Canada Airport Security

[cruz chic]

I was teasing, really. sorry if it didn't come off that way :o

I wasn't sure with the rolling eyes icon.....

[kazu]

I wasn't sure with the rolling eyes icon.....

 

 

rolling was referring to the weather - I'll have to use them better - good news it freezing rain and snowing as we wait for the two storm fronts to hit us :rolleyes: (the roll eyes refers to the weather).

[cruz chic]

rolling was referring to the weather - I'll have to use them better - good news it freezing rain and snowing as we wait for the two storm fronts to hit us :rolleyes: (the roll eyes refers to the weather).

Good luck with your weather. Finally...Calgary is out of the deep freeze:)!

[mexico5]

Thanks for clarification on that because you sure sound as though you are. I'm wondering why it bothers you if people say they don't want to go through a certain airport. That their choice.....not yours. I will avoid the Toronto airport if at all possible. I have not had good experiences there. I wouldn't blame people if they didn't want to go through Calgary after seeing this video. That is my home airport. I take no offence to that. The security is totally overboard these days and totally reactive instead of proactive. I don't know how you can defend that.

 

I agree...I HATE the Toronto airport and avoid it at all costs and I make no bones about it! It always takes us about 6 different times before we find an employee that speaks english! When you are in a hurry to find a gate, etc..that is very annoying and can cost you your flight.

 

I am disgusted by what happened to that poor lady at my home airport. Seems to me that some of the TSA employees WANT to target the most innocent passengers. Do what Israel does...profile.

[iancal]

I fly in to, and out of, Pearson on a very regular basis. I have NEVER had an issue with airport staff or security no being able to converse in English. Or for that matter, in any other in Western Canada either.

[sapper1]

As much as I dislike Pearson Airport, in all fairness I must say that I have never encountered an airline or security employee who did not speak English.

[cruz chic]

I agree...I HATE the Toronto airport and avoid it at all costs and I make no bones about it! It always takes us about 6 different times before we find an employee that speaks english! When you are in a hurry to find a gate, etc..that is very annoying and can cost you your flight.

 

I am disgusted by what happened to that poor lady at my home airport. Seems to me that some of the TSA employees WANT to target the most innocent passengers. Do what Israel does...profile.

 

Totally agree with both statements.

[cruz chic]

As much as I dislike Pearson Airport, in all fairness I must say that I have never encountered an airline or security employee who did not speak English.

The very last time I went through there I had that experience. I asked someone a question about my small bag of liquids and she had no idea what I was saying. I was speak perfectly clear. She couldn't understand me nor could I understand her.

[cruz chic]

I fly in to, and out of, Pearson on a very regular basis. I have NEVER had an issue with airport staff or security no being able to converse in English. Or for that matter, in any other in Western Canada either.

I fly out of Calgary for EVERY trip. I've never had the expereince that the OP posted about. Does that mean it didn't happen?

[sapper1]

The very last time I went through there I had that experience. I asked someone a question about my small bag of liquids and she had no idea what I was saying. I was speak perfectly clear. She couldn't understand me nor could I understand her.

It must be the luck of the draw. Having made that statement about never having a problem will probably doom me to having a frustrating experience in March. :eek: Never tempt the travel gods.

[cruz chic]

It must be the luck of the draw. Having made that statement about never having a problem will probably doom me to having a frustrating experience in March. :eek: Never tempt the travel gods.

Now you've jinxed yourself:eek:. If I never go through that airport again....I'll be a happy person.

[LiftLockCouple]

Before we left for our LOS cruise I read several posts on the Florida boards that MIA was a terrible airport, congested, very hard to find ground transportation, few staff spoke English I read, luggage takes a long time to appear, everyone speaks spanish and the announcements are in spanish first. I feared we had made the wrong choice in flying to MIA. Well I can tell you all the fear mongering was a pile of BS. We arrived on Dec 31 and left on Jan 9. Not a single word was true. Luggage arrived quickly, all announcements were in English first, the congestion was no worse than any other major airport, and every person we interfaced with spoke easily understood english. Even the horror stories about the TSA inspectors were completely false.

