Post: #26

(07-27-2014 11:54 PM)Suits Wrote:  I've done over one-hundred border crossings in my life, so at some point the question because "what can I do and what skills can I learn to make my border crossings more efficient?"

Bitching about the treatment that you or I believe we deserve while entering a sovereign nation is definitely worse than university graduates bitching that they are entitled to a job good enough to make student loan payments.

Let's tell some stories about the times that we used good social skills to talking border guards into violating their own protocol and giving us special favours.

I have no problem being treated like shit when entering another country. That is their decision and as a non-citizen I am asking them for the privilege to enter. But I think when entering my own country (the USA) I am entitled to a bit more than a fucking arrogant meathead on a powertrip.

I have gone to Cuba, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, Venezuela, China, etc. and have not seen the type of arrogant behavior typical of CBP. That says a lot.

Post: #27

(07-26-2014 03:21 PM)tomtud Wrote:  ...
I remember coming back to Canada and after a long flight from Abu Dhabi, was sent to secondary and I was grumpy, moody and oissed that I went to secondary. The guard asks me what I do for a living and I said ..... And he gave me his own personal opinion of it.... I'm like ?!?! Thinking who are you to give your persoa lo opinion of what I do for a living. I wanted to say.... I want to speak to your supervisor right away!!!!! But I was not in the mood for a verbal battle and wanted to go home. NB they do a very important job and all I am saying is that they can still do their job without being rude. Lesson, just comply......not gonna win here.

Any horror stories or plain rude border agents any of you come across?

Don't get me started on Canadian border guards and customs officials. I've also traveled widely and have come to the reluctant (I am Canadian) conclusion that Canadian immigration staff are the worst in the world. The only such people I've ever had a problem with anywhere.

A week or two after a particularly ridiculous episode when I was driving back to Vancouver from Seattle where the Canadian official was extremely rude, asked a series of really bizarre questions and acted as if he was doing me a favour by letting me back into my own country, I mentioned this to a girl I was seeing. She confessed that her brother was in fat one of these annoying people. According to her they are rude and ask silly questions to gauge your reaction. Depending on what it is they will either detain you for further questioning or let you go. I told her I didn't really buy that since no other country, in my experience, seems to grant this sort of license to their agents to be rude to people. I just think the job attracts people who are naturally rude since they know they can get their kicks on the job with government approval.

Post: #28

(07-27-2014 10:25 PM)MidWest Wrote:  I was racially profiled at Miami International Airport in 2011.
...It got me thinking a lot about my fellow Hispanic folks...

Are you sure you got racially profiled? At the Miami International Airport, if you aren't Hispanic, you are in the minority.

Post: #29

I got hated on big time by a couple of fellow black agents when I came back with my wife from China. Then the immigration officers took turns on both of us. Intelligently, I chose a flight that was going to land in my state and not in LA or somewhere else first, otherwise we would have missed the next flight or worse. LAX hates me. Badly. It's a long story.

It is what it is.

Post: #30

(07-28-2014 12:15 PM)William Windsor Wrote:  

(07-27-2014 10:25 PM)MidWest Wrote:  I was racially profiled at Miami International Airport in 2011.
...It got me thinking a lot about my fellow Hispanic folks...

Are you sure you got racially profiled? At the Miami International Airport, if you aren't Hispanic, you are in the minority.

Yeah the thing about it is that people on the plane were mostly white. So As we were coming off the plane they set aside me the Hispanic looking guy for "questioning". I try to to not see things at a racial aspect but it clearly was racism, no way around it. The guy questioned my Americaness, when the majority of the people on the plane were not even Americans, not something I want to deal with when I get back to the U.S. once I get off the plane and land on U.S. soil.

Post: #31

(07-28-2014 12:39 PM)TravelerKai Wrote:  I got hated on big time by a couple of fellow black agents when I came back with my wife from China. Then the immigration officers took turns on both of us. Intelligently, I chose a flight that was going to land in my state and not in LA or somewhere else first, otherwise we would have missed the next flight or worse. LAX hates me. Badly. It's a long story.

It is what it is.

I one time got questioned hard at LAX by a black agent. Looking back, I think it was because I was travelling in a tee-shirt and shorts and my initial responses to his questions were stupid. He was just doing his job, I think.

