luckybunny

I am a 43 year old single Chinese female. Of the last 5 times I fly out from YYZ, I was pulled over twice for full body search, both times I was pulled by dark-skinned females. I carry nothing that will trigger such search, I usually only carry on my laptop and purse.

I perfectly understand the added securities after 911. But I just feel that they are wasting time on me. I am obviously not a high risk person, there hasn't been an incident of a Chinese female terrorist in Canada, has there? I am a Canadian citizen and lived in Canada for 25 years, I speak perfect English, I was born in Taiwan, so I can not possibly be a mainland Chinese spies, so I can only conclude that these security "female" agents are bias.

My feelings are two folds:

First, I feel that I was being racially discriminated by these female agents. For some reasons, they don't like single, well-dressed, properly presented chinese females.

Second, they obviously know they are wasting time on me, then why aren't they doing their job and pick those people that better fit the profile of a terrorist? It really doesn't make me feel safer when they are not doing their job properly.

Yes, they are increasing securities, but no, they are wasting resources. This last time, I was on my way to Las Vegas. I was dressed well, obviously on a business trip. There are plenty of other more suspicous people around,

so, why me? why aren't they using the little resources they have to better use?

shore9

boarding a plane in PSP, my family and I were the only ones who got searched, my only conclusion is that we had Euro passports as we had lost our CDN passports. Other than that I don't see what would trigger them to search us, as we were obviously on vacation.

luckybunny

I must add that this only happens to me at YYZ. I was never pulled over at other airport, in several cities in U.S., and in Asia.

Stranger

Wasn't that Chinese spy that got caught in the US, who got an FBI guy to bed her for a long time also a female from Taiwan?


I know of at least one female from Taiwan (admittedly not single though) who has been pulled zero times in the last fifty times. Again, admittedly she may not have been "well-dressed, properly presented" by your standards (wearing jeans, typically). (Incidentally, maybe that's why she may not have come across as a Chinese spy? )

So, seriously, on what basis do you speculate that the reason you get picked up has anything to do with race? Maybe there is something else about you that triggers it? Actually, hearing your tone when mentioning the racial background of the searchers, I can think of a couple of reasons... Ever heard of body language?

ylwae

So you're saying you didn't set off the detector and were just pulled out of line for random searches? The most benign reason I can think of would be that they randomly search people, and you just happened to be that person on two occasions. Racism wouldn't be the first motive I'd posit, but that's just me.

miizzles

I suggest you hook up with the OP of this thread and form a support group.

bhd87

Sorry if you take this the wrong way, but there is no such thing as a profile of a terrorist. Yes, middle eastern men have generally commited suicide/terrorist actions, but one cannot classify all middle eastern peoples as terrorists, or vice versa.

In fact, you are being racist in saying that there is a profile of a terrorist; your admitting that there is such a sterotype. In many cases, woman have also partcipated in terrorist actions.

Since you do not fit this "stereotype", why should we even both screening you? Or any Canadian-Chinese women?

It was only a few days ago that 17 Canadians were arrested in a suspecting terrorist ring. Im not sure if any were Chinese or Asian.

If we only screened people and examined un-randomly people who fit this terrorist "mold", then the "terrorists" would just have someone normal (aka Canadian Chinese Women) act on their behalf.

Back in 05, two chinese men were caught for attempting to import Surface to Air missles.

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/arti...3/210422.shtml

Who would have though a Chinese American would do something like that! I guess they now fit the mold!

luckybunny

yes, I have a tone now, because I don't like the look they gave me and the fact they pulled me twice now. I am in sales, and I read body language. I just know there is racism involved in the way they behave around me. I rarely get this feeling living in Toronto for the past 25 years. YYZ is perhaps the only occasion I can think of. This last time, I wasn't even at the security gate yet, the female agent just came right up to my face, snatch my BP without sayins a word, I thought at first she is a thief. Then she brutally told me to go through the gate, while she and two other female agents wait at the other side and then went through a complete body search. Their attitude is very bad and very rude. I have seen full body search done to other people in U.S., always with an explanation to what they are doing, never this rude.

If you are a minority, you will know when you are being racially discriminated.

And that Taiwanese spy is in U.S., not Canada. Terrorism wasn't involved in that case. And like a said, I am a Canadian citizen for 25 years, with two sons born in Canada. You are insulting me in comparing me to someone that sleeps around for information.

Besides, I am talking about Toronto airport security. Please explain why they waste their resource searching me instead of others that fit closely to terrorist profile?

imverge

First off, speaking perfect english and living in Canada for 25 years makes no difference, just look at the terror suspects that were just arrested some were born here!


I don't think you are being singled out. You have no clue how many other "females" these "dark skinned females" search each day.

As a frequent traveller you know that security checks and searches are now the norm more than ever.

I would be more concerned if they were not searching anyone.

And I don't think anyone can say for sure what a terrorist looks like or what they wear.

luckybunny

well, those are two Chinese American men. Not female, not Canadian.

My point is, out of past 5 times, I was pulled over twice. That's 40% probability.

And yes, I believe if you ask any government agencies, there is a terrorist profile. So it only follows that they use their resources on those that closely resembles profiles.

Who do you prefer they waste their time to search? A suspicious looking man or a clearly unlikely chinese female? while they are searching me, they could let a real terrorist slip by. When it comes to terrorism, you are just kidding yourself in saying that there is no profile.

imverge

Ok... so tell us. What is your idea of a terrorist profile?

luckybunny

read the papers and watch the news, you will see them yourself

imverge

You are the one who is complaining here about being targeted!

I think you are being racist yourself if you are viewing the news and papers and believe that the suspects are what ALL terrorist look like.

That is very narrow minded. Personally I am happy that our YYZ security is searching people "out-side the box" of what is in the media ^

luckybunny

You are not getting the point. I am not just complaining being targeted. I am complaining of both racism, and the waste of their resources.

I am racist against terrorists, I don't want them in my country. I want all government agencies to do everything they can to kick those people out. If they are Chinese, I will want them to do the same.

Incidently, many mainland Chinese are getting into this country illegally, and the government isn't doing anything about it. Most of those illegals crosses the border to U.S., so when I cross to U.S. at Niagara Falls, I know I fit their profile of those people. But the U.S. customs officers always treats me with courtesy. They ask their questions politely, and I can tell they assessed right the way that I am not one of those, and they stop wasting their time and thank me for my time. They are not rude and never behaved like those female YYZ agents brutally snatching BP out of my hand.

Now, is it too much to ask to be treated nicely? AND...is it too much to ask for them to stop wasting their time on me? More IMPORTANTLY, target the suspicious ones, not me.

ylwae

I'm not sure that rudeness and the brutal snatching of BPs reflects a racist attitude. Maybe they're just socially maladjusted.