Originally Posted by
rankourabu
So settle it for us once and for all
a) passports are checked because its the rule to Canada
b) passports are checked because the airline doesnt want to pay fines/costs of return
c) passports are checked because "places like Japan and Hong Kong never had thousands of citizens die in a terrorist attack, so their security protocols are lax."
You know that last point is a cheap shot.... I was making a point that certain countries - bc of certain security issues - look at things differently than others - and yes the US has very different transit rules than most countries - that's a FACT - like it or not there's a good reason for it - even if as OP found out it's not so convenient....