Returning from Abroad? Tell the Border guards to basically go fuck themselves

[music4mic]

This is where it gets tricky. He's basically making his own rules. And now that he's making his own rules ya gotta wonder why it's acceptable to have to provide an ID card but not acceptable to say where you've been.

Did you read his second post? He actually talks about why he refuses to answer the question. Also, although he doesn't say it directly, he alludes to the reasons why he might be OK with giving up his idea.

Actually he is kind of a douche since he had already "given up his rights" in a written declaration. I mean why not stay within "his principals" again and repeat exactly what he had already written? It's kind of obvious he was hurting for a blog entry.

He actually addresses this too. He's required to give a written declaration, but not a verbal one. And there are legal reasons for not saying anything. I think he's making a point, as opposed to doing it for blog traffic (well probably both.)

He's back to hero status.

 

[1yerrot]

A friend was coming back from US after an 11 hours flight (dead tired). The border patrol asks him what he has in his luggage and follows up with some rude questions like: "so you don't wash your clothes or what?" So my friend demands to speak to his supervisor.

Supervisor came over and explained "you look so neutral and tired that he couldn't read you, so he needed to provoke a reaction out of you..."

friend responds: "if he's so incompetent you should better train him". Supervisor walks away.

Interesting job they have..

That's freaking retarded that they think they can accurately "read" every person milling through an airport. This is the stupidity that's supposed to keep us safe? Greaaaaaaat!

 

[TLott]

US border control & customs agents are really hit or miss. Consistently worse attitude at some airports than others (MIA is among the consistent worst treatment, imo). Overall most agents are professional and friendly, others are obviously on a power trip.

At one US airport, my wife and I were told at passport control (in a very hostile manner) that we would "both go to jail" because of a minor mistake on our customs form (circled conflicting things or didnt circle something... dont remember but it was very minor).

No worries now... get Global Entry and bypass the circus.

 

[fvaldes]

im a us citizen but once when I was coming back from Honduras I got harassed by this fatass in uniform.

him:What do you do?
me: I build sites
him:do you have a website?
me:yes
him:do u have a business card?
Me: yep
Him: What were you doing in Honduras
me: seeing my gf
him: you couldn't get a gf in Miami ( I kid u not )
me: I have a wife and a mistress in Miami... this was Miss Honduras. wanna know anything else about my dating life?
him: [crickets]....

 

[Ar Scion]

The officer asked for state-issued ID. I gave him my California Identification Card. I probably didn’t have to, but giving him the ID was in line with my principle that I will comply with an officer’s reasonable physical requests (stand here, go there, hand over this) but I will not answer questions about my business abroad.

This is where it gets tricky. He's basically making his own rules. And now that he's making his own rules ya gotta wonder why it's acceptable to have to provide an ID card but not acceptable to say where you've been. In otherwords, it's an invasion of privacy to ask about your past behavior but not an invasion of privacy to demand your full name and address?

I think he's doing fine. It's a blurred line between what requests are reasonable and what requests are just social engineering designed to groom compliance.

I had a similar problem come up a few months ago. It's not hard to tell what their agenda is.

 

[Insomniac]

He is a douche for not answering the simple question of if he had packed his own bags.

Thats the fucked question actually. If someone drops some drugs into your bags at any point, you're accepting responsibility for it.

Personally I answer something like "I packed my bag, but I'm not sure if anyone else may have altered it's contents before or after I arrived at the airport."

 

[1yerrot]

I had a similar problem come up a few months ago.

OK, spill it....

 

[RedFireGreg]

I go back and forth quite a lot living in Vancouver. The worst I had is a tiny female boarder guard searched my car and found a beer under the seat unopened and cleary a Canadian Beer that has been under the seat for a long time. She went to town on me in my face with a 10 minute lecture on the law and declaring everything I am bringing across the boarder. Other times when I was younger I would come back with my car full of firecrackers. Straight through no problems. " sir anything to declare? " "Just so 40's of beer for tonight" "Have a good night"

My uncle got harashed this year coming in from Australia in August. He was pulled out cause he had overalls on he was told in the end. Little history on my uncle he was hit by a car and in a coma when he was younger so he is very calm person and tends to answer questions slow and nother really bothers him. Anyway the took him and this arab into anotehr room where they were asking him questions and trying to argervvate to no avail. He said the arab lost it was was yelling at the guards and his guard was upset that he was getting no where. In the end after about an hour someone came out and found me and my mum and asked to identify him and if he was who he says he was. They did not believe him. How long you in the country for.. 39 days.. what are you doing.. visiting my sister on holiday... Do you work.. no..