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  1. #21
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    would you rather have an overly protective immigration / Customs officials, or a repeat of 9/11 ?

  2. #22
    These officials tend to get very defensive if you ask them any questions, though this can stretch to anyone in authority. I remember a long time ago at a public event I was pulled aside by an officer, of course I went with no struggle at all and tried to be very nice even though he pulled my arm. Takes me 10 meters to the front of his car and makes me face him. He spoke very rapidly and I asked "wait, what did I do?" to which he responded by unholistering his gun and shouting at me with gun in plain sight. I was kind the whole time and came to realized I had accidentily blocked this kid from getting to the water fountain, I did notice him and move but apprently I still needed to be yelled at.

    Anyways long story short, you were right to question why you were being "checked" though that tends to make them mad. Still do it though.

  3. #23
    Merely a Setback Reeve's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by N-7 View Post
    I've been asked these questions in the past. I REALLY REALLY was tempted to say yes but then I though that it's not worth it and said "no." >.>

    The funny thing is that I was 13 years old. :P
    A 13 year old MIGHT be able to get away with this, after the immigration agents held him in custody for a while and maybe deported him, but an adult would be held in custody, deported, and never allowed to return to the US.
    'Twas a cutlass swipe or an ounce of lead
    Or a yawing hole in a battered head
    And the scuppers clogged with rotting red
    And there they lay I damn me eyes
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    All souls bound just contrarywise, yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!

  4. #24
    Quote Originally Posted by Kurioxan View Post
    kmon, who the fuck will say yes to any of those?
    They don't expect you to say yes. They expect that when you're Mr Terrorist and you lie on the form they pull you aside, slap some handcuffs on you and charge you with violating 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a) colloquially known as "making false statements to the feds". Then they get to put you away for five years on a charge that's a slam dunk to prove in federal court.

  5. #25
    Herald of the Titans theredviola's Avatar
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    In '05 I traveled to China for a week. Upon my return, while waiting on the customs line I had realized that I didn't turn my phone back off (I turned it on right after I landed to text my dad that I landed safely). The -second- I got it out of my pocket a TSA guard came over and end to end with no comas or periods kept saying "Sir, put the phone away." She repeated herself about 5 or 6 times before she grabbed for it. I yanked back my hand and got my passport out and showed my US passport to her. Her attitude completely changed and said "Just be aware that cellular devices are not permitted in this area..." It made me think what she would have done had I not been a US citizen...
    "Do not only practice your art, but force yourself into its secrets, for it and knowledge can raise men to the divine." -- Ludwig Van Beethoven

  6. #26
    Quote Originally Posted by Reeve View Post
    A 13 year old MIGHT be able to get away with this, after the immigration agents held him in custody for a while and maybe deported him, but an adult would be held in custody, deported, and never allowed to return to the US.
    When I was driving trucks i thought it would be really funny to answer the question "do you have any illegal persons on your vehicle" with a resounding "a whole trailer full." The first time I actually encountered a CPB checkpoint I very clearly got the vibe that they have no sense of humor. None at all. I tabled that idea.
    Get a grip man! It's CHEESE!

  7. #27
    Does all that nonsense work, at least ? Do they actually catch some baddies or are they, in the end, paid to waste people's time ?

  8. #28
    Quote Originally Posted by Siggma View Post
    would you rather have an overly protective immigration / Customs officials, or a repeat of 9/11 ?
    Why hello there, false dichotomy.

  9. #29
    I am Murloc! GreatOak's Avatar
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    I've been screened 4 times in the past 2 years just going to Canada. It's ridiculous. I have no criminal record and I am a young man. I don't know why they only stop me amongst the dozens of vehicles, but they do.

    American border guards are assholes though; whereas the Canadian ones just look inside my car, make sure my passport is real, and send me off.

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  10. #30
    Merely a Setback Reeve's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hastings95 View Post
    Surprisingly, I haven't had much trouble with the TSA, but then again, I've never flown out of the country, it's always been state to state, or in the case of Texas, going from Houston to Dallas.
    Yeah, it's a whole different ball of wax. The TSA and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement are completely different. You should definitely travel outside the US sometime if you can. Try going someplace on a different continent.
    'Twas a cutlass swipe or an ounce of lead
    Or a yawing hole in a battered head
    And the scuppers clogged with rotting red
    And there they lay I damn me eyes
    All lookouts clapped on Paradise
    All souls bound just contrarywise, yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!

  11. #31
    Quote Originally Posted by Reeve View Post
    Yeah, it's a whole different ball of wax. The TSA and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement are completely different. You should definitely travel outside the US sometime if you can. Try going someplace on a different continent.
    I got a ton more questions going into NZ then I did returning to the US. The line was a lot longer in LA, though.