Lately I've been travelling wearing a blue button-down long-sleeve shirt, it's become my crossing international border uniform. I've never had any issues since doing this, perhaps because I subconsciously look like an airport employee.

Post: #32

(07-28-2014 04:33 AM)nomadicdude Wrote:  

(07-27-2014 11:54 PM)Suits Wrote:  I've done over one-hundred border crossings in my life, so at some point the question because "what can I do and what skills can I learn to make my border crossings more efficient?"

Bitching about the treatment that you or I believe we deserve while entering a sovereign nation is definitely worse than university graduates bitching that they are entitled to a job good enough to make student loan payments.

Let's tell some stories about the times that we used good social skills to talking border guards into violating their own protocol and giving us special favours.

I have no problem being treated like shit when entering another country. That is their decision and as a non-citizen I am asking them for the privilege to enter. But I think when entering my own country (the USA) I am entitled to a bit more than a fucking arrogant meathead on a powertrip.

I have gone to Cuba, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, Venezuela, China, etc. and have not seen the type of arrogant behavior typical of CBP. That says a lot.

It is what it is. Sounds like your sense of entitlement runs pretty deep.

If you want something in life, you have to earn it. There won't always be a free hand out available. No one owes you their politeness.

If they physically harm you or make you fear for your life, take down ID numbers and make a formal complaint. But if it's just a matter of a stranger hurting your feelings, it might be time to toughen up.

Personally, I don't have any trouble with these meatheads. I've learned to speak their language. Maybe you could too.

But accept the fact that no one owes you anything. You'll go far in life with that understanding.

Post: #33

I've had rude encounters with Border Patrol agents but the worse after 30 countries or so were the US and Canada.

Still as bad as it was being profiled, I don't have any horror stories like the younger European female couchsurfer who stayed with me and got strip-searched upon entering the country.

Post: #34

A rule of thumb is to always dress relatively well when flying, especially if you're a minority. I.e put on a decent pair of shoes and maybe a sports coat.

Also if you're arab/Indian, be sure to be clean shaven.

Post: #35

(07-28-2014 07:39 PM)Saladin Wrote:  A rule of thumb is to always dress relatively well when flying, especially if you're a minority. I.e put on a decent pair of shoes and maybe a sports coat.

This is it. I dress up like I'm going to an interview everytime I hit that border.

Post: #36

(07-28-2014 07:39 PM)Saladin Wrote:  A rule of thumb is to always dress relatively well when flying, especially if you're a minority. I.e put on a decent pair of shoes and maybe a sports coat.

Also if you're arab/Indian, be sure to be clean shaven.

This is great advice. I used to have long hair and dress like a teenager when flying. The TSA would stop me every single time for a "random selected check."

Now I always wear a suit, whether flying or doing a border crossing in a car.

Gets me through in a hurry and I tend to be treated with respect.

The real trick that works for me is to talk to border guards and TSA agents like I would anyone that I was assigned to conduct a routine administrative task with.

If you frame (with your behaviour, tone of voice and body language that) the border crossing as something you literally do all the and that it's no big deal, they are much less likely to hassle you.

If you show any weakness/nervousness, they start to wonder why.

Post: #37

(07-28-2014 01:05 PM)William Windsor Wrote:  

(07-28-2014 12:39 PM)TravelerKai Wrote:  I got hated on big time by a couple of fellow black agents when I came back with my wife from China. Then the immigration officers took turns on both of us. Intelligently, I chose a flight that was going to land in my state and not in LA or somewhere else first, otherwise we would have missed the next flight or worse. LAX hates me. Badly. It's a long story.

It is what it is.

I one time got questioned hard at LAX by a black agent. Looking back, I think it was because I was travelling in a tee-shirt and shorts and my initial responses to his questions were stupid. He was just doing his job, I think.

Lately I've been travelling wearing a blue button-down long-sleeve shirt, it's become my crossing international border uniform. I've never had any issues since doing this, perhaps because I subconsciously look like an airport employee.

This is really interesting as I've noticed a couple times that black agents have the biggest power trips as if they are using their job to get back at society for all the BS they have to put up with. Once one agent at customs just straight out asked me how the fuck I could afford to travel so much. He basically asked it in a ghetto way too so I barely could understand what he was saying. Wanted to ask him how the fuck he keeps his job when he cannot speak proper English. Another time the idiot checking passports asked for my driver's license etc to prove who I was. Completely rude and no fucking CS skills.

