I'm a Canadian from YVR that is living in SJC right now. I've yet to pop my mileage run cherry, but I've had to deal with our beloved Canadian Immigration. I can't help but feel really embarassed about the ......s that works at our airports and apologize for their rudeness.
While I stll lived in Vancouver: Flew in from IAD-SFO-YVR after a month long vication in Asia and then DC. Immigration agent asked me the usual 3 questions and let me go. Grabbed my bag at the claim, got stopped by a roving inspector. After 10 minutes of one question after another, he noticed that on my declaration form that it happend to be my 18th birthday. After he asked "It's your birthday today, eh?" I said "yeah" while shooting him the nastiest glare I can muster. Jerk asked me another bull**** question and let me on my way.
After I moved down to SJC: Flying to YVR for a few days in March two years ago, mainly to see this girl I met online, but also to take care of some financial stuff for the family. At the immigration booth the guy asked more than his usual share of questions. Finally he asked why I am going back. "Pay my taxes" I said (which is 100% true). That shut him up right there.
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by ironmanjt:
[B]Unfortunately, there is a problem at YVR I think. Anyone of Asian decent is probably 100x more likely to be questioned.</font>
How said but how true.
What really is ironic is that being Asian-Canadian myself, every time I've been hassled by an immigration official, they are always Asian-Canadian inspectors. I've never really had a problem with a Caucasian customs inspector (until I come back to the US, but that's a whole different can of worms we'll save for later). Kind of disturbing, really...