Job Discussion Forums

saloma · Joined: 07 Jul 2005 Posts: 211

I had such a crap flight from Mainland China back to Canada.

- I took China Eastern Airlines, which meant crap food and no English movie.

- A lot of turbulance = a lot of brimming barf bags.

- When I got to Vancouver airport, they asked all sorts of personal questions they have no business asking.

eg.
Immigration Lady: Where are you going from the airport?
Me: (????) To my parent's house.
IL: How are you going to get there?
Me:(WTF!?) I'll fly.
IL: Into which airport?

(Hello? I'm CANADIAN! Not your business where I go from the other side of this desk!!!)

But in the spirit of this thread...

I'm thankfull that,

a) the plane didn't crash
b) they didn't charge me for my overweight luggage
c) I can drink decent beer now

yaramaz · Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 5:59 am Post subject:

Hey, Saloma, do you find that going through customs at Vancouver airport is rougher than at airports pretty much anywhere else? Every time I come home, esp from Turkey, I get grilled as if I were trying to sneak in illegally carrying a ton of heroin and a chest-pack of explosives under my jacket.

justme · Joined: 18 May 2004 Posts: 1944 Location: Istanbul

Same for Portland Airport-- It's way harder to get into and out of there than Turkey's is. Maybe because it just became international a few years ago, the customs people are a bunch of half-trained rubes eager to throw their badge-power around. They'er forever freezing the computers, or having to wait for a tech guy to come show them how to work them. 2 years ago, one got in my face and asked me what I knew about the HSBC/Consulate bombings. Then they put me in the to-be-searched line behind 2 Iranians and an Afghani, all of who had their life's possessions in taped-up bundles. They were searching them meticulously. Not wanting to wait for this, I told a guy there must be a mistake. He asked where I was coming from and when I said Turkey, all he wanted to know was if I had any absinthe. "We can get absinthe in Turkey? Where?" I asked. He wouldn't tell me. I explained Turkey is fairly far away from France, and that geography lesson seemed to satisfy him. Apparently they had decided absinthe was their biggest problem. They also seemed really disappointed when I told them I planned to return to Turkey...

saloma · Joined: 07 Jul 2005 Posts: 211

Justme, I was also routed to an alternative line in order for them to search my bags. As soom as I saw the customs officer snapping on rubber gloves, I backtracked into the main hall and argued that this wasn't neccessary for me. I got out of it. whew!

Yaramaz - you are totally right. I have flown in and out of literally dozens of airports in the past few years and nothing compares to Vancouver. (I have never flown through portland though). The customs lady even quizzed me on my Chinese to see if I had really been studying! Evil or Very Mad

And now Air Canada has announced that it will allow passengers a grand total of 9 kg's onto the plane! Anything over that will have to be paid for!

molly farquharson · Joined: 16 Jun 2004 Posts: 839 Location: istanbul

I have been to both Portland and Vancouver airports and I agree that they are a drag. I will be going to Portland in a couple of weeks, and I expect that this time they will search my bags to see if I have brought any bird flu with me.

One time I was returning here from Portland and my bags, pockets, shoes were searched four times! At the end I asked the guys if they perhaps didn't trust the other guys or what. Geez. Symptomatic of the paranoia rampant in the US nowadays. A good place not to be.

My favourite airport is Schiphol. Those big chairs are great.

saloma · Joined: 07 Jul 2005 Posts: 211

Mumbai, India has huge comfy loungers! You can Lie down and sleep on them!

Mark Loyd · Joined: 13 Sep 2005 Posts: 517

Schipol Airport is great for those tefullers who can afford airline tickets because it has a FREE gift wrapping service. You can buy cheap crap here and have it gift wrapped for free.

justme · Joined: 18 May 2004 Posts: 1944 Location: Istanbul

molly farquharson · Joined: 16 Jun 2004 Posts: 839 Location: istanbul

maybe because they are still worried about the yellow menace... and don't have much to do.

justme · Joined: 18 May 2004 Posts: 1944 Location: Istanbul

Holy sh*t Molly, you crack me up sometimes!

saloma · Joined: 07 Jul 2005 Posts: 211

Here is one nice reason I can be cheerful these days....

I am back in Canada for a spell, and kicking back in my little hometown in BC. My parents a have a beautiful (post-kids) cedar home on the lake, the tourists have gone home and everything here is so darned pretty. All the leaves are turning colours and it's still really warm during the days. Also I am smack in the middle of WINE COUNTRY with no classes to wake up early for.....

Mark Loyd · Joined: 13 Sep 2005 Posts: 517

yet you are on daves morning noon and night

saloma · Joined: 07 Jul 2005 Posts: 211

I may appear that way because of the time difference. I am usually signed in when most people on this board are sleeping.

You're one to talk, Mr. Loyd, sometimes the hours you post make it hard for me to believe you actually live in Turkey. Such late nights! Don't you have early morning classes to teach at ET?

Hector_Lector · Joined: 20 Apr 2004 Posts: 548

Someone ha finally done it! You mentioned a certain school! Phone home NOW!