When I travel now I try to find the Asian or Latino agents. By far the Asian males are the best to deal with. I avoid any black agents and women in general (since overall women are just incompetent and will make purely emotional decisions particularly white women). White male agents can be okay as long as they are not the younger types just out of the military (<50% of agents).

And yeah, I know this is all stereotypes but I travel a lot so I've gotten pretty good at reading these tools.

Post: #38

(07-28-2014 07:09 PM)Suits Wrote:  

(07-28-2014 04:33 AM)nomadicdude Wrote:  

(07-27-2014 11:54 PM)Suits Wrote:  I've done over one-hundred border crossings in my life, so at some point the question because "what can I do and what skills can I learn to make my border crossings more efficient?"

Bitching about the treatment that you or I believe we deserve while entering a sovereign nation is definitely worse than university graduates bitching that they are entitled to a job good enough to make student loan payments.

Let's tell some stories about the times that we used good social skills to talking border guards into violating their own protocol and giving us special favours.

I have no problem being treated like shit when entering another country. That is their decision and as a non-citizen I am asking them for the privilege to enter. But I think when entering my own country (the USA) I am entitled to a bit more than a fucking arrogant meathead on a powertrip.

I have gone to Cuba, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, Venezuela, China, etc. and have not seen the type of arrogant behavior typical of CBP. That says a lot.

It is what it is. Sounds like your sense of entitlement runs pretty deep.

If you want something in life, you have to earn it. There won't always be a free hand out available. No one owes you their politeness.

If they physically harm you or make you fear for your life, take down ID numbers and make a formal complaint. But if it's just a matter of a stranger hurting your feelings, it might be time to toughen up.

Personally, I don't have any trouble with these meatheads. I've learned to speak their language. Maybe you could too.

But accept the fact that no one owes you anything. You'll go far in life with that understanding.

I pay their salaries via taxes. They owe me, not the other way around. When I am entering the USA I deserve to be treated at least as well as the other 90+ countries I've entered in my life. CBP and ICE agents simply do not deserve to work in their jobs if they cannot learn to treat people decently, particularly US citizens.

Post: #39

I disagree about black agents. I always choose a booth with a black male border patrol agent if I can. Women are a pain in the ass, though, especially white bitches when you have a bunch of Thai entry stamps in your passport.

Post: #40

(07-28-2014 09:10 PM)nomadicdude Wrote:  

(07-28-2014 07:09 PM)Suits Wrote:  

(07-28-2014 04:33 AM)nomadicdude Wrote:  

(07-27-2014 11:54 PM)Suits Wrote:  I've done over one-hundred border crossings in my life, so at some point the question because "what can I do and what skills can I learn to make my border crossings more efficient?"

Bitching about the treatment that you or I believe we deserve while entering a sovereign nation is definitely worse than university graduates bitching that they are entitled to a job good enough to make student loan payments.

Let's tell some stories about the times that we used good social skills to talking border guards into violating their own protocol and giving us special favours.

I have no problem being treated like shit when entering another country. That is their decision and as a non-citizen I am asking them for the privilege to enter. But I think when entering my own country (the USA) I am entitled to a bit more than a fucking arrogant meathead on a powertrip.

I have gone to Cuba, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, Venezuela, China, etc. and have not seen the type of arrogant behavior typical of CBP. That says a lot.

It is what it is. Sounds like your sense of entitlement runs pretty deep.

If you want something in life, you have to earn it. There won't always be a free hand out available. No one owes you their politeness.

If they physically harm you or make you fear for your life, take down ID numbers and make a formal complaint. But if it's just a matter of a stranger hurting your feelings, it might be time to toughen up.

Personally, I don't have any trouble with these meatheads. I've learned to speak their language. Maybe you could too.

But accept the fact that no one owes you anything. You'll go far in life with that understanding.

I pay their salaries via taxes. They owe me, not the other way around. When I am entering the USA I deserve to be treated at least as well as the other 90+ countries I've entered in my life. CBP and ICE agents simply do not deserve to work in their jobs if they cannot learn to treat people decently, particularly US citizens.

