Drug Detector Dogs - How accurate are they?

[stryker]

This is exactly the case here. My husband and I travel on Kiwi and British passports respectively, Cheers

If you can't be bothered to travel on Australian passports (as seems to be the case with other posters), I have little sympathy for you.

You do live in Australia, don't you?

 

[sammy]

I can't understand your feelings Auringa. Perhaps you have a dog phobia?

I always look forward to seeing the airport dogs. At the very least, its something more interesting to look at than the baggage carousel. Beagles are such handsome dogs, too.
I have heard some passengers are quite hostile to the dogs and have even kicked them - hence the need to be careful of inciting further hostility.

 

[jpk]

I know someone who works for Customs, and he says the majority of people searched/questioned are due to profiling, or preselected as the computer has highlighted suspect travel patterns. The dogs are there mainly to provide a visible deterrent.

 

[tuapekastar]

If you can't be bothered to travel on Australian passports (as seems to be the case with other posters), I have little sympathy for you.

You do live in Australia, don't you?

I don't think the OP was seeking sympathy. And there is little indication in other posts in this thread of what nationality other posters' passports were.

 

[Cabbage]

I always look forward to seeing the airport dogs. At the very least, its something more interesting to look at than the baggage carousel. Beagles are such handsome dogs, too.

Coming back from Asia the other morning after a sleepless night in cattle class, a beagle decided he wanted to welcome me home by sniffing my butt whilst I was awaiting my baggage. Not particularly pleasant!

 

[Timtammi]

If you can't be bothered to travel on Australian passports (as seems to be the case with other posters), I have little sympathy for you.

You do live in Australia, don't you?

I'm not sure what that has to do with anything and I certainly wasnt looking for sympathy. It was the Australian with the Australian passport that was searched and questioned. Neither I nor my husband were other than by association as we were travelling with him. I only put that in there in the interest of providing full information.

Frankly, I find your comments rather offensive. Yes I live in Australia, I just happen to hold a British passport due to it being my country of birth. I'm a permanent Australian resident and don't have an Australian passport.

 

[mannej]

I'm sure the Customs folk would be doing / have some kind of passenger profiling to see who to select for random inspections. Eg. Under 35y.o, male, asian, travelling solo is a better search that a 70year old male, travelling in a couple. (I happen to fall in the former and thus my regular searches unfortunately)

I have found the profiling works both ways. I was the odd one out going through customs at HKG and got searched. I don't have any dramas with it as there is nothing to hide. A schwab of the bag and a few seconds was all it took before I was on my way.

 

[2muchplastic]

If you can't be bothered to travel on Australian passports (as seems to be the case with other posters), I have little sympathy for you.

You do live in Australia, don't you?

Intersting comment Stryker.

So in your mind living in Australia = having an Australian passport? You'd be surprised how many on here, (including some mods ) have passports that aren't Australian.

 

[codash1099]

Have a bit of feeling for the poor dogs. If you spent all day sniffing people's baggage with fruit, salami and the occasional bit if h*sh and c*ke, how sharp do you think your olfactory senses would be?

 

[UP4014]

I'm not sure what that has to do with anything and I certainly wasnt looking for sympathy. It was the Australian with the Australian passport that was searched and questioned. Neither I nor my husband were other than by association as we were travelling with him. I only put that in there in the interest of providing full information.

Frankly, I find your comments rather offensive. Yes I live in Australia, I just happen to hold a British passport due to it being my country of birth. I'm a permanent Australian resident and don't have an Australian passport.

So I deduce that you want to live here but not become a citizen.

 

[straitman]

If you can't be bothered to travel on Australian passports (as seems to be the case with other posters), I have little sympathy for you.

You do live in Australia, don't you?

So I deduce that you want to live here but not become a citizen.

These comments are unnecessary and inappropriate :!:

 

[2muchplastic]

So I deduce that you want to live here but not become a citizen.

How little you know.

To become a citizen of this country is not easy at all. In my situation, by the time I get permanent residency probably in October/November this year, I will have been here for 2 years. I am only able to apply for citizenship after 4 years of permanent residency, with that taking anything up to 6 months to achieve.

That means I can be an Australian citizen and apply for an Australian passport six and a half years after first arriving here.

So before you make little comments, I suggest you should be aware of all the facts first.

 

[tuapekastar]

These comments are unnecessary and inappropriate :!:

 

[turtlemichael]

Coming back from Asia the other morning after a sleepless night in cattle class, a beagle decided he wanted to welcome me home by sniffing my butt whilst I was awaiting my baggage. Not particularly pleasant!

What was the more unpleasant - the dog or the subsequent customs inspection? :mrgreen:

 

[Jeffrey O'Neill]

i'm not sure how this topic has moved onto nationality, but just because someone does not go all the way to become a citizen doesn't mean they're not committed to a live in Australia.

My flat mate spend a couple of years goign through the decision makign process of whether to give up his Thai citizenship. the main reason is that his parents are still over there and he's the only son (his brother died in a car accident).

i think this is the main issue for a lot of people with PR in Australia in that they woudl take up citizenship if more countries would allow dual citizenship, or if it was easier to bring their family over.

As for profiling, it's a double edged sword, that can help to reduce teh number fo false positives, but it can also feed in to our prejudices and stereotypes.

I for one dun mind the dogs, but I do wish the handlers would do it in a more respectful manner. i have seen some customs officals being rather gruff with people from Asia. for a lot of these people government officials are usually a lot less ethical than in Australia (laugh at that but it's very much true). i think this is why they can seem to be unhelpful when really they're just afraid.

 

[straitman]

Jeffrey O'Neill,

A couple of very useful comments. Thank you.

As I said earlier their is no excuse or room on the forum for the discussion to have moved to nationality other than in a general sense and it should not happen again. :evil:

 

[Ric]

These comments are unnecessary and inappropriate :!:

I will add another

or 2

 

[simongr]

I like seeing the dogs - mkaes me think of my little ones waiting for me when I get home. I wonder if the dogs are betting at finding food than drugs...

 

[serfty]

[moderator hat]
Please refrain from Criticism of members choice of nationality and restrict posts to comments pertinent to this thread - i.e. Drug Detector Dogs.

Continuation of such critical posts may result in further action.

Cheers ...
[/moderator hat]

 

[straitman]

[moderator hat]
Please refrain from Criticism of members choice of nationality and restrict posts to comments pertinent to this thread - i.e. Drug Detector Dogs.

Continuation of such critical posts may result in further action.

Cheers ...
[/moderator hat]

Thanks serfty :!: