I just returned from Boston on business, landing in Vancouver this morning Wed Feb 20, 2003. I was SUPPOSED to land in Vancouver monday evening, but apparantly, to the US, I look like someone who has a bomb implanted in their back!
Twelve years ago, I was in an accident and ended up with a couple of pins and a few screws in my back. Well of course these are great for setting off metal detectors in airport security stops. Now, I've been to Japan, Scotland, Britain, France and Italy during the last year with no major problems. I carry a certificate from my surgeon as well as copies of X-rays, and usually it takes no more than an hour to go through security anywhere!
I arrived at the airport in Boston, 5 hours early thinking this would be plenty of time. WRONG! I was detained for 36 hours, subjected to not one, but two body cavity searches, led out of the airport in shackles to the hospital so they could take X-rays for themselves and wasn't even offered so much as a f**king appology!
Now, I ask you what the hell is wrong with the US? I was wearing a $1500 suit, my shoes cose $300, and had documents proving where I was and what I was doing, signed documentation from my surgeon and the Canadian government indicating I had pins in my lower back. My notebook computer was disassembled and is now completely unusable, all files on my hard drive gone.
I have filed official complaints with both Canadian and US officials. I have never been treated so badly in my life! All that was missing were the 'SS' patches and swastikas on the US custom and security personnell.
Anyway, that's my rant, I had to get it off my chest. I have a meeting with my lawyers tomorrow.

OMG Animal that is horrible in so many ways! I'd say you definitely have a case no doubt! And I'm sorry you had to go through that, especially after what you've already been through the recent months! :(

I'm livid! It appears I was guilty until proven innocent, yet I was no where no your "stereo typical" security risk. I was well dressed, clean shaven, and had official, certified documentation proving who I was, where I was, who I was with, etc... I realized that security would be tight, so I took the necessary precautions yet I still ended up being treated worse than a criminal!

Watch your newspapers. I'm hoping that my lawyers will be releasing this to the press later this week.

Animal, that's terrible! And, no apology? That is just wrong. I apologise on behalf of my country, to the extent that I can.

Animal, that is so bad, dude. I apologize on behalf of the American Gestapo.

You did get my drugs through, though, right?? ;)

I've flown to and from Logan airport heaps of times and never had any trouble. I guess I'm lucky my tattooed head, forty-seven facial piercings and multiple violin cases have never set off any alarms :D [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Seriously though Animal, that's a really terrible thing to happen. I'm sorry and I hope you manage to get something out of this case.

To check up someone took 36 hours ..STREWTH! I hope you shame them into at least a written apology so you can carry it with you next time you fly.

But I wonder at the iq of these guys. If your *implant* was a bomb and you were a suicide bomber did they take you to a hospital full of women and children to examine you? like d'oh what if the bomb is on a timer?

How would they explain that to the press.... [img]graemlins/stunned.gif[/img]

[ 02-20-2003, 07:14 AM: Message edited by: wellard ]

That is unbelievable!!! Incompetent security is one of a dozen reasons why I fly out of Providence, even though I live just miles from Logan.

When Americans act like this, the terrorists have won. :(

:shakehead:

Thats terrible, Animal! You'd think that after doctors notes, and stuff, and a CAVITY search, they'd realize that you were no threat! And taking apart your computor like that is terrible! IMHO, they should give you a FORMAL apolagy as well as a brand new laptop, with some good games to go with it ;)

Thats sure a load of shit Animal. Things are SO out of whack here. F'ed in fact. If you ever get to NC I absolutly PROMISE I will not do a cavity search!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last week I read a news report on how bad security at Logan was, even after all the upgrades and problems that they have had with security from 9/11 to the present. Idiots like these make me ashamed of being a US citizen. It seems all the publicity on their poor work ethic and performance is finally making an impact. they've decided to terrorize innocent people. I hope your lawyer can make a good case to really stick it to the airport and that the Canadian govt. will put the screws to ours. If you need help, let me know and send me the pertinent facts. I'll lobby my representative and Senator to get some redress for you.

Animal that's shocking mate! I'm appalled and disgusted. :mad:

Animal....all I can say,is that is HORRIBLE! I apologize for having such tunnel-visioned people living in the same country I do! GOOD GRIEF! Let us know how it goes with the lawyers and I hope they get you an OFFICIAL apology from the US government.. that was outrageous!

Sigh... it's crazy when stuff like this happens. :(

In my experience US Immigration people are the most miserable, humourless and surly bunch of people I've ever come across. Do they give them training to be so rude?

My advice to people I'm travelling with whenever I've been to the States is always 'don't crack a joke' to immigration officers.

And yes - I learnt many years ago to "STAND BEHIND THE LINE SIR!!!!!"

