O Canada, What Have You Become?

I have just spent several hours attempting to enter Canada, specifically Toronto, and to use my phone while in Canada.  I can only wonder just when Canada became a third-world country.  Because my experience today is by far the worst of the two dozen or so countries I have visited in the last 10 years.

First and foremost was clearing Immigration, a process that took well over two hours.  I am not exaggerating when I say there were about two thousand people in the various lines at Immigration.  I counted three (count ‘em) people attempting vainly to direct that traffic into the appropriate lines and answer any questions about which line they were supposed to be in and what they were supposed to do.  I had no idea if I was in the right line until I finally managed to emerge at the other end, unscathed.

Then there was actually a line to enter the baggage claim area.  I did not have baggage to claim, but had to, um, participate in that line, because there was no way to bypass it.

Then there was the 200-yard long taxi line.  I’ve experienced those before, in Las Vegas, except that here in Toronto they let the gypsy cabbies troll the line and aggressively (and I mean aggressively) recruit the gullible to join them on a ride to wherever.  I have not seen gypsy cabbies at an airport since the Dominican Republic, back in 1986.

My phone worked at the airport, but not downtown.  I couldn’t even call my provider to find out why.

So I repeat: when did Canada become a third world country?  Because my first four hours in this country were akin to entering such a destination.  I wanted to turn around and go back.  Fortunately, my stay is on the order of 48 hours, and I really have no desire to come back again.