Frequent_Flyer

I have been delayed my last several returns to the US from Mexico and Europe, regardless of my point of entry. In fact, on my last return into Detroit, I heard one of the immigration officers say to his colleague, "Watch for this next one." I am asked if I've spent any time in London, if I've ever been arrested, am I sure I've never been arrested, what do I do for a living, etc.

The odd thing is, the London question has come up several times in differet airports. I am a blonde female, not threatening looking in the least bit in my opinion. Just wondered if I'm being paranoid, and if others have had similar experiences?

Christina

I think you are omitting a lot of pertinent information here. From some of your prior posts, you apparently fly very frequently to/from foreign countries for some kind of business. What this business consists of, and where you are going, and what kind of baggage etc you are bringing back may be part of it, as well as your travel patterns and frequency of trips with probably little baggage or unusual baggage.

You aren't just a normal blonde female traveling on occasional vacation trips, it sounds like. I am a blonde female who is of no unusual appearance and have never encounted these comments or questions, so I think you should realize it is something about you and your behavior and travel patterns, etc.

m_kingdom2

It's routine and as for London - terrorists reside here sadly - put up with it, there's not a lot else you can do. If it helps improve safety then so be it.

ira

Hi FF,

It is because USlaw enforcement officers are not allowed to engage in profiling.

Since the "bad guys" are mostly dark skinned, dark haired males they have to question a fair skinned, blond female.

Diego13

In my experience, a lot of US immigration officers are unbelievable arrogant most of the time at most points of entry. Im really getting annoyed when they request additional documents such as tax returns or bank statements (I wonder that if they can really understand such documents), that is besides the passport and visa. I have also notice that most officers that are form African or Latin origins have severe inferiority complex thus giving you a harder time.

If you are a person that wish to make harm to any country only then you should be treated as such, but if you are just an average tourist passing by then they should treat you at least with the basic of respects and common decency. Just as the same principle of ?being considered innocent until proved otherwise?.

julies

Never had any such experiences myself, but there was an article this winter in our local paper about a man in his 70's (nothing whatsoever suspicious about him) who has terrible trouble every time he comes into the US. apparently once you get on their computer lists you will be scrutinized every time.
Also, my dentist was telling me about the time he was stopped at immigration and taken tinto the back room and interrogated for an hour. There was someone out there who was an identity thief and he had the same name and age as this person.

lyb

>> have also notice that most officers that are form African or Latin origins have severe inferiority complex thus giving you a harder time.<<

Geez, I'm so glad you're not generalizing or anything as ignorant as that!!!

mikemo

F_F,
Unfortunately US immigration has a constantly changing "Profile" system which targets US citizens (and ignores Saudis).
My older son was stripped searched LV DFW for Rome 'cuz he fit the profile for a currency mule that week/month.
I, a then licensed physician with US and TX narcotic credentials for many decades, was totally checked for drugs, currency and God knows what else upon returning from Schipol without having spent any time, other than at the A/P in The Netherlands.
Simply cooperate and complain to your elected Senators and Congress folks in DC!!
M

P_M

I have been searched countless times by US customs. Although my purse has been searched overseas, the US is the ONLY country that ever opened my luggage, and this started way before 9/11. However as I am getting older and my hair is shorter, it seems to happen less. I think that in years past their major concern was drug smuggling, and my long hair must have given me a free-spirited look. Today they have far greater concerns, so I really can't blame them if they need to search me.

Diego13

lyb, if you read carefully you might notice that Im not generalizing if that?s indeed what are you are really worried about.

beachbum

Still waiting for the blonde joke...

ira

>If you are a person that wish to make harm to any country only then you should be treated as such, but if you are just an average tourist passing by then they should treat you at least with the basic of respects and common decency. <

Any suggestions on how to tell the difference?

ellenem

This used to happen to a friend of mine--Italian national, late 20s--all the time. Taken aside, searched in a separate room, held for a few hours. Then he found out that he had the same last name as an infamous Italian radical. He started wearing his best suit on the plane and never had trouble again.

flanneruk

Ira:

It's dead easy.

If you're a citizen of the country you're arriving in, officials should not - and in civilised countries, do not - have any right to question your bonae fides.

They may check whether you're carrying anything illegal. But it is simply no damn business of a public servant whether Frequent Flyer has spent the whole of her life, or just the past three seconds, in London. Or in Havana, Kabul or Pyongyang for that matter.

I understand that the oppressed masses of Zimbabwe and Turkmenistan get interrogated on their return home.

Naively though, I'd had this fantasy that the USA thought of itself as the land of the free. The fact that you allow officials to interfere with your freedoms like this shows how shallow this belief runs.

We'd never tolerate this kind of intrusion. Perhaps you might like to rejoin a truly free society. This coming Sunday might be a good day to think about it.

Diego13

Ira: maybe Homeland security, CIA, FBI, NSA, even Costums and other countless intelligence agencies around that world could help answering what you asked.

francophile03

I can relate to what happens to you. A few years back a customs agent sent my family and I to the luggage hand search line when we returned from France to SFO. I guess we fit their profile. The agent found nothing as we weren't bringing back anything illegal. Ever since that incident I noticed I've been regulated to this particular line each time I've returned from France. Last time was in February. My aunt and I reached the agent and he told her goodbye while he waved me to that line again. I have never been found with anything contraband and in February the agent just let me go without even checking my bags. You'd think that they would take my profile out of the computer system by now-but no, each time I will be detained for nothing. Anyway, why should I expect anything different from them being the efficient agency they are

degas

Flanneruk, give it a rest. The US is a civilized country and we enjoy plenty of freedoms. Peddle your anti-american BS someplace else.

sandy_b

I am small, strawberry blond, female, travel a lot, mostly to 3rd-world countries, sometimes alone . . . my husband and I were in the movies watching "True Lies."

I leaned over and said to him, "That could be me, I could be doing that. I travel a lot, go to a lot of God-forsaken places, my Spanish never improves (I've been going to Spanish school for years now . . . just another excuse to travel)."

You should have seen the look he gave me . . . he didn't believe me (of course) . . . but still, that little bit of doubt was there. After 40 years of marriage, he doesn't quite know what to do with me!

I would be a perfect spy, no one would ever suspect me . . . and I seldom get searched. I never have anything to hide so don't mind in the few instances when I am pulled aside.

Since the bad guys are getting sneakier, I'm glad that the good guys are on the lookout for those who don't look like terrorists.

Sandy (in Denton)

Neil_Oz

There have been several media reports here of Australian citizens being detained, verbally abused, handcuffed, tossed in cells and refused phone calls on arrival in the US. Some have committed minor breaches of regulations, like the journalist who flew to LA to interview a movie star without getting a work permit. Others have done nothing wrong - like three young Australians who were treated like criminals on no better grounds, it would appear, than their dark appearance (they're of Sri Lankan parentage).

Nobody disputes America's right to police its borders, but is there any reason that such checks can't be carried out with a modicum of civility? I appreciate that American law enforcement officials have a propensity to handcuff even non-violent offenders, but ... an errant journalist?

It's unfortunate, to say the least, when even close allies like Australians start muttering about "Gestapo behaviour" and "thugs", and telling anyone who'll listen to stay clear of the USA. And it's worth remembering that Australia, like the UK, is also on Al Q'aeda's radar screen.

janeg

Since Diego13 has only been around for a month, I would suggest he's just slining mud & running. He'll have a new name very soon.