Photo/Laptop checks @ customs

[ziggystardust]

Not sure how widespread this is, but...

Just entered Canada. The customs agent opened up my PC and went through all my photos. Fortunately, I had no explicit pics on my laptop, but that pretty much convinced me to do a far, far better job at hiding them.

[stogie bear]

How long did they spend looking, Ziggy? Were they really thorough?

More details on this bizarre experience would be welcome.

Also - would you mind if I moved this to the Travel section later on?

[Guest]

He opened it, went directly to MyPictures, MyDocuments, nothing there. Made me show him where I had pics, went through a sampling of photos. About 20 minute check. He wasn't an expert, but if he was, it would not have been good.

You can do many things, and maybe we'll get some ideas here, but perhaps put your pics in some bizarre folder like System/Programs, make them hidden folders, ... I don't know the right way around this, but surely some guys on here do.

[BAM]

Let me tell you I never carry any porn or any pics of any girls on my Laptop when I travel. The nice thing about having high speed internet in your room is you can FTP upload all you good pics to a server outside of Thailand where they are safe from Customs. I travel to Australia too when I'm over on that side of the world and I always get searched in Oz by them looking for drugs... I guess I look the type? I was once questions when entering the USA about why I was in Thailand and taken into a search room. I just showed them my Marriott Hotel itinerary and that was enough for them to let me go but they can get nasty... it's almost like they are jealous of you because they know you just had a fucking blast of a time in Thailand and they are stuck working there shity customs job. I've never been searched entering Canada but on my last trip things got a little dicey... when I came out with my luggage... just about to exit customs into the airport arrival area this big black customs dude in the blue jump suit and army boots walks right up to me and says "so where did you just come from Sir? "I told him Australia via LAX" he then asked if this was the only place I was on this trip... I told him yes... yeah I lied but I know if I said Thailand.... there I would go into the drug searching room... the funny thing was I had a Bangkok T-shirt on and he didn't even notice!

[BAM]

You can do many things, and maybe we'll get some ideas here, but perhaps put your pics in some bizarre folder like System/Programs, make them hidden folders, ... I don't know the right way around this, but surely some guys on here do.

I have this program and it's great! http://www.jetico.com/

[BAM]

More details on this bizarre experience would be welcome.

Not so bizarre..... they seem to be more vigilant these days...read what they did this guy. This was posted on another site

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Interrogated by Canadian Customs for 1.5 hours!
Warning Long

This happened today at Victoria airport, but could have been anywhere in Canada and thought my experience might be of interest here also.

I had quite a time getting into Canada at Victoria airport. Some might be interested in my 1.5 hour interrogation by 4 customs agents. I come to Canada 2-4 times a year for many years and never had any delay before.

My unlucky arrival may have been due to someone with a similar name doing something bad. I was asked my times if I ever lived in Florida and basically had to give my life history. I've never lived anywhere except MN and AZ. But then things got much worse, and related to sexwork based on what they found on my computer. Yet the experience has a good ending - obviously - since I am in Victoria!

While one agent interrogated me, I could hear another making phone calls mentioning my name, DOB etc. Another agent was going through every single item in my luggage and another took my laptop and was examining everything on it. That made things very interesting.

I had no idea on what basis they could deny entry since I had never been in any legal trouble, not even a traffic ticket for many years, and I wasn't here for anything illegal. But I had to convince them of that and teach them Canadian laws after they found lots of things on my laptop including my pre trip planning spreadsheet of providers, text files I have on my laptop about libchrist.com, sexworkcanada.com, had some sexy pictures of some Phoenix provider friends and they noted my Asian trips stamped in my passport (sex trafficker perhaps?) ... you get the idea.

They also wanted to know how much cash I had (about $100US and $100CDN) and wanted to know how much cash I had access to from ATM machines etc. They asked about my sources of the cash and even if I could prove how much money I would have access to when in Canada. Have no idea why this line of questioning but I was simply totally honest.

They interrogated me in great detail about "prostitution". I talked about how I promote positive intimacy and sexuality via libchrist.com and yes I enjoy the freedoms they have in Canada we don't in the U.S.

