Originally Posted by tomh009 (Post 9560578)

Wow. Which airport or land crossing is this? The US questioning is what drove me to get Nexus (and CanPASS back when it still existed).

Originally Posted by Simon (Post 9560189)

Is it "policy" to be rude and unfriendly, as many FT members have noted?
Is it "policy" to be unwelcoming to Canadian citizens?
Is it "policy" to ask questions that have nothing to do with whether the person has any goods they should not, or is not a Canadian citizen?



I see. The USA, UK, France, Netherlands, Russia, etc. would be some of those?

Simon

Originally Posted by taupo (Post 9560447)

CBSA members have to wear the vests. They have a militant union that pushes for such things as well as an employer that pushes officer safety.
Zedhead, if you had ever spent an 8-12 hour shift wearing a vest, you would then know that no one actually likes wearing them. They are hot, heavy and cumbersome.
Personally, I think the primary CBSA members look foolish wearing them in the arrivals are of an airport where the arriving people have all had close to cavity checks prior to arriving on their respective flights, however I also know they are not given the choice to wear the vest or not.

Like Simon I do not like the line of questioning that one endures when entering Canada as one's home country. I think some of the questions are too personal to most of us. However I also know the questioning is effective in outing certain people with certain things they shouldn't have. What I don't like is the perception given by CBSA that we are all bad until proven otherwise by our answers to the personal questions. A CBSA member has sweeping powers of search and seizure, far more than the police, they do not need "grounds", they are our frontline security protecting our borders.
Rather than blame the CBSA member you meet, one should blame the employer. It is the employer who is pushing the questioning line.

The US is reknowned (sp) for tough and miserable border people, I have found them to be nothing short of pleasantd and unintrusive. Why does CBSA management insist on being so much more personal and intrusive to it's fellow citizens, than it's southern neighbours, of whom we are guests.

Thank you CBSAguy for joining FT, you will be a great asset in answering many questions and clearing up misconceptions. You will need a mental kevlar vest to deflect much of the flak you will receive here.

Originally Posted by tomh009

Overall, my CBSA experience is definitely on par with countries like UK, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, and far better than the US. However, there are definitely fewer questions being asked at EU Schengen countries -- at least of those of us with Canadian passports. And no customs forms needed for EU!

Originally Posted by st7860 (Post 9561095)

cbsa is more worried about collecting tax than security

Originally Posted by Joe Airman

I don't think that any communicable disease (including the 2 mentioned above) can exist in a prepared meat product (dried, smoked, cooked, and possibly even raw). Avian influenza is spread via respiratory or fecal emissions from infected living animals. I can't see how someone bringing in a personal amount of a boxed or packaged meat product would be a threat or would contain a realistically communicable (and viable) pathogen.

Originally Posted by Joe Airman

Besides simply asking if someone is leaving the country with more than $10K worth of financial instruments, are there other questions that you are legally entitled to ask? Such as the reason for your departure from Canada, your destination, your expected return date, etc?

Originally Posted by Joe Airman

Assuming that a Canadian Citizen is not in violation of the $10K rule, does CBS have the legal grounds to prevent the person from departing?

Originally Posted by Joe Airman

I could be wrong, but I don't recall being asked about the $10k thing when entering or departing any European country. Do they not have a similar rule?

Originally Posted by YOWkid (Post 9561101)

Last time I checked, the UK was part of the EU. ;) And an EU Member State national does not need to fill in that UK form.

Originally Posted by YOWkid (Post 9561175)

In fact, I was impressed with NZ and Aussieland's "biosecurity" protection and the measures they take to protect their country from the entry of pests etc. that could destroy/disrupt their agricultural, food chain, forest, wildlife systems, etc.

Originally Posted by YOWkid (Post 9561133)

That statement is absolutely false.

Originally Posted by tomh009 (Post 9561213)

Yep -- Australian (though not NZ) customs will X-ray your luggage when looking for food and wood products. Singapore, incidentally, does the same thing.

Originally Posted by tomh009 (Post 9561203)

It's part of EU, but not part of the Schengen zone (or Eurozone, or some other EU institutions). Coming in with a non-EU passport you will have an immigration check experience closer to the US (think 30-60 minute lineups) than the Schengen zone.

Originally Posted by st7860 (Post 9561234)

that statement is absolutely true