  12. #32
    Quote Originally Posted by obdigore View Post
    I got a ton more questions going into NZ then I did returning to the US. The line was a lot longer in LA, though.
    That room is too damn small (I assume you're talking about LAX).
    Quote Originally Posted by Zantos View Post
    There are no 2 species that are 100% identical.
    Quote Originally Posted by Redditor
    can you leftist twits just fucking admit that quantum mechanics has fuck all to do with thermodynamics, that shit is just a pose?

  13. #33
    Quote Originally Posted by Garnier Fructis View Post
    That room is too damn small (I assume you're talking about LAX).
    Yea. They were funneling people to some other waiting room because they had 6 767s come in within 20 minutes of each other...

    My questions were 'did you have fun on your vacation?' 'yes' and then 'happy birthday' (it was two days away) 'thanks' and then he waved me through. At both MPLS and Pierre, SD (which is literally a barn with a landing strip for an airport) I got 'randomly selected' to be screened. They looked through my bag. Oh no! Don't touch my underwear you dirty bastards!

  14. #34
    Deleted
    Quote Originally Posted by Kwaphy View Post
    So all in all, I guess what I'm asking comes to this; is this the common practice in the US nowadays? Do people have any rights when it comes to requesting information on why they were raised as a security risk or whatever by the system upon arrival? Are the staff always so ignorant when you're being as polite as can be and just asking a simple question?
    I'd quess "they" have noticed or learned that this is the most efficient way to do their work. Causing presure and not making it anyhow personal for them or even sympathetic either way round. Or simply there are few rotten apples doing what they think is the right way. Maybe they're doing "science" and scaling the best ways to catch or should I say "break" possible threats this way. Which is morally really disturbing thing ofc. But these are anyway things people should be aware of before stepping into plane toward any country. Meaning you should know about the customs of Australia and something about North Korea before you go there. Same with the USA now days. They have much to fear it seems so "they" sure seems to act like it.

    But one simple rule usually works both ways when working with officers = be cooperative and do what they tell you to do and shut the fuck up if they tell you to. Be calm and don't let them manipulate you to change your opinions. Make their work easier and give them honest answers even if they assume you're a threat. If one puts a "yes, I'm a terrorist" in a paper when going to states.. well justice gets served and idiots gets to learn why it's not a joke for yankies. Not saying you or people generally does that mistake, but there are always some jackasses. Not forgetting those officers do make mistakes when profiling and stuff.

    ps. worth a read: http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/i...e-of-profiling
    Last edited by mmocfd546f5e2f; 2013-01-22 at 06:11 AM.

  15. #35
    Quote Originally Posted by GreatOak View Post
    I've been screened 4 times in the past 2 years just going to Canada. It's ridiculous. I have no criminal record and I am a young man. I don't know why they only stop me amongst the dozens of vehicles, but they do.

    American border guards are assholes though; whereas the Canadian ones just look inside my car, make sure my passport is real, and send me off.
    Pretty much this. American border guards/airport security are all failed cops are they not? I'd be pissed off and hate life as well if I were them. I can see why they want to bully everyone around them.

  16. #36
    Deleted
    Quote Originally Posted by GreatOak View Post
    I've been screened 4 times in the past 2 years just going to Canada. It's ridiculous. I have no criminal record and I am a young man. I don't know why they only stop me amongst the dozens of vehicles, but they do.
    Then you have no clue why they do it. NEWSFLASH: criminals tend to use your kind of people for smuggling guns, drugs and other forbidden stuff. Women gets their stomach and asses full of drugs and also kids bags, jackets pants, shoes can have anything in them. On borders everyone is a suspect and you can thank the criminals and the laws for it. Think it's like a necessary checkpoint or else you have criminals freely roaming trough lands. Just what's happening in Europe now days when they opened borders to some countries in eastern Europe.

    In many ways it's a good thing but unfortunertunally it has it's it bad sides making it unfair for the honest and fair people.

    David Drumlin: I know you must think this is all very unfair. Maybe that's an understatement. What you don't know is I agree. I wish the world was a place where fair was the bottom line, where the kind of idealism you showed at the hearing was rewarded, not taken advantage of. Unfortunately, we don't live in that world.

    Ellie Arroway: Funny, I've always believed that the world is what we make of it.
    Last edited by mmocfd546f5e2f; 2013-01-22 at 07:03 AM.

  17. #37
    Quote Originally Posted by iggie View Post
    Pretty much this. American border guards/airport security are all failed cops are they not? I'd be pissed off and hate life as well if I were them. I can see why they want to bully everyone around them.
    First off you can't lump border guards and airport security into the same category. Totally differrent job, training, and selection standards. The CPB are highly trained law enforcement professionals. They people that do the job WANT to be there, and go through a fairly long application procedure. So not failed cops.

    By airport security I assume you mean TSA. That statement really isn't accurate because TSA provides very little in the way of actual airport security. That would be local law enforcement. The TSA's primary job is screening of passengers for contraband PRIOR to being allowed into a sterile area of an airport deemed as secure. Meh I don't want to lessen what they do...they ARE involved in airport security...the just are not the end all all be all of airport security.

