REGINA TO LOS ANGELES - 645

         REGINA TO LOS ANGELES 




                  Vancouver International Airport 

As planned the six of us ,  were finally on our way to the US from Regina in Canada . Although I have  been to quite few countries on various occasions , travel to the US and that too for the first time was always going to be special .

It was a journey in two parts . Regina to Vancouver being the first leg and after a two hour Transit Halt , then on to Los Angeles. The Regina to Vancouver leg was uneventful save for the minor pranks of my Grand Children .
Vancouver is one of the largest cities  in Canada and its Swanky Airport with its All Glass facade is awesome . It attracts a large number of visitors from within Canada and across the border to  and from the US . It is unique as it happens to be  the only major city in Canada that has no Snowfall right through the year. That is a most Welcome change for anyone in Canada .
Next the interesting part . The Immigration Check for entry in to the US is done at the last port of departure by US officials at VANCOUVER itself and one could just walk out of the Airport at Los Angeles without any Hazzle .

I believe the same holds true for anyone making a direct landing in the US from Dubai , Frankfurt or even London . All the checks are done at Dubai , Frankfurt or London itself .

  My daughter ,  Son in Law and the Kids being Canadian Citizens had no problem and were let into the Security Check In area .  Ours was not so smooth , many questions were asked and  only  after we mentioned that we were going to Los Angeles for sight seeing which included THE DISNEYLAND AND UNIVERSAL STUDIOS would they stamp our Passports and let us in to the Security Check In area .

Sure enough , we presented ourselves with our boarding passes and hand luggage . My wife had no problem  , but I was asked to step aside for a physical check with body frisking and a check of all the items in the Hand Luggage . When I enquired as to  why I alone was being asked to undergo this procedure, he showed me the boarding pass which had SSSS ( 4 S marked on it .





  I later learnt that the  4S stood for SECONDARY RANDOM SECURITY SELECTION SYSTEM designed by the US TRANSPORTATION ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES for a Complete Check on anyone using the AMERICAN AIRSPACE AT RANDOM )

Fortunately , The American Security Man was  of Indian Descent and was rather soft but firm and thorough in all the laid out procedures and after a full  30 Minutes of examination which  ensured that I did not carry any WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION  with me ,  let me pass for Boarding the Aircraft .



             Los Angeles International Airport LAX 

( ONLY ONE KG OF SHANTI SWEETS NELLAI HALWA WAS CONSIGNED TO THE DUSTBIN )

We barely made it to the Aircraft by the scheduled departure time .
The flight was SMOOTH and we collected our checked in  luggage without any other check and Lo and Behold , we were in the Dream  City of Los Angeles , the second largest city in the US .

MORE ABOUT MY LOS ANGELES SIGHT SEEING IN MY NEXT BLOG.

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