But believe it or not they thought all prostitution was illegal in Canada! I then proceeded to teach them the Criminal Code of Canada related to prostitution! They asked zillions of questions, were very polite and kept going into little meetings with themselves in a small office. One was looking up something in a book -perhaps the Criminal code of Canada? I was almost going to tell them I had a copy on my lap top but I wasn't sure if I actually did, although I have it on my home computer.

One young agent questioned why any women would choose prostitution and had to explain the difference between the street hooker on drugs and women that actually choose it. He seemed amazed especially when I told him lots of young gals going to college here do it to help pay for their education etc.

After one of their private huddles, they started asking me how I meet the "prostitutes" at their place etc. I was careful to avoid any incall discussion saying I had them come to my hotel room which is perfectly legal in Canada and most of the world except the U.S. I seemed to amaze them when I commented that the agencies are licensed by Victoria (my pre trip notes made it obvious I had the names of agencies) and there is nothing illegal selling time with gals (but not specifically for sex, but as consenting adults, in private....)

Then they got into how I meet these women and a big discussion of the many Internet boards that thousands of folks go to share and discuss many issues. One asked if it was sort of like tripadvisor.com! I then had to teach them that advertising is perfectly legal on the web etc and basically taught them the solicitation laws about only being illegal in public places.

They asked me what type of discussions I was recenly involved in. I said a provider was asking for comments on what folks like on provider websites to include etc. They seemed amazed that many of the gals participate in such discusions.

By now it was feeling a little less like an interrogation and more curiosity especially from one of the younger agents that talked to me the most.

The most embarrassing moment is when the guy that had my computer came over and asked me about a very old post I had kept from a terb discussion from a lawyer. I had no recollection of where he could have found it. I have lots of old files on my laptop from travels that I haven't gotten around to reading lately or doing anything with. He asked about a note he found... actually by this time he was more laughing about it than using it to interrogate but it left me with mouth open having no idea where it was from: Get this..... He read outloud to all the agents:

Now the fuckers of Immigration Canada want to make all immigration paralegal and consultant lawyers have a "certificate", which of course the same fuckers will sell for a whopping usurious $450, and follow lame and stupid "guidelines". This fucking government is becoming communist, for this shit I rather go back from where I come from, over there we have REAL capitalism and freedoms." He WAS laughing as he read the first part (thank goodness).

OK.... the only thing I could think of, which turned out to be true now finding the note, it was it was related to concerns lots of folks were having about the Russian mob involvement in the Eastern European Agency scene in Toronto . There was concerns about possible trafficking which we (on the boards) were totally against and upset about the potential. Most of us now believe the concerns were not very warrented. I also told the story how a really bad Maffia guy set up dates and kidnapped a bunch of Eastern Europeans and held in his locked house with barred up windows. But they called police for a bulgury in process which got the Toronto Police to enter the house and the gals told their story to get the Mafia guy arrested and charged with serious crimes. All this happened about the same time as the discussion notes he found from the lawyer and why it was being discussed on the boards.

Now finding what they found, it was a note posted on terb I copied to a text file, from a lawyer talking about the landing immigrant situation and how it was getting more expensive to get legitimate women that did face concerns in their home country into Canada as landed immigrants.

My repeated line which of course is true, was that I enjoy the freedoms Canadians have and pursue my interest in consenting adult sexworkers of various kinds, in perfectly legal ways in Canada which I avoid in the U.S. due to the lack of such freedoms.

They also found my links to various discussion boards, provider sites and agencies. The laptop examiner asked why the links weren't opening to the sites. I told him because you have to be connected to the Internet first!

Other than the concern whether they could deny me entry just because they didn't like sexwork, I was concerned that while I'm not a porn fan I did happen to have with me the Paris Hilton Sex tapes I had never had time to see at home and was curious. And I had few other sexy DVDs I tossed in my bags in case I had some time to watch. But gosh you see as much on late night TV here vs what would never be shown in the U.S.

They mentioned how they were amazed how much I knew about Canadian laws. I suspect they checked out my teaching them about the sexwork laws in Canada in their private meetings in an office, and realized I was right.

