Toronto Pearson Airport | Debbie's Caribbean Resort Reviews Forums

I have a question for anyone who may be able to answer – I can’t get any response from the airport folk. First off, I commend Pearson (Toronto) for their diligence in scanning people and checking hand bags. Ok, get that. I also don’t have a problem with the full body scan. My problem is having to go through the body scanner while my personal belongings are still on the conveyor belt, unattended. Am I able to insist I gather my belongings (passport, wallet etc) before I enter the scanner? I don’t want to bring unwanted attention to myself by refusing to walk over to the scanner but I sure don’t like the idea of leaving my important stuff behind. The miserable woman just stated there are cameras all over the room and to get in the scanner. I sure as heck wasn’t going to argue without knowing my rights. Anyone know what I can do about this?

	My experience has been that they are rather attentive and that while you are going through so are your items on the belt. That way there is very little chance of other than official eyes seeing your items you are safe. May I ask what you are most concerned about?

	My concern is leaving my wallet, passport etc in the bin and anyone could easily pick it up and walk through. That carry on is with me at all times & I hate leaving it behind. The other attendant took my hubby who also was "randomly" chosen for the scanner so there wasn’t anyone to keep an eye on belongings. Tourists, I don’t trust

	if there is no metal you can keep your wallet and passport in your pocket. just put the coins in the bin. And remember there are security cameras everywhere….so there are more eyes than you know watching

	Do they not give you the option of a "pat down" if you don’t want to go through the scanner? (security is a joke in any case. They don’t know squat about security!)

if there is no metal you can keep your wallet and passport in your pocket.
It might however depend on what passport you have. We always keep our passports in the pocket of our cargo pants. The new 10 year Canadian passports have an embedded micro chip!Not sure how different things are at Pearson, but our last trip out of Vancouver involved the full body scan (no other option given btw!). We were both pulled aside for a further pat down/frisk after they told us to take the passport out of our pockets. I insisted that I be allowed to hold my passport in my hand while they did their "inspection"

Being curious and wanting to avoid this in the future, I asked if the passport had caused suspicion. I was met with the usual "I’m wearing a uniform which puts me in a position of power over you and you better not mess with me" scowl.

	Well there is an option for a "pat down" or scanner. I have no issue with either. There are many cameras, but if say someone takes something of value out of the bin, by the time they check the video, that person is long gone. I’m just not that trusting. The scanner shows everything….even a scrunched up kleenex in my pocket that I had to remove. Oh, they’re diligent alright.

if there is no metal you can keep your wallet and passport in your pocket. just put the coins in the bin. And remember there are security cameras everywhere….so there are more eyes than you know watching
That is not my experience, as #6 states, with the scanner you must remove everything from your pockets, however I have demanded to keep my passport with me and been allowed to keep it in my hand, not sure if it will work everywhere though.

	This is from the Toronto web page …see the last point…..

	I passed many times with Blistex – Lip protection Chapstick in my pocket nobody said anything. I would take all metals such as coins, wallet and my belt and put in the basket provided to go through x-ray scanner. Sometimes some ladies shoes might have lots of metal in the heels so they might need to take off shoes. I never used new full body scanner so I am not sure about that.

	This is from the Toronto web page …see the last point….. For metal detector the body scanner is a different process which does detect paper on your person, a different ballgame.

Boarding passes and personal identification (i.e. passport, and/or birth certificate) must be shown to screening personnel and carried through the metal detector. Big difference between the metal detector and the full body scanner!Here in Vancouver, especially if you are travelling to anywhere in or through the USA, you pre-clear US customs and the full body scanner is usually compulsory. Seems that Canadian security staff are also favouring the body scanner more and more. We needed to go through the body scanner on our last trip to Mexico.Given that Pearson airport is a major hub, it surprises me that their policies would be so different from what is done at Vancouver airport.

I passed many times with Blistex – Lip protection Chapstick in my pocket nobody said anything. I never used new full body scanner so I am not sure about that. Zee, your Chapstick would have shown clearly if you had been required to go through the body scanner and they would have asked you to take it out of your pocket. Heck, the scanner even detects a Kleenex in your pocket. First time you are asked to go through the full body scanner is a bit freaky for some travellers. I’ve gotten used to it but I still don’t especially like it!

You are right as original poster asked: "go through the body scanner while my personal belongings are still on the conveyor belt, unattended". So I never have been scanned on the body scanner machine and I am sure that they can see everything on that machine even our body parts that we do not want to show to them.

It was very nice that I received a followup phone call from Canadian Air Transport Security Authority. Short answer to my question – no you cannot retrieve your belongings in the bin. She suggested any small items eg. jewellery, wallet put them in your carry on before it goes through the scanner. Interesting, the lady was more concerned that I wasn’t offered an option of a pat down vs scanner. Apparently, you are to be given that choice. The second concern of hers was that my pat down (after the scanner) was quite extensive and I should have been brought into a separate room which at that time, someone should retrieve your belongings. She stated that it should not have been done in full view & was going to check out the video and then get back to me. I was quite impressed by our conversation but to date, haven’t heard back.

	lol @ busman….my first thought was the same (except it was eh?)…..thanks so much canuks….do like that idea but I think my best bet is to stop wearing my bracelets, watch etc and just put my passport in side pocket of my carry on…..it would be difficult for someone to just pick up it and walk away (although not impossible). that way, there is nothing loose in the bin.

	I’ve only had to go through the scanner in Dallas. If ever given the option, I will definitely choose the pat-down. I haven’t yet (touch wood) had to go through one going to MX or Cuba at Pearson.

If they said scanner or nothing (no pat down option) I would be tempted to just start taking off my clothes. You wanna see everything, just look, but I ain’t interested in additional radiation. Security is such a joke. Drug smugglers and terrorists aren’t going to be caught short of a cavity search, and they aren’t doing that so why bother with the scanners? Because someone makes money selling them, that’s why. Security is a joke. They are wide open to an attack on the airport (who needs to get on a plane??), because unlike the Israelis they let you walk into the airport with luggage and don’t even look at anything till you hit the security line. Anyone wanting to cause a disruption can just blow up that line when it is busy, and before they are screened. A bomb in a vehicle would have interesting results as well. The cheapest, most effective thing they could do to improve security (for the plane) is to ban people wandering around the aircraft when it is in flight. No standing in the aisles waiting for the washroom (perfect opportunity for a terrorist to place themselves where they want to be). Put on your call light and take a number. One at a time down the aisle in full view of the flight attendants. Inspect anything being carried into the washroom. Done and done. And safer by far for everyone. For the airport, they need to screen vehicles as they arrive, and also look at passengers entering the airport. This doesn’t need to be a big production. An experienced customs official (or ex jail guard) can pretty much tell who they need to take a closer look at…..

The Israeli model is worth a look: Israeli airport security

Rant over.

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