I am glad to tell all readers of this thread that the same is true of Toronto. Should you choose to fly through Toronto you will also find the horror stories about Pearson are overstated. Toronto's Pearson airport is a world class airport that will with prior arrangement provide service in a multitude of languages,and provide transportation between gates on prior request. I personally witnessed such service this past summer, a lady was on our flight from Saint John who did not speak a word of english. Her friend who accompanied her to the gate in Saint John had made prior arrangement and the lady was met at the gate in Toronto by a female interperter who then accompanied her to the international gate for her flight home.

I have never had a problem in Toronto, never met anyone that could not speak english, and do not expect to, jinx or no jinx. :)

[kazu]

Before we left for our LOS cruise I read several posts on the Florida boards that MIA was a terrible airport, congested, very hard to find ground transportation, few staff spoke English I read, luggage takes a long time to appear, everyone speaks spanish and the announcements are in spanish first. I feared we had made the wrong choice in flying to MIA. Well I can tell you all the fear mongering was a pile of BS. We arrived on Dec 31 and left on Jan 9. Not a single word was true. Luggage arrived quickly, all announcements were in English first, the congestion was no worse than any other major airport, and every person we interfaced with spoke easily understood english. Even the horror stories about the TSA inspectors were completely false.

I am glad to tell all readers of this thread that the same is true of Toronto. Should you choose to fly through Toronto you will also find the horror stories about Pearson are overstated. Toronto's Pearson airport is a world class airport that will with prior arrangement provide service in a multitude of languages,and provide transportation between gates on prior request. I personally witnessed such service this past summer, a lady was on our flight from Saint John who did not speak a word of english. Her friend who accompanied her to the gate in Saint John had made prior arrangement and the lady was met at the gate in Toronto by a female interperter who then accompanied her to the international gate for her flight home.

I have never had a problem in Toronto, never met anyone that could not speak english, and do not expect to, jinx or no jinx. :)

 

 

Sapper, I hope the travel gods smile upon you.

 

Liftlock couple - I totally agree. I go through Montreal a lot and I far prefer Toronto (which is what we are doing next trip even though it's a further flight). the business class lounge is much nicer in Toronto. I found the security people nicer (that is not saying much) and as you head to the International gate, those people are very nice. Now, that's just been my experience - let the travel gods smile on me too that it is mine again for the next cruise :):)

[LiftLockCouple]

I agree...I HATE the Toronto airport and avoid it at all costs and I make no bones about it! It always takes us about 6 different times before we find an employee that speaks english! When you are in a hurry to find a gate, etc..that is very annoying and can cost you your flight.

 

I am disgusted by what happened to that poor lady at my home airport. Seems to me that some of the TSA employees WANT to target the most innocent passengers. Do what Israel does...profile.

 

Mexico5. I'm sure it will not be a surprise that I don't share your opinion of Toronto Pearson however I do share your opinion about what our security policy should be. Profiling will be the way of the future I believe, but there are some significant issues with implimenting it in Canada. I have included a link to a lengthy article on the topic which uses the current attempt at Logan airport in Boston to implement it as an example of the program. It will be an expensive process to impliment. Have a look at the link, it is interesting reading.

http://securitysolutions.com/news/security_exposing_hostile_intent/

[mexico5]

Mexico5. I'm sure it will not be a surprise that I don't share your opinion of Toronto Pearson however I do share your opinion about what our security policy should be. Profiling will be the way of the future I believe, but there are some significant issues with implimenting it in Canada. I have included a link to a lengthy article on the topic which uses the current attempt at Logan airport in Boston to implement it as an example of the program. It will be an expensive process to impliment. Have a look at the link, it is interesting reading.

http://securitysolutions.com/news/security_exposing_hostile_intent/

 

Hey great article! I really hope I am not in a walker before this starts to happen in Canada and the US! It really is going back to the basics and using common sense...although" common sense just aint as common as it should be" ~ Dr. Phil

 

DH will be interested in this article too!