After a grueling 1.5 hours and after another long meeting in the private room they gave me back my passport, all my stuff and had no problems letting me enter Canada! OH Canada! I should have mentioned I play their national anthem on one of my websites, but I tried to avoid mentioning my sexwork Canadan cities.com sites not to offend them even more if they didn't like the idea of being a sex tourist!

The lessons to be learned are be careful what is on your laptop! Since I've never had anything like this happen before, I didn't think it was a problem and had lots of stuff on it from prior trips, trip notes etc.

But the good news is that after teaching them the Canadian laws, going through all I did there was nothing really bad said about anything, no warnings, no ultimate issues, just a sweating Dave wondering if he was going to be allowed into Canada and not really wanting to have to answer all these very detailed questions about sexwork. But there is nothing wrong with what we do so we need not fear the truth in such interrogations!

I don't think they took any notes or copied anything so no one should be concerned about the infomration I had to give.

Dave

[BAM]

The Dave guy above runs the http://www.sexworkcanada.com website and they must have thought he was a pimp or something... stupid customs.

Oh yeah while we're on this topic here is a list of movies you better not get caught by Canada Customs brining into Canada. http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive...52canada1.html

[Bit Beefy]

This may sound like a really dumb question BUT im gona ask it anyway... I personally dont travel with my laptop as all my trips to LOS are for pleasure but lets just said i did, now apart from the embarasment for me what would happen if coming thru customs i had my laptop they searched and found a whole load of LB pics?? Golden Shower Pics?? Scat Pics?? Could i be refused entry? charged with something???

[Guest]

I was wondering that too as I have about 10K photos of LBs on my laptop. No kiddie crap, no illegal crap, but lots of LB photos! In my case, the guy wasn't smart enough to find them, but I was sweating as I didn't know the answer to Beefy's question either.

[jellybean]

Going into Thailand you could, as porn is illegal, but you guys know that anyway. Going home, I suppose it depends on the quantity. UK, USA, Canada will usually allow you to bring it in provided its not prohibitted stuff and it is for personal use.

I got stopped coming back from A'dam with a couple of DVDs and was asked if they were for private use, I replied I'd hardly class it as a spectator sport. Lucky for me the guy had a sense of humour and just laughed.

Anyway back to the topic, If you have too much they may say it is for commercial use and that generally requires a license to import/publish porn.

Cheers

[BAM]

Going home, I suppose it depends on the quantity. UK, USA, Canada will usually allow you to bring it in provided its not prohibitted stuff and it is for personal use.

What there looking for in your photos is one thing and it's under age sex. Thailand is a well know hangout for pedophiles and if you got even one photo in your computer that looks like she is under the age of 18 you'll find yourself in allot of hot water... maybe even arrested!


Jellybean, this photo you posted before of Kai, whom we all know is well over the age of 18, well she just looks too young in this photo... and here she is sucking your big cock... oh hell Customs would just go Ape Shit over this photo if they found it in your computer. I would really hate to find out but even if they did let you go for sure you would be labeled in there intelligence computer as a "Suspect Pedophile" and you would be searched every time you entered that country be it the USA, Canada, or UK. Best not to have any photos of girls, bars, or any sex areas. But do keep photos of your family, cat, dog, and clean stuff of Thailand like the Grand Palace tour, etc...

[jellybean]

....Jellybean, this photo you posted before of Kai, whom we all know is well over the age of 18,......

Bam,

You've got the wrong person - I didn't post that Pic, I think if you look back you will find it is one of 666999's pics.

I don't have any photos like that of Kai, whenever she was naked I was too distracted to have a camera to hand.  

[BAM]

....Jellybean, this photo you posted before of Kai, whom we all know is well over the age of 18,......

Bam,

You've got the wrong person - I didn't post that Pic, I think if you look back you will find it is one of 666999's pics.

I don't have any photos like that of Kai, whenever she was naked I was too distracted to have a camera to hand.  

My apologies Jellybean... yes you're right that's 666999 pic.

[jellybean]

No probs Bam.

but with regard to the issue you raised, if anyone does take pictures which they intend to display on the intenet I recommend they also get a photo of the girl holding her ID and make sure the DoB is clearly visible in the photo. It will save a whole lot of hassle.

[Guest]

Actually speaking of this picture. What fantastic eyes she has.