I'm afraid the Constitution provides no assurances that your feelings must never be hurt by public officials whose jobs are funded by taxes.

It certainly sounds nice to live somewhere that everyone is nice and smiles all the time, but that just isn't the way the world works.

Expecting something other than reality is simply a misplaced sense of entitlement.

The fact of the matter is that you personally pay the smallest slice of their salaries. If you really did pay their salaries, you'd just call up your senator and problem solved.

The truth is that your personal contribution to America is minuet and therefore you are owed just as little

The irony of this exchange is that I've always been treated with respect by US border agents, despite being Canadian. I attribute it to my superior ability to deal with authority figures, something I learned from my parents, who impressed upon me the importance of not having an entitlement attitude.

I've also had my negative moments with law enforcement officers, but while they may have been acting on information that was not true, they were simply doing their jobs and I don't hold it against them.

If you have any further disagreements with my perspective, I'd be happy to take this to PM.

Post: #41

(07-28-2014 09:12 PM)Brodiaga Wrote:  I disagree about black agents. I always choose a booth with a black male border patrol agent if I can. Women are a pain in the ass, though, especially white bitches when you have a bunch of Thai entry stamps in your passport.

Funny. Black female tsa agents tried to get security on me about my carry-on bag when I was with my Chinese wife. They tried to say I was getting out of control. This was in NYC. After their boss calmed them down he apologized to me. Then they sneered at me while we walked off. I was fuming but wanted to laugh at the same time.

Post: #42

@Suits: Not even sure what to say. I don't think the concept of a US citizen taxpayer expecting to be treated with respect by a government official is really that outlandish in a civilized society so I don't see what the point of arguing here is.

Post: #43

I've lost count on the number of times I've crossed the US border but I've never really had any issues with border officers.

The TSA however... Holy shit I could write a book on their stupidity, the stuff they have broken for me and general ignorance of basic rights. Schmucks with badgets.

Post: #44

Time of day also matters. The worse time to go through customs is in the morning around 10 AM. The agents are fresh, high on coffee and ready to pounce. I've had most my issues around this time. The best time would be when agents are most likely to be tired or sleepy, when they really don't want to be at work. I've had good luck in the 3-4 AM time frame.

Post: #45

Have you seen the TV commercials on daytime television from ITT tech or Devry advertising their 2 year online degree in homeland security? These are the bozos who call them up and get hired as TSA agents.

Post: #46

(07-29-2014 10:30 AM)William Windsor Wrote:  Time of day also matters. The worse time to go through customs is in the morning around 10 AM. The agents are fresh, high on coffee and ready to pounce. I've had most my issues around this time. The best time would be when agents are most likely to be tired or sleepy, when they really don't want to be at work. I've had good luck in the 3-4 AM time frame.

This!^ flying during the wee hours of the mornings makes for lazy agents in all areas. They often time just want you to get out of their faces and keep it moving. One time in Japan there was literally like 3 cops and 3 agents working and they were, like please hurry up. Like they were waiting to go home or something.

Times I have had problems were always around 10AM-2PM so I think you have a great point there.

Post: #47

(07-29-2014 11:20 AM)TravelerKai Wrote:  

(07-29-2014 10:30 AM)William Windsor Wrote:  Time of day also matters. The worse time to go through customs is in the morning around 10 AM. The agents are fresh, high on coffee and ready to pounce. I've had most my issues around this time. The best time would be when agents are most likely to be tired or sleepy, when they really don't want to be at work. I've had good luck in the 3-4 AM time frame.

This!^ flying during the wee hours of the mornings makes for lazy agents in all areas. They often time just want you to get out of their faces and keep it moving. One time in Japan there was literally like 3 cops and 3 agents working and they were, like please hurry up. Like they were waiting to go home or something.

Times I have had problems were always around 10AM-2PM so I think you have a great point there.

Suits had a great point about dressing well and treating it like a routine. If you know the key words that go along with your entry conditions (for Nafta Visa less entry) and look the part the questions are few.

Time of Day...I offer the reverse advice if doing land crossings in the US/Canada. Being the lone car crossing the border in the wee hours of the night the border guards have all the time in the world to fuck with you vs. a packed line of cross border shopping vehicles backing up the highway.

