales tax on some items I was bringing into the country. While waiting in a huge queue to speak to an agent/pay, it was infuriating to watch several of the CBSA people chatting joking, laughing, etc. in full view of everyone in the line while we had to just stand there. Very disrespectful. Why not have two lines for a) people just needing to pay taxes, and b) suspected evildoers who need to have every nook/cranny of their luggage inspected?
In summary, maybe if there was a perception that you guys were trying to facilitate entry back into our own country rather than putting up barriers, people would think more highly of you. When you leave the airport, you're just a regular joe, and I think some CBSA people forget this.
The CBSA was in the news recently after the very unfortunate death in YVR of a man who seemed to have gotten lost or confused, became unruly, and ended up in a confrontation with the RCMP.
I am not blaming the CBSA for what happened, nor do I intend to open up the actions of the RCMP to scrutiny in this thread.
What I'd like to know is if the CBSA have implemented any changes that might prevent another similar tragedy from happening?
My only real "complaint" about CBSA at YYZ T1 is the conflicting information I've been given re: coming back to Canada after living abroad for the last few years. In the beginning, I assumed that the "Address" section of the form is your address, so I filled in my address only to be told "no, we need your Canadian address, not wherever you're studying" and have to re-fill out the form beside the line. So that was okay for a little while, not too much of a problem until the last few times when the answer magically decided to change to "why are you giving your Canadian address if you haven't lived here in two years?".
Well, that and I suspect the agents are getting more and more suspicious as I haven't had a haircut in a couple of years, but I guess that's to be expected. They're more and more concerned about what I'm bringing back re: alcohol/cigarettes. New passport should help that a bit. It's still always the longest screening I've found, though.
Bonus points to the bag checker post-carousel who looked at my one backpack and exclaimed "you've been away 5 months and all you have is that one bag?!". I had to explain to him about weekend trips, but he understood fast enough.
They're still better than the officers at DUB who actually expect me to stand in the long "foreigner" line and get stamped for a domestic flight!
My concern with CCRA are the inconsistencies.i.e.On a return earlier this year,I was one of the 1st off a/c and into customs hall.There were a number of booths that had officers in them.I walked up to one and the officer looked at me and said "do you see that line back there?" I looked back and pointed to line on floor and said "that line there" to which the agent said "yes".Agent went on to add "the next time you better stop there 1st until called" (for interest of people reading this,the agent was reading some magazine)
On my next visit through CCRA at YYZ a similar scenario.I stoppped at line.This agent says "what are you waiting for?" I stepped to the booth.
One agent was a young female,the other an older male.
My concern with CCRA are the inconsistencies.i.e.On a return earlier this year,I was one of the 1st off a/c and into customs hall.There were a number of booths that had officers in them.I walked up to one and the officer looked at me and said "do you see that line back there?" I looked back and pointed to line on floor and said "that line there" to which the agent said "yes".Agent went on to add "the next time you better stop there 1st until called" (for interest of people reading this,the agent was reading some magazine)
On my next visit through CCRA at YYZ a similar scenario.I stoppped at line.This agent says "what are you waiting for?" I stepped to the booth.
One agent was a young female,the other an older male.
Inconsistent approaches IMHO.
Exerting power over you is what gave him his jollies. This is wrong. Again, the tough guy approach will evaporate as soon as he leaves his "place of power"...
I do most of my border crossing at YVR, occasionally YYZ. I've never had a bad experience with either Cdn or US agents. Not even the guys with the dog who stand at the airplane door when we disembark from Asia. Or the four DHS guys who busted a passenger as we disembarked in ATL after preclearing in YYZ.
Now if someone could provide a rational explanation of why the CATSA people have to check your boarding pass four times in the space of 50 feet we might be getting somewhere.
CATSA is a beast unto itself. We don't like them much either.
I would echo the sentiment already expressed by someone else that power is what many CBSA personnel are seeking. Just like every job that involves potential power over others, there are some who are great (and fair), and others who are just looking to show how much power they have. I take umbrage at this. In addition, there is a perception that this is just a union job where people are lazy. To wit, I have missed several connections in the past (which has greatly inconvenienced me) when I had to pay sales tax on some items I was bringing into the country. While waiting in a huge queue to speak to an agent/pay, it was infuriating to watch several of the CBSA people chatting joking, laughing, etc. in full view of everyone in the line while we had to just stand there. Very disrespectful. Why not have two lines for a) people just needing to pay taxes, and b) suspected evildoers who need to have every nook/cranny of their luggage inspected?