    Now you could make the claim that they are failed cops, but that is mostly untrue as well. Their job is largely unskilled, so the barriers for entrance into the occupation are fairly low...ie high school diploma and a pulse. They are not failed anything. Some of them may not be the coldest can in the six pack, if you know what I mean, and some of them MAY get a power trip out of their job, but for the most part they are just guys and gals trying to do a job.
    Get a grip man! It's CHEESE!

  18. #38
    Merely a Setback Reeve's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hastings95 View Post
    Oh I wish I could, I'm 17 sadly though and am reliant on my parents for transportation, but I definitely intend to travel a lot when I get the opportunity. Visiting other countries and experiencing other cultures is something I am keen to do.

    The only time I was outside the country was on a cruise, and I don't count that specifically because I don't believe spending 12 hours in a tourist city in various island countries is actually "traveling".

    Though, it was fun as hell going ATVing through the Dominican Republic, and swimming with/feeding Stingrays in the Grand Turks, and San Juan was an interesting experience because the water was out when we were there, pretty city though.

    Also, almost missing the boat in St. Thomas was pretty trippy, the taxi thing (It was more of a van/bus thing) that we took going from upper St. Thomas to lower St. Thomas where the boat was anchored had to take us down a narrow 1 lane road (By U.S. standards anyways, it managed 2 lanes of traffic somehow) to make it on time, and the driver had to do some pretty amazing things to get us down that road.
    I think that "counts." I mean it's not the same experience as backpacking around Europe or working for months in Africa or something, but it's still travel to foreign destinations.

    ---------- Post added 2013-01-22 at 02:49 PM ----------

    Quote Originally Posted by obdigore View Post
    I got a ton more questions going into NZ then I did returning to the US. The line was a lot longer in LA, though.
    I'm going to New Zealand (and Australia) in a little under 2 months. Advice?
    'Twas a cutlass swipe or an ounce of lead
    Or a yawing hole in a battered head
    And the scuppers clogged with rotting red
    And there they lay I damn me eyes
    All lookouts clapped on Paradise
    All souls bound just contrarywise, yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!

  19. #39
    Quote Originally Posted by Siggma View Post
    would you rather have an overly protective immigration / Customs officials, or a repeat of 9/11 ?
    Well, there's a false dichotomy if I've ever seen one.

    ---------- Post added 2013-01-22 at 09:50 AM ----------

    Quote Originally Posted by poser765 View Post
    First off you can't lump border guards and airport security into the same category. Totally differrent job, training, and selection standards. The CPB are highly trained law enforcement professionals. They people that do the job WANT to be there, and go through a fairly long application procedure. So not failed cops.

    By airport security I assume you mean TSA. That statement really isn't accurate because TSA provides very little in the way of actual airport security. That would be local law enforcement. The TSA's primary job is screening of passengers for contraband PRIOR to being allowed into a sterile area of an airport deemed as secure. Meh I don't want to lessen what they do...they ARE involved in airport security...the just are not the end all all be all of airport security.

    Now you could make the claim that they are failed cops, but that is mostly untrue as well. Their job is largely unskilled, so the barriers for entrance into the occupation are fairly low...ie high school diploma and a pulse. They are not failed anything. Some of them may not be the coldest can in the six pack, if you know what I mean, and some of them MAY get a power trip out of their job, but for the most part they are just guys and gals trying to do a job.
    I wouldn't lump them all into the category of "failed cops", but I would lump them all into the category of "authoritarian personality types that like having power over others".

  20. #40
    Quote Originally Posted by Spectral View Post

    I wouldn't lump them all into the category of "failed cops", but I would lump them all into the category of "authoritarian personality types that like having power over others".
    Maybe. Sure there are many that fit that description but there are many that don't. I've bumped into MANY a TSO by far the majority of them have been solid dudes.

    I kind wonder if people have preconceived notions about what a TSO is and then perceive the reality of meeting them in a way that helps to confirm those notions. I'm not saying you are guilty of that. I'm sure you have had a shity experience with the TSA. With that said though, I HAVE seen people go through a checkpoint in front of me, or behind me as smoothly as the system will allow. Only to bitch about how horrible the experience was. I've seen pax get belligerent with TSO and TSOs trying to calmly defuse situations caused not by them only to hear people literally tell them the power is going to their head...while they are on the defensive.

    With that said, I've said I've seen the bad they have to offer too. I've seen 80 year olds in wheelchairs selected for additional screening and attention. I've seen a 16 year old in a cast grouped for 15 minutes. I've seen downright rude and obnoxious TSO. These are all the rare cases...the ones or twos out of millions.

    Spectral, I feel like we have had this very conversation not to long ago.
    Last edited by poser765; 2013-01-22 at 03:24 PM.
    Get a grip man! It's CHEESE!

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