Post: #48

Anyone get better results/treatment lining up to the Latino guards and speaking in Spanish?

Although personally I've found the agents and process are not overly onerous, the only problem is the massive lines you have to wait in every time you arrive to the USA, it's been one hour minimum waiting I'm line in the halls to get passports stamped every time I've arrived. Also the whole finger print thing is very big brother for the land of the free.

My experiences are mostly good in my country (Australia) we have electronic passport scanners and can do self entry, once we've done that we grab our bags and walk to screening as of yet I've never been stopped for fingerprints, x-rays, sniffer dogs or baggage searches (knock on wood). Tip is to dress well and not look like a hillbilly like 90% of leisure travellers wearing singlets, tshirts, dirty shoes etc and if you're American, British, Canadian or from NZ have a e passport when you come to Australia.

In Colombia I found entry very easy also, one time a sniffer dog checked my bag as I was coming into the country, obviously this dog should have been at departures not arrivals ?.

Post: #49

I went through "French" Canada once to Montreal (I think) so crossed through Quebec from the US.

The Canadian border agent spoke to me in French which I didn't know. I wasn't rude, just responded in English.

I could tell from his body language that he thought he was better than me; he continued in French. Eventually after seeing all the paper work he let us go.

People in French Canada can be very proud of their French and I think more than a few hate English all together. Something to watch out for.

Post: #50

(07-27-2014 10:25 PM)MidWest Wrote:  I was racially profiled at Miami International Airport in 2011.

All I'm going to say about this is.....quit race trolling.


Not everything is about race. Not everyone is out there to get you because you're a "Hispanic American".

I'm sure there were some mestizo-looking Argentinians on the flight. How does a "Hispanic American" look like?

As another "Hispanic American" who flies regularly, you receive what you give. They ask the same questions to whites, blacks, and Aliens. The ones you were given were STANDARD questions. Also, why would they ask where you are from if you gave them your passport?

If you reply with an attitude, they will give you an attitude. Remember these guys are sick of dealing with rude people all day long......so if you make their day, they will make yours. Smile, give them good vibes and they will be receptive.

Again, how were you "racially profiled" or "discriminate" if the flight was full of Argies who are also Latin American?


Next time try to chat with them, game them.

Here's a conversation between them and I

Officer: "Where are you headed?"
Me: "Dallas"
Officer: "What do you do in Dallas?"
Me: "I'm a student at (college name), studying international relations"
Officer: "Do you work?"
Me:"Yeah , odd gigs like construction or IT "
Officer: "Man, you're young and already have things going. You're going to be making money in no time."
Me: "The problem will be not knowing what to spend it in!"
Officer: "What were you doing in Mexico?"
Me: "Having a good time, got drunk, fucked some cougars"
Officer: "Sound like a good time. Do you have any alcohol"
Me: "Nope, but I got some in my kidney though"
Officer" "How long were you there?"
Me: "About a month"
Officer: "Alright man, welcome back and have a good time"

This is coming from someone with a felony drug charge on his record and gets searched often, they're rarely aggressive and rather understanding.

Edit: While a pin could be considered a weapon, they were likely curious as to what it was doing in your wallet .....which would only give them more curiosity.

(07-28-2014 09:45 PM)Suits Wrote:  The irony of this exchange is that I've always been treated with respect by US border agents, despite being Canadian. I attribute it to my superior ability to deal with authority figures, something I learned from my parents, who impressed upon me the importance of not having an entitlement attitude.

I've also had my negative moments with law enforcement officers, but while they may have been acting on information that was not true, they were simply doing their jobs and I don't hold it against them.

If you have any further disagreements with my perspective, I'd be happy to take this to PM.

Some people confuse TSA (Airport security) with CBP (border patrol/immigration) and USCIS/ICE (customs).

TSA CS sucks ass, they do not know how to handle customers and hire off any motherfucker with a GED despite not speaking decent English. Just because they are checking stuff they go on power trips that rival policemen's egos.

ICE/CBP is much better in CS terms as the requirements are tighter and they don't deal with herds of people at once compared to TSA.

It's not entitlement, it's knowing CS. Happy people = better environment = better public image.Then again, if one learns to submit to authority figures......then one will not complain.