The Cops Can Pretty Much Always Search Your Smartphone in Canada

[viper37]

If you think I'm smuggling something, have me open up my bags. It seems odd to try to detect contraband by asking me to tell you about a vacation when you can just take my declaration form and compare it to what I'm bringing in.

not really odd.  Someone doing this for the 1st time would likely be nervous and make mistakes between different stories.  You don't necessarly have the goods with you, you could be there for some other purpose too, or pick up the goods left by someone else.  So yeah, casual conversation helps detect a lot of things.  Doesn't prevent professionnals from doing their stuff, but it's not exactly why we have border control agents in our countries, this is left to other pros of counter-espionnage.

[CountDeMoney]

The Israelis trust this sort of judgment more than technology designed to detect threats.

The Israelis are also operating under much looser controls, a less diverse population and are permitted to engage in active and aggressive profiling.  A well-dressed and well-shaved Palestinian is a cause for concern, and will be jacked the fuck up.

[Berkut]

Of course it can be done, it is done all the time.

Like I said, I probably went through border control at least a dozen times last year. At no time did I ever feel like they were being unreasonable with me, impolite, or anything of the kind.

Which doesn't mean they were all the same. Some of them were downright pleasant, some of them were rather curt, some of them seemed like they needed a break.

There are hundreds of agents working a tedious and boring job with serious stakes. I don't pretend to understand their job, not can I reasonably evaluate how "nice" they need to be at all times. Some of them, I am sure, are rude when they don't need to be. Shrug. To expect every person working every job to be perfect is a good way to make yourself pissed off all the time.

[crazy canuck]

Of course it can be done, it is done all the time.

Like I said, I probably went through border control at least a dozen times last year. At no time did I ever feel like they were being unreasonable with me, impolite, or anything of the kind.

Which doesn't mean they were all the same. Some of them were downright pleasant, some of them were rather curt, some of them seemed like they needed a break.

There are hundreds of agents working a tedious and boring job with serious stakes. I don't pretend to understand their job, not can I reasonably evaluate how "nice" they need to be at all times. Some of them, I am sure, are rude when they don't need to be. Shrug. To expect every person working every job to be perfect is a good way to make yourself pissed off all the time.

Yeah, the vast majority of experiences I have with both Canadian and US border agents are fine.

The only complaint I have is that I often get selected for "random" checks - I strongly suspect that is because I hit a number of important demographics to even out the stats to ensure they are not accused of profiling. 

[Berkut]

Of course it can be done, it is done all the time.

Like I said, I probably went through border control at least a dozen times last year. At no time did I ever feel like they were being unreasonable with me, impolite, or anything of the kind.

Which doesn't mean they were all the same. Some of them were downright pleasant, some of them were rather curt, some of them seemed like they needed a break.

There are hundreds of agents working a tedious and boring job with serious stakes. I don't pretend to understand their job, not can I reasonably evaluate how "nice" they need to be at all times. Some of them, I am sure, are rude when they don't need to be. Shrug. To expect every person working every job to be perfect is a good way to make yourself pissed off all the time.

Yeah, the vast majority of experiences I have with both Canadian and US border agents are fine.

The only complaint I have is that I often get selected for "random" checks - I strongly suspect that is because I hit a number of important demographics to even out the stats to ensure they are not accused of profiling. 

LOL - you are the "anti-profiler".

[alfred russel]

As BB has already said, the point of asking you the questions is to determine whether you should be sent for a secondary search where your bags will be searched.  Your suggestion that all citizens should be searched seems a bit draconian (if not entirely inefficient).

It isn't my suggestion to search every bag. But for what its worth, in the US (and other places) you have to go through a security screen upon arrival anyway.

[celedhring]

You TSA golden boys, I have never been selected for a random check 

[Jacob]

Border Agents and rudeness... yeah, some of them can be pretty obnoxious, and I'd prefer them not to be. At this time, however, I've accepted it as a fact of life. That said, I do think there's value in the "welcome to America, enjoy your visit" or "welcome home" you get from the pleasant ones once in a while... Border Agents are the first impression of a country, and it can be a stressful situation for travellers so the impression is magnified; and the perception of a country does matter (hence various PR campaigns etc), so I think it'd be pretty worthwhile to increase the amount of niceness from Border Agents (once you've passed the various screenings, naturally).

As for searching cell phones - especially "requiring passwords" - that seems pretty obnoxious to me. I can see arguments for and against, but I don't like it. Ultimately, I think it's something that should be explicitly legislated - ideally with expert input - rather than interpreted from legislation that date before the concept of "data on smartphones" was even conceived.

[crazy canuck]

As BB has already said, the point of asking you the questions is to determine whether you should be sent for a secondary search where your bags will be searched.  Your suggestion that all citizens should be searched seems a bit draconian (if not entirely inefficient).

It isn't my suggestion to search every bag. But for what its worth, in the US (and other places) you have to go through a security screen upon arrival anyway.

You have lost me.  What do you mean by a "security screen"?

[CountDeMoney]

You TSA golden boys, I have never been selected for a random check 

Obviously not swarthy enough.  And to prevent being accused of profiling, they hit the little 84 year old white lady behind you.

[Admiral Yi]

Right after 9/11 the boys and girls in blue had clearly not figured out what an Ayrab looked like, because I was pulled out every single leg of every single flight I took.

Beeb: as I said before, there are more direct ways to say provide more details.  Like saying "please provide more details."

[crazy canuck]

Right after 9/11 the boys and girls in blue had clearly not figured out what an Ayrab looked like, because I was pulled out every single leg of every single flight I took.

Beeb: as I said before, there are more direct ways to say provide more details.  Like saying "please provide more details."

But it is not really the details they are after.  They are looking at how the person is responding to the question.  For example, it would be odd for someone not to react somewhat negatively to a question which is asked in a rude manner.

[CountDeMoney]

If you think I'm smuggling something, have me open up my bags. It seems odd to try to detect contraband by asking me to tell you about a vacation when you can just take my declaration form and compare it to what I'm bringing in.

Heh, the one time I ever left this country for another bullshit country, on the way back I told my girlfriend that we were going to be stopped by Customs simply because we were the youngest couple on the flight.  She didn't believe me until we were asked to "step this way". 

I would've been sorely disappointed if we--the youngest couple on a flight from Jamaica--weren't queried.  Sometimes you just fit what needs to be checked, it's not personal.

[alfred russel]

As BB has already said, the point of asking you the questions is to determine whether you should be sent for a secondary search where your bags will be searched.  Your suggestion that all citizens should be searched seems a bit draconian (if not entirely inefficient).

It isn't my suggestion to search every bag. But for what its worth, in the US (and other places) you have to go through a security screen upon arrival anyway.

You have lost me.  What do you mean by a "security screen"?

Take things out of pockets, go through a naked scanner, take out laptops and electronics from bags, and basically stuff like getting on a plane.

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

Right after 9/11 the boys and girls in blue had clearly not figured out what an Ayrab looked like, because I was pulled out every single leg of every single flight I took.

They didn't exist right after 9/11.