Bad Experience at Montreal

[dragonman]

This experience was so unusual for me I thought I might post seperately to the overall trip report. ON arrival from DFW I was first off the plane and straight down to passport control where there are hundreds waiting. Its clear that this is gonna take an hour at least. No probs it seems a bunch of flights arrive.

I eventually make it to the guy at passport control and he is not a happy chappy. "Where are you staying in Montreal" with friends. "How many bags you have" just the carry-on. "You must see immigration".

No worries I think. Directed into the dodgy peoples checkpoint another 30 minutes wait. Then we start again new lady. "our major concern is that you will be only here for 4 days, and you have come all this way" I explain that friends work, this is the weekend and soon enough I must get back to work. Show her a print out of the DONE4. "Where is your wife"
at home re-married to my husband-in-law. She stamps me and I am through .... or so I thought.

Heading out of customs, nothing to declare and I realise my card has been marked. Diverted into the search area. Another 30 minutes wait. Finally I make it to another guy. Open up the carry-on suitcase. "How much Canadian currency you got" $20, an ATM card and 2 creditcards. Do you do drugs? No (but maybe I fit some bizarre profile). Take out your wallet. He swabs walletand carry-on with one of those little cloths I have seen on Border Patrol or whatever that program is and then tests it - completely negative and I am out of there - 2 hours in total.

 

[Mal]

I have heard quite a few stories of Canadian immigration not taking kindly to youngish solo men turning up for a short amount of time and flying in.

Your story is another one to add to my list.

Thanks for the story. Means when I do similar I'm more prepared for the fun I'm expecting!

 

[Evan]

Sounds like the Canadians have been going to the school as the Americans when it comes to makeing you feel un-welcome in arrival

Have you been to Canada before ? i find they seem to be a lot more easy on you if you have visited before.

I used to always get lots of attention after doing lots of 2 day trips into south / south-east asia.

What annoys me is not being treated that way in another country but getting treatment like that on the return home.

E

 

[dragonman]

Sounds like the Canadians have been going to the school as the Americans when it comes to makeing you feel un-welcome in arrival

Have you been to Canada before ? i find they seem to be a lot more easy on you if you have visited before.

I used to always get lots of attention after doing lots of 2 day trips into south / south-east asia.

What annoys me is not being treated that way in another country but getting treatment like that on the return home.

E

Yes was in Toronto 3 days last year - no probs then.

 

[dot]

This experience was so unusual for me I thought I might post seperately to the overall trip report. ON arrival from DFW I was first off the plane and straight down to passport control where there are hundreds waiting. Its clear that this is gonna take an hour at least. No probs it seems a bunch of flights arrive.

Hey Dragonman - sounds like a pain in the a#se. I am confused though - was this at DFW or YUL? If it was DFW, then wouldn't it be TSA being the draconian taskmasters, not the Canadians - ay?

Last week in LAX, I was "selected by my airline (AA) for additianal screening" - nice of them I thought. Fortunately, my experience only lasted 30 mins, not as bad as you had.

BTW - if you are travelling in the USA and your boardingpass has 'SSSS' in the bottom right hand corner of your boarding pass, then your airline has selected you too...

 

[Evan]

BTW - if you are travelling in the USA and your boardingpass has 'SSSS' in the bottom right hand corner of your boarding pass, then your airline has selected you too...

Unfortunatly i think most know about this. its never a good day when you get that !

I would have presumed he was in YUL.
DFW as you said would be TSA, DFW security seems ok from the couple of times i have been through.... then again i am sure most will not agree.

E

 

[auriga]

. ON arrival from DFW I was first .....

see above.......

 

[Mwenenzi]

Canadain immigration experinces like this are not unusal. Look here - post 244

 

[dragonman]

Canadain immigration experinces like this are not unusal. Look here - post 244

Wow. Now add YUL to the list. I might add that I have never had that sort of treatment from TSA personnel, especially leaving JFK yesterday (on the way to DFW) where there is a priority security line for first class and business class passengers.

