This is what it was like travelling into Pearson Airport in Toronto this week
Many people consider airports to be a lawless wasteland, a place where you can have a beer at 11 a.m. and wear sweatpants without anyone batting an eye.
Unfortunately, airports tend to often be a place that people hate travelling through and recently it's been even worse than usual.
With many travel restrictions lifting, more people have found themselves passing through Pearson Airport either for work, to visit family, or just to escape the city for the first time in months.
If you plan on traveling with the new Canadian travel rules, be prepared for long lines!https://t.co/04jAvkQWqj
— Kennedy Road (@TO_Kennedyroad) August 9, 2021
However, accounts from those who have done so say that travelling through Pearson has been far more chaotic than they ever expected, with COVID protocols allegedly not being followed and many travellers and employees alike not seeming to care.
"Leaving Pearson to Spain was very easy. We showed them our PCR tests and we were about to get in quickly without a hassle. Coming back was a completely different story," one traveler who wished to remain anonymous told blogTO.
Toronto Airport Today 🤪#Toronto #travel #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/kAZVtovtpn
— R Sandhu (@RaSandhuz) August 10, 2021
"There was a sea full of about 400 people at customs with no social distancing, some not wearing masks, some people's masks under their nose. Not one customs officer or airport employee did anything to keep us safe or to follow covid protocol. It was quite alarming."
Thanks for the flyer to remind on social distancing. Wish it would be enforced at the airport. #governmentofcanada #torontoairport #covid19 pic.twitter.com/CW0F6o5Ae2
— Martina Brankovsky (@mytorontodoors) August 9, 2021
A number of people claim to have spent several hours waiting at customs, stuck in an enclosed space with hundreds of other people, many of whom are not being precautionary or considerate of others.
With proof of vaccination becoming required for travel across Canada, the hope is that it will soon be less scary to step into an airport, even for those without a fear of flying.
Bill Yost
