One common type is about long delays. People have their flights to catch but customs holds them up for hours. For example, a family was traveling for a vacation and got stuck at customs for over five hours. Another type is about items being confiscated wrongly. A person had a small pocket knife which was a souvenir but customs took it away.
Sure. One horror story is about a traveler who had some traditional family heirloom food items. Canadian customs suspected it might contain restricted ingredients. They held the items for so long for testing that by the time they were cleared, the traveler had already left the area and couldn't retrieve them. It was really sad as those items had sentimental value.
A student was going to the US for further study. She had all her study materials, notebooks, and some small handicrafts made by her friends in her suitcase. At the customs, they suspected the handicrafts might be some sort of illegal goods. They took her to a separate room for interrogation. She was so scared and tried to explain, but it took a long time for them to finally let her go after thoroughly checking everything.
One popular Canadian horror story is 'The Wendigo'. It's a creature from Native American folklore that has been incorporated into Canadian horror. It represents the fear of starvation and the wilderness. Another is 'The Babadook'. This modern horror story has a very eerie atmosphere, with the Babadook as a menacing entity that haunts a mother and son. Then there's 'Pontypool'. It's a unique horror set in a small Canadian town where a virus spreads through language.
Issues with medications. Travelers sometimes carry their regular medications. But if the quantity seems a bit large or if they don't have proper doctor's prescriptions with them in English, customs can give them a hard time. I heard of a case where a person with a chronic illness had his essential meds confiscated because the prescription was not in the right format. It put his health at risk during his stay in the US.
Delays are a very common element. The long wait times for various stages of the immigration process can cause a great deal of stress. People may have to keep renewing temporary visas while waiting for the final decision, incurring additional costs.
One horror story is about long processing times. Some immigrants have been waiting for years to get their permanent residency approved. Their lives are in limbo, unable to fully plan for the future, like buying a house or enrolling their kids in long - term educational programs. They constantly worry about the status of their applications and face uncertainty every day.
A common one is about the quality of their products. For example, some people have bought power tools that stopped working after just a few uses. It's really annoying when you rely on a tool for a project and it fails on you.
In the UK, long waiting times for non - emergency surgeries can be a horror story. Some patients have to wait months or even years for procedures like hip replacements. In Canada, there have been cases where patients in remote areas struggle to access specialized care due to a lack of local facilities. For example, a patient with a rare disease might have to travel long distances to see a specialist, which can be both time - consuming and costly.
The most common one is probably the excessive baggage checks. You might have your bags rummaged through completely, with your personal items strewn all over. It's not only time - consuming but also feels invasive.