I am now sure I will score the dreaded SSSS on my boarding passes around the USA from now on. Tuesday goes YUL-MIA-ORD-LAS so hopefully on US customs at YUL will be the problem. Them maybe LAS on the way to LAX.

I am assuming you still clear US customs when departing Canadian airports.

 

[mabunji]

I got detained by US immigration flying into Charlotte on US Airways in December. My passport was confiscated and I was sent to wait in the bad boy’s room. After about 90 minutes I was summoned by an Immigration Officer. ‘You’re fine sir, you’re OK to go’. He had no interest in searching by bag, did not wish to see an onward ticket, and didn’t question me on my reasons for traveling to the US. I raised a quizzical eyebrow. ‘We had problems reading your passport’. I expressed surprise – it had never been an issue before. ‘No sir, your passports fine. The airline transmits certain information to us. I can’t tell you much more than that, it has security implications’. I told him that I had flown to the US previously on Qantas, United and BA without incident – this was my first time entering on US Airways. He replied that Charlotte was predominately US Airways, his only real experience was dealing with that airline – he also stated that it happened with Australian passports ‘a lot’.

On completion of my business I was flying on United out of San Francisco. I had a connecting flight on US Airways from Las Vegas. I checked in at the US Airways counter for the internal US connecting on to the international United flight, and produced my passport. The girl checking me in was very friendly and chatty. ‘Ooh, I get to use the new toys … Lets hope it works!!!’. (She was referring to the scanner used to swipe my passport). ‘Oh no, looks like we’ve got problems’. She then laboriously checked my passport and re-keyed, or corrected whatever data had been captured from the electronic swipe.

I’m putting 2 and 2 together here and guessing that my passport was incorrectly swiped when I flew from Montego Bay to Charlotte and that the check in clerk failed to correct the data. When immigration swiped my passport and attempted to match it to the data supplied by the airline there were omissions and inconsistencies?. Frustrating.

Another couple of observations from this trip.

I had a series of internal flights booked with US Airways and United. I had changed my plans a number of times and hence ended up booking the flights on 3 separate itineraries. I experienced the ‘SSSS’ problem with flights on only one of those itineraries – For whatever reason I was identified as a risk, but the software was not smart enough to identify other flights I was taking with that airline, let alone other airlines.

My delay at immigration in Charlotte caused me to miss my connection. I was re-booked onto a later flight. As my boarding pass was printed it bore the dreaded ‘SSSS’. The booking clerk obviously decided I had been stuffed around enough – she stuck a small green circular sticker (available at any stationers) over the offending notation. I was not troubled by additional security checks.

Check In staff were always friendly and chatty. As they were processing me I assume they could see that I was flagged as ‘SSSS’ (i.e. perceived as being a threat to the airline and other passengers). Despite this knowledge their attitude never changed. I love those American manners – maybe this guy is going to terrorise the plane, but hey that’s no excuse for me not to be sociable and friendly with him!.

On one of my ‘SSSS’ flights I was assigned the exit row. I was required to verbally confirm to the cabin crew that that I would assist them in an emergency if requested. ‘That’s right miss; I’m flagged as a terrorism suspect. Most likely I am going to defuse a bomb or threaten staff …. But as soon as I’ve finished with that I’ll swing right back and help you folks out’. I think the irony of this would be wasted on the average American

 

[bambbbam2]

Obviously your 'hoser' comment didn't go down well..

 

[Reggie]

Ihad a bad experience flying into Toronto about five years ago on a *A RTW ticket. This was back in the days of paper tickets, and similiat to QF009, I had about 4 of them stapled together. The immigration guy was all questions, who what where why etc. I shouwed him bookings for Toronto and sightseeing tours to Niagra Falls etc, but to no avail, a big yellow highlighter through my card.

