Originally Posted by SkiAdcock
BTW - in Oct I was flying to YYZ. They sent me off to put my bag through the big super-duper x-ray thingy machine (note my technical description there!
). At the end I get the we have to look into your bag. Me, knowing I'm not a terrorist nor smuggling illicit items. Ok. They take it behind the big thingy & I can't see a thing. Me - excuse me. I need to see my bag. We're examining it. I know you are & that's fine, but I'm allowed to watch my bag being searched. What? Yes (I'm still being polite but having to shout a bit cuz they're on the other side of the thingy) I'm allowed to watch my bags being searched. Well uh ok, but you have to stand over there (where I'm standing). Yes, but I need to stand over here in VIEW of my bag. Really? Yes. Ok, hey (to screener) - move it down so she can see you. What (but he did it)? Then (ok, this part's not in the rule book). Excuse me - could you be a bit careful on putting things back in?
I've had the same thing happen to me at YYZ. All that is based on whether your bag comes out of the chute when there's an available inspector. The only difference was how they made me stand in front of the inspector. I folded my arms in front of him, not even saying a word, and that bothered the inspector. That made me very happy. He didn't even bother seeing what was at the bottom of my bag, which bothered me, because why bother searching if it's only going to be a quasi-search? Then, when he tried to zip up my Travel Pro bag, he noticed one of the zipper tags were missing. I told him that tags was there before my last open bag inspection.
They too have a stupid boarding pass requirement coming into the USA. Once before you even think about entering Customs, then to the Immigration guy for stamping, then again at the WTMD.
YYZ has outsourced security. I heard they stopped the "random" gate inspections, which I am happy about too.