Saturday 14 August, 2004
Toronto, finally
We're finally in our hotel room in downtown Toronto.
I can say this much - I hate America and American bureaucracy. I really don't understand how they honestly think all these security checks are going to make a differece - it's just annoying people and what comes to us I know in the future we'll just avoid going to US if at all possible. Whereas Canada and Canadians - I love it here. Customs and immigration was reasonable, both questions and queue-wise. People are very friendly, it's modern and everything works and it's pretty.
Bed awaits, more action tomorrow.
Posted by kolibri at 14 August 00:30, 2004Aww, this makes me sad.
America does have a few good points; don't let all the customs crap be the deciding factor in your opinion of the country. The prevailing sense of paranoia in the airports isn't representative of all Americans. :)
# 2 - Kolibri (on August 22, 2004 07:58 PM):
Marnie, you should stick being Canadian. Canadians rule :)
But seriously - it was so stupid watching the whole security thing "working", they literally had no other criteria to choose people for the very intrusive checks than nationality and skin colour - and that's got to be a bad thing. The aim might be security but the result is alienation: personally I will try to avoid (even more than previously) going to America from now on.
# 3 - Marnie (on August 22, 2004 08:23 PM):
LOL, I refuse to be Canadian. I have too much of a fondness for the US. :)
I won't try defending the security checks; it would be pointless... and difficult. ;)
I've never had any problems with it, but I'm both white and American. I've heard some horror stories, though. My Swiss friend's grandmother was horrified and reduced to tears when she got stuck in customs for hours. She kept saying, "They went through my underwear!"
It's awful to hear that so many people's first impressions of the US are like this.
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