So in for secondary questioning with the undesirables. As I walked int he guy was loudly saying I need to get this guy on the next flight of here.:shock: Anyway my turn was very breif and I was allowed to go. I removed the 2 already used ticket books after that, funny thing not a problem with the US guys.

 

[Reggie]

I think you will find that SSSS is not given because you are deemed to be a terrorist risk, but moreso the airlines have to give a certian quota, and based on previous history with the airline you get chosen. First time I flew through the US post 9-11, AA had me SSSS'ed 2 for 2 on a DONE4. On same trip I was flying from Rapid city on NW for the first time, and sure enough SSSS. However since then I have flown AA many many times and never had the SSSS given to me again. TOUCH WOOD, as I am flying there tommorow and a series of AA flights.

 

[stryker]

Must say that I visit the USA a lot (I am a UA Million Miler) and have never been SSSS'd, even when taking one-ways etc. Status must have a lot to do with it. I also find the US Immigration people to be not that bad. Very rarely do I have more than a cursory question.

However, Canada is a completely different kettle of fish. Last year I went there (SYD-HNL-YVR on AC) and got the "Spanish Inquisition" from a young female Immigration officer. Why was I coming to Canada? (because I thought I liked it), how long was I staying? (only 4 days), where was I going? (just sightseeing), etc, etc. But I had been to Canada several times before.

I decided, that as I had nothing to hide, to give the immigration officer as good as I got (after all what's the worst they could do to someone who was a senior DFAT officer for over 30 years?), and in the end (maybe after 5 minutes), I was just let through.

Based on this experience, the Canadians are much worse than either the US or Australian Immigration people. Anyone planning to go to Canada as a single male should take precautions. Ensure you have a good, legitimate reason for going there (that can be checked out) and do not under any circumstances carry anything that could be considered illegal or offensive. You have been warned!

 

[Evan]

I think SSSS is just random selection by a computer, i would not fit into any profile you could imagine i would not think.
E

 

[stryker]

I think SSSS is just random selection by a computer, E

Sorry, but no.

 

[NYCguy]

I have only had the dreaded SSSS appear on a BP once, and it was issued at a self-checkin console for a one-way trip I had booked with 36 hours notice.

"Bugger that", I thought, and took it to an agent at F check-in. She looked at it, rolled her eyes, tapped away at her keyboard for what seemed like 5 minutes, and then presented me with a new BP, sans the haraSSSSment code.

I haven't visited Canadia (no, it's not a typo, it's what I refer to it as) for years, so I can't really comment about their current attitude to visitors - but if they are worse than the God-appointed National Heroes (AKA the DHS) at LAX, then there's a problem...

 

[Evan]

Sorry, but no.

If you think it really is targeted then somebody must know what flags a person to be SSSS'ed ??

The only possible reason i could think i was ever flaged was that i had some trips to east and south-east asia for short stays (conferences etc) but i am not sure the US woudl even know about that.

I am not saying that some are not targeted, eg people following a specific religion etc, but i still believe that some of them are really just randomly selected.

E

 

[Mal]

If you think it really is targeted then somebody must know what flags a person to be SSSS'ed ??

It's fairly well discussed in various forums. Some SSSS attention seeking factors are rumoured to include:
One way ticket, last minute purchase or changes, previous history of buying tickets and not flying, no history of flying with the airline, paying cash for ticket.

These types of things are tallied by an airline and can tip you into SSSS terrirtory. It's all done by computers at the airline using a 'secret' formula, although it is widely discussed.

 

[Evan]

I just spent 10 mins reading what some people think trigger such SSSS'ing and so far i have fail to see how i would possibly be selected to SSSS ! If i was selected based on some "risk" profile then there must be other things that people have not thought of to trigger my SSSS.

I absolutly don't doubt some people are selected on specific set of rules but i would also assume if the airlines have a quota and they are low they just randomly select people ? Possible ? I would have thought so.

Anyway all a bit OT since the real gripe in this post seems to be Canada not the USA.

E