It's personal opinion. I've had the opposite experience, both currently and before I started working for CCRA/CBSA. Had a terrible experience in China and nothing but unpleasantness going to the US. Never had a problem coming back to Canada.
Well, this may explain a lot. You have had bad customs experiences in other countries and now that you have joined the CBSA you are now going to take it out on returning Canadians - are you getting some sort of perverse satisfaction in doing this? Is this a requirement to join the CBSA - it seems to be. If I was HR doing your application, I would have asked you about your previous 'bad' customs experiences and would have rejected you as potentially having bias that would affect the performance of your job.
I see, so questions such as " Who my wife went to Mexico with 4 mths ago" (as I mentioned last week) is an appropriate question to ask? No, it is not. If I have filled out the Customs form and stated that I don't have drugs, weapons etc then you may ask me verbally again "Do you have any drugs, weapons etc." but you can just take your nose out of our personal affairs - that is 'FISHING' and as you can see by all the people writing and reading this thread (I may be wrong but is this not the fastest growing thread?) a lot of Canadians don't like what you are doing.
Of course, we support stopping the entry of illegal drugs, weapons etc but the people doing that are a tiny proportion of travellers whereas the CBSA people treat ALL travellers as if we were criminals. Is this a misguided effort to treat all people equally? CBSA behaviour is actually WORSE than authoritarian states I have been to and most people on this thread agree - I keep on asking you, CBSAguy but you don't answer my simple question - Why are Canadian Customs DIFFERENT ( ie WORSE) than most other civilized countries?
Not so fast. What if the (Canadian Citizen)tourist were coming home from say, Thailand (a known sex tourist destination) with a expensive digital camera and laptop?
Once the immigration verification is complete, the CBSA then goes on a fishng expedition with the additional questions. It is amazing how many people may well incriminate themselves and then be sent to secondary.
No different to a good policeman who stops a person for speeding. A revenue ranger will write the ticket and let them go. A good police officer will look for fast food wrappers, empty coffee cups, pop cans, maps, any obvious modifications to the vehicle, these can all be indicative of a person who runs drugs and weapons. The good police officer may well ask a couple of innocuous questions and then slide in, "would you mind if I searched your car?" Almost all people say yes, go ahead, no problem. The police sieze many weapons and drugs this way. When the search question comes up, you have every right to say no and be on your way.
Next time CBSA primary goes fishing, ask them if they have established your citizenship and leave.
Well, this may explain a lot. You have had bad customs experiences in other countries and now that you have joined the CBSA you are now going to take it out on returning Canadians - are you getting some sort of perverse satisfaction in doing this? Is this a requirement to join the CBSA - it seems to be. If I was HR doing your application, I would have asked you about your previous 'bad' customs experiences and would have rejected you as potentially having bias that would affect the performance of your job.
Actually, are you sure that wouldn't take a candidate right to the top of the list in their little organization?
Well, this may explain a lot. You have had bad customs experiences in other countries and now that you have joined the CBSA you are now going to take it out on returning Canadians - are you getting some sort of perverse satisfaction in doing this? Is this a requirement to join the CBSA - it seems to be. If I was HR doing your application, I would have asked you about your previous 'bad' customs experiences and would have rejected you as potentially having bias that would affect the performance of your job.
I think that's a little unfair. If you've read my previous posts, you'll see I actually keep client service in mind when doing my job.
Not so fast. What if the (Canadian Citizen)tourist were coming home from say, Thailand (a known sex tourist destination) with a expensive digital camera and laptop?
Sanosuke!
Well my all too cooperative imaginative friend - you are similar to our CBSA people - you see evil everywhere. As a matter of fact, I have been to Thailand several times and came back with a laptop and two expensive digital cameras - WOW - I must be really evil!
No, part of the time I was working at a boring factory and part of the time I was Scuba diving with one camera and taking pictures of elephants with the other one. You see, most stories are just boring and benign but the CSBA and yourself just do not get that.
Next time CBSA primary goes fishing, ask them if they have established your citizenship and leave.
The last time I pulled that stunt off, quoted some article in the Customs Act, and told her that it isn't any of her business where I stayed explaning that I could have stayed at the W New York or at a five cent hooker hotel and that either way it wouldn't be her business, I ended up in secondary.
Mind you, all CBSA officers think they can ask those questions. Some of my contacts at CIC also tell me that they can.
I personally don't think they can since once they are satisfied with my admissibility to Canada and the goods that I am importing they are to dismiss you and continue a line of questioning, but since I really don't want to go to secondary each time and get a record, I just answer the questions and get on my merry way.
Of course, if someone feels strongly enough about all this, you can always ATIP the SOP and see how far you get.
__________________
Posted from my non-Blackberry stationary computer
Well my all too cooperative imaginative friend - you are similar to our CBSA people - you see evil everywhere. As a matter of fact, I have been to Thailand several times and came back with a laptop and two expensive digital cameras - WOW - I must be really evil!
No, part of the time I was working at a boring factory and part of the time I was Scuba diving with one camera and taking pictures of elephants with the other one. You see, most stories are just boring and benign but the CSBA and yourself just do not get that.
It should be clear by now, that you don't seem to see the function of the CBSA or the IMM secondary officers very well. Therefore, do not be surprised if one day, they decide to send you marching to secondary.
Location: YYZ; AC SE * DL PM * UA 1P * CO GM * AA Gold * BD B+ * HH Diamond * SPG Platinum * Queen's 92
Posts: 5,378
Their FUNCTION, as civil servant functionaries, is to determine (a) is this person a Canadian citizen (yes/no), (b) do they have goods that are illegal or exceed their allowance. That's it.
Just because they (the individual officer, or CBSAGuy) say something or assert something does not mean it is true.
As I said before, if the police in your neighbourhood started kicking dogs, and told you that was part of their job, would you believe them and think the dogs deserved it?
Simon
__________________
2009: AC 123623; DL 95466; CO 49557; UA 41703; AA 27957; BD 5322
2008: AC 181539; DL 75700; CO 52794; UA 51414; BD 1700
why are the cbsa agents in YUL so strict and use 0 discretion with regards to limits ?
what happened to the 6$ bottle of rum i bought in cancun and declined to pay the 42$ customs charge for and asked instead that it be donated to the crown ?
why was the customs agent so annoyed when i removed the cap from said bottle and accidently stepped on it and crushed it ?
what is with the supervisor guy in the old T1 who would yell and scream at people if he didn't like how they lined up ?
Their FUNCTION, as civil servant functionaries, is to determine (a) is this person a Canadian citizen (yes/no), (b) do they have goods that are illegal or exceed their allowance. That's it.
Just because they (the individual officer, or CBSAGuy) say something or assert something does not mean it is true.
Right, however they DO have the right to send you to secondary, like it or not, if something is not exactly _KOSHER_ in the interest of preserving the privacy of the citizen entering Canada.
Quote:
As I said before, if the police in your neighbourhood started kicking dogs, and told you that was part of their job, would you believe them and think the dogs deserved it?
Simon
Totally absurd. What relevance does this question have to do with Customs? Comparing apples to oranges in terms of authority here.
the border officers don't really care what you say. they are trained to ask you in that manner/line of questioning just to see if you SCREW UP and spill the beans by accident.
What relevance does this question have to do with Customs? Comparing apples to oranges in terms of authority here.
