This is a rant so please excuse me...
So I was coming back from Toronto, Canada to the US and I completely forgot that I had to clear customs at YYZ itself. So due to the thanksgiving holiday I had to spend 2 hrs in the line arrgh! Luckily I didn't miss my flight as I had thankfully turned up at the airport 3 hrs in advance.
Now in the line I meet this macho guy and I mention how I had forgot that I needed to clear customs before leaving Canada and if I could borrow a pen to fill in my customs form. So the conv. goes something like this:
Me <smiling>: Very sorry to bother you but could I borrow your pen please, I forgot that I needed to clear customs and thought I'd do it on the plane like I usually do.
Him: Sure, here is the pen...but you always have to clear customs during international travel, is this your first time?
Me: Oh no, i've traveled to over 40 countries...you don't normally clear US customs at the point of origin, except at very few locations like here in Canada, you almost always clear it when you land in the US.
Him <annoyed>: No, you're wrong...you're traveling internationally you have to clear it before you leave the country, I have been traveling for years, been to Europe and Asia and everywhere, once you're in the plane that's it you're international
Me: giving him a ... look.... ok...oh well, learned something new
Didn't want to argue with an idiot Apparently this man has only ever been from YYZ to somewhere in the US as he applies this situation to think that it is how it is from/to every other destination in the world. Does he think there are immigration depts of every single country stationed at YYZ to clear passengers? Common sense I would assume would clear this up.
Preclearance points are only in Canada, Caribbean and Ireland:
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/toolbox/c..._locations.xml
Curios to know why people claim to have "traveled" when they clearly have no travel knowledge at all and speak through their you know what...geezus! The amount of garbage coming out of people's mouths acting like they are old hats at travel surprises me.
Let's hear some of your experiences with novice travelers giving incorrect "expert" travel advice...