Re: Border Patrol and Immigration stories
Yes many. All good ones though.
Re: Border Patrol and Immigration stories
I have good and bad ones. Usually, arriving through LA was OK but not this time.
I was made to sit for 1 hour. I told them that my FINS had already been done so why was it taking such a long time. The reply was that it would take the same time everytime I enter. The lady at the counter was very rude. It seems now they have instructions to keep the people waiting for no reason.
I have had bad experiences coming via Chicago and Houston as well.
Re: Border Patrol and Immigration stories
My view is that nexttme I am going to carry on of those voice recorders in my pocket. hafta make sure there is no law against recording though. cuz even when one complans it becomes a he said she said issue. a voice recording could be proof .
Re: Border Patrol and Immigration stories
OMG. I don't have time right now but i will definitely post my story when I get back.
Re: Border Patrol and Immigration stories
i commute everyday and had to register on enter/exit since we are assumed to be a threat to their national security. We ( with pakistani Passport ) come under NSEER. Other then the registration, no hassle.
Re: Border Patrol and Immigration stories
back in the day you could go shopping in canada and bring back lots of stuff, no one ever checked. Now you have to declare it and they check your car for like hours even if you are like two aunties and have american passports.
Re: Anti Muslim discrimination at US airports?
I am not a Pakistani but a Subcontinental with a foot long beard which does indicate that I should be subjected to the third degree as far as the officials at various airports are concerned. As was posted here, I have never had a problem at O'Hare and it does seem to be a very well run airport in the US. JFK and La Guardia have not just the arrogance of being entry points into the US's wealthiest city, they also have the legendary New York rudeness which no one faces in the Midwest or other parts of the USA. Other airports that I have flown through include Atlanta, Los Angeles International, Cincinnati, Milwaukee etc and all of them were nice to varying degrees. The worst, absolutely, was Lester Pearson International in Toronto, Canada, where some of the SOuth Asian immigration officials seem to have it in for any SOuth Asian having American papers, some kind of jealousy, I guess at being in Canada and not in the USA. The worst in the world that I have been through was Frankfurt - the Germans behaving like their Nazi predecessors did, but that is another story.
Re: Anti Muslim discrimination at US airports?
On the other hand, an uncle of mine in the US, while driving from Canada to the US was detained for 6 hours. He has been a US citizen since 1980.........The questioning was getting very aggressive and eventually only ended because he's also a long-term republican party member and has friends in high places who his wife phoned for help.
Oh and he has a beard. Brown guy with a beard...
If your uncle is a gentleman from Appleton WI, I know of the incident and I know him personally. My regards to him - he is a most wonderful peson and his mother is a fine lady always helping organisers with voluntary activities. I used to be one of the volunteers working at various charities in my spare time when my wife and I lived briefly in WIsconsin.
Re: Anti Muslim discrimination at US airports?
I Think I know him too
Re: Anti Muslim discrimination at US Airports and Border? (Merged)
When my family and I get on a plane, I want to make sure that it's completely safe and that everybody that gets on it with me will do no harm. That's why i'm completely fine if they search each and every part of my purse, shoes, clothes whatever and everybody else's stuff that gets on that plane with me.
It actually reassures me that the security officials are doing their job and that it's safe for my family. I'm wondering why it wasn't like this before. It was a bit too free in my opinion.
Re: Anti Muslim discrimination at US Airports and Border? (Merged)
Seems to be a lot of bad experiences...
Re: Anti Muslim discrimination at US Airports and Border? (Merged)
Cant generalize based on individual experiences
It seems that everyone has a tale to tell.. regarding this airport or that
And there are conflicting views..
For me.
NICEST = Pearson Toronto
WORST = Frankfurt (Thanked the Lord above, when I was finally strapped into my seat on the plane - ready for take off 
)
I did have a really nasty incident - at the Fort Erie border into USA.
But I would take that as OVER CAUTIOUS, (almost to the point of RUDENESS), attitude from the border officials. All in the line of duty. Once they figured out that I wasn’t a Terrorist belonging to Al-Qaeda, they behaved in a pretty humane way, even offered us drinks and all that. Although it took them almost 2 hours to realize it 
But then I would give the benefit of doubt to the US border officials, they would be nice and behave normally, **IF **everything is okay 
Re: Anti Muslim discrimination at US Airports and Border? (Merged)
I am fine with security doing their due dilgence, but they ave to be professional and civilized.
and secondly, that then means that if some redneck chicken**** at a plane poops his tighty-whiteys because he sees 3 brown ppl together, then they should remove that guy off and not ask the brown guy who has gone thru all this security.
I guess those chicken**** folks are not convinced that security is doing everything it can