i think it is normal, as not all people know what is HKSAR passport and BNO, especially non-EU countries and some Africa countries.
one people asked i SHOULD bring two passports when I go ...
上年4月我去俄羅斯,在3月時我搵學校D人幫我搞入俄簽証,結果一星期後收到通知,話
"因為我本SAR入面既芬蘭學生簽証唔夠半年就到期"(我個VISA都係簽半年,玩咩),學校
老師叫我延長芬蘭簽証既期張先去搞俄國簽証,但當時已距離出發期只有2個半禮拜.
我上網申請張invitation letter(仲要俾左35美金,陰公),點知原本唔駛用,因為學校幫我辦
左.上年清明當日,我不理老師勸告,一大清早坐3個半鐘火車出赫爾辛基,再轉霸王電車
去俄國領事館搏下,見到領事後,我第一句就問"I am using Hong Kong SAR Passport, why
didn't you accept my application of Russian Visa?",佢地睇多兩睇,之後話佢地之前搞錯左
(但費事叫佢地回水啦,呢個國家咁麻煩)....最後,佢拎左我本passport和invitation letter,
之後叫我去nodrea bank交錢,一星期後就拎到簽証(成功辦簽証既日子距離出發去
俄國之時間只有3日)...結果用多左千幾蚊港紙先搞得掂.
說回拉脫維亞,上年3月我由愛沙尼亞搭巴士落去時,去到邊境都俾海關問:"where are you from?",
我話"hong kong",之後走入去check個免簽証list,知道特區護照可以免簽証,就俾我入境了.
不過,當日我係車上最後一個人完成通關程序,人地坐係架車度俾本passport個海關睇就得,
我就要落車同海關傾幾句....不過,那個邊境的設計,同大陸d過橋收費站差唔多.