gad33

A couple of weeks ago I flew from Calgary to Houston. Calgary airport is small and there isn't much to do except wonder up and down the corridor waiting for your flight. While I was doing this aimless stroll 2 US border guards were walking along the corridor. In my innocence I thought they were going for lunch.

So I aimlessly stroll back towards my gate and the US border guards are escorting one of the passengers. The part of the conversation I heard was one guard asking the passenger where he was onward travelling. The passenger answered (a country in the Middle East) and asked if there was a problem. To which the guards didn't reply.

I don't know what happened to the guy but it's interesting that he would have had to clear immigration to get to the gate. Unless there is a way to bypass immigration at Calgary Airport. At least they let him keep his Timmies.

Noorah101

Are you talking about clearing US Immigration in Calgary? Is it one of those pre-inspection airports? So this guy was in Canada, going to the USA, with an onward flight from the USA to a Middle Eastern country? No idea where the guy was from originally, though, I guess?

Rene

gad33

Yes, there's pre-inspection at Calgary. Unfortunately no idea where he was from, one of the border guards was holding his passport which my imagination says was blue because I was thinking he had to be American or Canadian but he couldn't be an American as he wouldn't have been stopped. I'm guessing he was a Canadian resident as he had Timmies and not Starbucks.

Rete

Most Canadian airports have US clearance before being allowed to board. Don't think it is pre-clearance as once landed in the US, you won't go through customs/immigration. Not unusual at all.

Hey, this Yank hates Starbucks and loves Timmies

lisa67

This Brit would chose Timmies over Starbucks any day!

Manc

me three.

starbucks tastes like they roasted the shit out of the coffee so it tastes bitter so you'll take out a second mortgage to spend on crap to make it taste better.

tonrob

I went into Tim Hortons once. The whole place reeked like knob cheese so I beat a hasty retreat. As a non coffee drinker Starbucks serves a purpose as their Awake tea tastes reasonably like British tea so it's the only place to reliably find a cuppa when I'm out and about.

JAJ

It's called "pre-clearance" for that reason and it's very unusual for someone to get turned back after passing US immigration.

gad33

That's why I thought the whole thing strange, as you have already cleared US immigration so I wander what happened to make the border guards come and get him.

Jerseygirl

I dislike Starbucks and US Timmies (like dishwater)...but Canadian Timmies is much nicer.

Jerseygirl

I would think something came up on the computer about the guy and they thought it was best to let him through without creating a fuss...then call for back up.

gad33

They obviously realised he would be safer to question once he'd had coffee.

expatbritsc

I went into Tim Hortons once when I lived up in Maine and it sucked. Give me Drunken Donuts any day :-)

Just my 2 cents worth..

Shane

WV6Z

Shane, are you daft?!?!? We are in the south man! We live off of Krispy Kremes! Get with the program mate!

expatbritsc

please accept my apologies :-)
The honourable member from slough :-)


Shane