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.
They don't check ID though Which makes me wonder why they don't allow gate escourts (if you're willing to pay the CATSA fee) as boarding passes are EASILY forgable.
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.
There's still "a chance"? The last two times I've been through YYZ, I've made a truthful declaration of purchases whose value exceeded the duty-free amount with the full knowledge that I might have to pay duty, taxes, etc. On both occasions, I've had all of my possessions thoroughly searched before being allowed to pay what I owe. You can see why there might be a disincentive to be truthful, knowing that you're going to be held up for a pointless search.
Last time was particularly unpleasant because I had laryngitis--I mentioned this to the agent because I couldn't speak very loudly. She seemed unhappy about that and insisted that I speak more loudly because she was having trouble hearing my answers to her questions. She went on to question everything she could find--a deck of cards, a bottle of shampoo--and finally, because I declared $30 over my limit, dinged me for $50+ on the most expensive item I purchased.
Maybe you could put in a word about common sense and minimal human decency.
Some may think I'm being sexist, but my anecdotal experience has shown that I have ONLY ever gotten any sort of grief from women agents. You wanna to talk about power trips...
Yes there is although I recognize sometimes your luck will run out (that extra bottle of Scotch I forgot about ) or sometimes you get to meet a bad apple.
Last fall I declared about $900 back from HKG at YYZ - they did search my bag but then they sent me on my way without asking me to pay anything. Instead it was a "thank you for being honest, have a good day".
I make sure that the agent I see at the desk knows that I am hearing - impaired before I present my passport. Wish other CBSA agents would be this friendly as well, or am I supposed to use the disabled or crew line when going to Customs at the airports from outside Canada?
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.
kidding.
Yep, cheese would definitely be dairy. The food/animal/plant question could definitely be rewritten, but your best bet is to declare all food/animal/plant products. Cheese would definitely fall under dairy. Generally, cheese is fine to import as long as it's not packed in whey. Meat is rarely okay from anywhere other than US. Vegetables/fruits: if it grows in Canada, you'll have to toss it. Root vegetables and anything that could have soil on it: toss it. If you're on a farm outside Canada or get your golf shoes particularly dirty while abroad, do our agriculture industry a favour and clean them off before you get home.
I make sure that the agent I see at the desk knows that I am hearing - impaired before I present my passport. Wish other CBSA agents would be this friendly as well, or am I supposed to use the disabled or crew line when going to Customs at the airports from outside Canada?
Sanosuke!
No reason you cannot use the regular line. Let them know about your hearing impairment and I can't see there being a problem.
I find the Canadian form to be one of the most hopeless in the world. All it does is seem to track travel patterns with no real information or personal tracking possible. Look at the US forms, or those for many other countries. These at least require a passport number, often a visitor residence location. It appears all they do is provide a customs function and ag inspection one, but do nothing for immigration.
I'd really like to know:
1. why even bother with these forms?
2. what happens to them after they're collected?
3. why do we not track visitors more closely?
4. why don't we ask for a travel document number?
As for complaints, I do have one, though it is more specific to T1 but likely happens at T3 as well as most other terminals when a large number of flights come in at the same time. As a NEXUS user -- and CANPASS before that -- I get through primary quickly and ten either wait for checked bags or head for the exit. This is where the real problems come since there are often huge lengthy lines processed by one or two agents collecting these useless cards. Two Sundays ago at T1 it took almost 15-minutes to get out of the area after getting my checked bag!
Yep, cheese would definitely be dairy. The food/animal/plant question could definitely be rewritten, but your best bet is to declare all food/animal/plant products. Cheese would definitely fall under dairy. Generally, cheese is fine to import as long as it's not packed in whey. Meat is rarely okay from anywhere other than US. Vegetables/fruits: if it grows in Canada, you'll have to toss it. Root vegetables and anything that could have soil on it: toss it. If you're on a farm outside Canada or get your golf shoes particularly dirty while abroad, do our agriculture industry a favour and clean them off before you get home.
I can certainly see CHEESE is a Dairy Product -- what dufus wouldn't consider it so -- but what about CHOCOLATE which has a fairly high dairy content. I think the forms should really discuss RAW versus PROCESSED food products.
I find the Canadian form to be one of the most hopeless in the world. All it does is seem to track travel patterns with no real information or personal tracking possible. Look at the US forms, or those for many other countries. These at least require a passport number, often a visitor residence location. It appears all they do is provide a customs function and ag inspection one, but do nothing for immigration.
I'd really like to know:
1. why even bother with these forms?
2. what happens to them after they're collected?
3. why do we not track visitors more closely?
4. why don't we ask for a travel document number?
As for complaints, I do have one, though it is more specific to T1 but likely happens at T3 as well as most other terminals when a large number of flights come in at the same time. As a NEXUS user -- and CANPASS before that -- I get through primary quickly and ten either wait for checked bags or head for the exit. This is where the real problems come since there are often huge lengthy lines processed by one or two agents collecting these useless cards. Two Sundays ago at T1 it took almost 15-minutes to get out of the area after getting my checked bag!
If we didn't use those forms, we'd have to verbally ask every traveller all of those questions. They save A LOT of time if nothing else. They serve several other purposes as well (think about what gets written on them by the officer). As for travel document numbers, we do scan passports for more than one reason.
Like I said before, when there are a lot of delayed and early flights arriving simultaneously, it gets busy. It happens.
I can certainly see CHEESE is a Dairy Product -- what dufus wouldn't consider it so -- but what about CHOCOLATE which has a fairly high dairy content. I think the forms should really discuss RAW versus PROCESSED food products.
Sure, chocolate is dairy, but you can import that without a problem. It's not a matter of raw versus processed food, either. Packages of noodles from Asia with flavour packs that contain chicken fat, for example, are not allowed.
Which makes me wonder why they don't allow gate escourts (if you're willing to pay the CATSA fee) as boarding passes are EASILY forgable.
) or sometimes you get to meet a bad apple.