In summary, maybe if there was a perception that you guys were trying to facilitate entry back into our own country rather than putting up barriers, people would think more highly of you. When you leave the airport, you're just a regular joe, and I think some CBSA people forget this.
No arguments there. At T1, we've opened a pre-cash area now during the busier times of day. Once you're cleared primary, down in the baggage hall, there is a cashier to the right of the exit (looking toward the exit). You can pay your D&Ts there, have your declaration card stamped as "PAID" and head to the exit. There's still a chance you'll be sent in for further examination, but at least you don't have to queue up inside to pay a couple hundred bucks.
The only thing about connections is people (generally those who don't fly often) really need to stop booking connecting flights that depart 10 minutes after they land at YYZ. I'm sure no one else in the queue wants to hear their whining.
The only thing about connections is people (generally those who don't fly often) really need to stop booking connecting flights that depart 10 minutes after they land at YYZ. I'm sure no one else in the queue wants to hear their whining.
First, agreed it's probably those who don't fly often who panic the most. FFs who knowingly booked a tight connection probably knew the chances they were taking and are typically prepared for taking the next flight somewhat philosophically.
However, among the people with a ten minutes connection there often will be people who were supposed to have two hours but whose flight got delayed.
My concern with CCRA are the inconsistencies.i.e.On a return earlier this year,I was one of the 1st off a/c and into customs hall.There were a number of booths that had officers in them.I walked up to one and the officer looked at me and said "do you see that line back there?" I looked back and pointed to line on floor and said "that line there" to which the agent said "yes".Agent went on to add "the next time you better stop there 1st until called" (for interest of people reading this,the agent was reading some magazine)
On my next visit through CCRA at YYZ a similar scenario.I stoppped at line.This agent says "what are you waiting for?" I stepped to the booth.
One agent was a young female,the other an older male.
Inconsistent approaches IMHO.
I've always noticed Canadians and Americans tend to run up to the counter as if the 10-items-or-less register at Wal-Mart just opened up and they have their car idling in a fire route outside. Those from outside of North America tend to see the red line and wait patiently. Just an observation.
There's really no problem with approaching the counter right away if you can see the officer is available. True, you may have to deal with the odd surly individual from time to time. One other thing to note: if you're already waiting in a line and you see another officer a couple booths down step into his booth, that's not the time to leave your line, run up, and throw your passport on the counter. He probably still has to log in to his computer, etc. And when he does call "next in line", that means the person NEXT in line, not the guy five people back who can run fastest. I'm sure most people here are above that, but I'm also sure you've seen this sort of behaviour from others before.
I don't think I've ever had trouble when entering at YUL. Never waited longer than 3 minutes for an officer, never had a surly officer, never been harassed and never spent more than 1 minute at the counter. Maybe I'm lucky, but according to my travel log, I entered Canada through YUL 32 times in the past 52 weeks.
No issues with Customs side but when the AG people wore different uniforms I had one that did not know the rules re: cheese and was gonna take the cheese away until we had a detailed discussion and the cheese was set free. This was at YEG.
One annoying thing is the declaration card where it says something like Food (meat, dairy, fruit). It says something else too but does not say etc... If I have chocolate then it is not one of the listed items and I do not declare. I was told I was wrong by someone from AG at YEG once when I was searched (only time I was ever searched) but I maintain that the form does not require me to declare unless the type of food appears in the brackets.
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No issues with Customs side but when the AG people wore different uniforms I had one that did not know the rules re: cheese and was gonna take the cheese away until we had a detailed discussion and the cheese was set free. This was at YEG.
One annoying thing is the declaration card where it says something like Food (meat, dairy, fruit). It says something else too but does not say etc... If I have chocolate then it is not one of the listed items and I do not declare. I was told I was wrong by someone from AG at YEG once when I was searched (only time I was ever searched) but I maintain that the form does not require me to declare unless the type of food appears in the brackets.
So what was the deal with the cheese? Do you have to declare (dairy?)
I recently brought in some gouda from the Netherlands and declared it. No problem, but when I handed my card over at the exit the agent did a double take after he waved me through and said "wait a minute, what food?" I said "gouda cheese" he said "ok, go ahead."
My heart was in my throat for a moment thinking about the 6 bricks of weed I didn't declare.
(for interest of people reading this,the agent was reading some magazine) 
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