Of cuurse I've never had dealings with British Immigration so they may be as bad. :D

I met two immigration officers in a bus station in New Orleans. They stood in my way waiting to hear my accent. "Did you just get off of a ship?" - "No I just got off a bus!!!!!!"

This is unbelievable...
This has grew quite out of proportion :(

I hope your lawyers will be successful in, at least, getting you some kind of official apologies.

Least favourite immigartion people :
1) US
2) UK
3) Surinam

You are right about the US - stand behind the line, have your form filled out 100% correctly, never crack a joke, and don't poke fun at the surly attitude. In Miami, after waiting 70 mins in the endless queue, my boss had missed one square to tick. He had a pen in his pocket - they wouldn't let him tick the box on the spot - he got ordered all the way to the back of the queue and missed his conecting flight to LA. Don't you dare be a smart ass and object - just get the hell out of here to the back of the line.

The UK guys - I got a very friendly guy the first guy I visited there. He wanted to engage me in converstaion - over here for 10 weeks huh - hope you have a great time - tons of things to see - play a bit of golf do you - what's this - you are an ENGINEER??? Admit it - you are over here to work - admit it, admit it, admit it, admit it, no-one gets 10 weeks holiday - admit you are looking for work (ad infinitum).

Surinam - it is just a 90 minute process to leave the country - 6 queues and 2 interviews (one by the tresuary and one by the military) to get to the departure loungue.

Back on topic - that is terrible Animal - hope you sue there ass off.

Exactly Wellard, well noted!

Animal, I'm really sorry you had to go through that! I flew from Glasgow to Amsterdam recently and I did notice that security had tightened a lot. Someone went through every INCH of my purse - opening my wallet, looking inside the case in which I keep my glasses, opening lipstick, even examining tampons for crying out loud. On the way to Glasgow, someone examined the content of my luggage with the same amount of scrutiny.
Even something that's so unimportant in comparison to what you went through made me feel really bad - almost makes you feel guilty, you know? Like "why do they seem so convinced about this? I didn't pack anything I'm not allowed to did I?? Did some idiot put something in my pack?"
I cannot even begin to imagine what they put YOU through. I'm very sorry to hear it mate. It's outrageous and completely ridiculous the way you've been treated! Especially the fact that you had written proof of the pins in your back did it for me. If you could show them that, WHY WHY WHY wasn't that enough evidence?
Good luck with trying to get the rude idiots to at least give you a decent apology!

[ 02-20-2003, 07:20 AM: Message edited by: Melusine ]

Animal, I hope you sue their arses off. In fact, I hope anyone who's harrased and violated by the US custom's and security does so that the government finally realizes that going to these extremes and they're current policy of "Guilty until proven innocent" just won't do! Good luck, keep us posted.

Slightly off topic, I want to know if any lawyers can tell me, if this ever happened to me, can I refuse a strip search/cavity search, at least until I had a lawyer fighting for me? I wanna know because as someone who was violated and abused in high school by a now ex-boyfriend, I wouldn't be able to handle what Animal went through. It took me years to get over what happened to me, and something like this would push me over the edge. Never mind the fact that with all the technology we have today (like x-rays), I don't see any need for this type of invasion of a person's body except to humiliate the person.

Animal, I'd be furious myself but I wouldn't expect much from a lawsuit. Those customs guys can pretty much do what they want and get away with it.

If they decide to dissasemble your car at customs, even when they don't find anything more often than not they'll leave all the pieces in a heap and you have exactly one hour to clean up the mess and leave or they confiscate everything. This actually happened to somebody I know - he barely was able to get the partially assembled vehicle on the road after effectively being detained for most of the day. No apology, no legal recourse.

Good luck making the morons suffer.

Animal, that is terrible! I hope you can at least make those bastards apologise. You would have thought that having X-rays and a letter from your surgeon would have been acceptable, it's not as if you weren't expecting it.

I once made the mistake of going through airport security wearing steel toe capped work boots - I was on my way to an archaeological dig and my luggage was full of site essentials - bags of nails, microscopes, spirit levels, that sort of thing, no room for my work boots so I had to wear them. It caused me a bit of trouble, but nothing like that.

I have to say the worst I've ever experienced was in Cairo airport. They have no customs, but their immigration officers are complete bastards. I was travelling with a group of friends from London, one of whom was of Indian descent, but he'd been born in London and had a UK passport. He was detained for hours while they questioned and threatened him in a back room, racist shits. Fortunately he managed to get away without even having to pay a bribe, thanks to the fact that the 4 of us waiting for him started kicking up merry hell and got on the phone to the British Consulate in Cairo. Even on the way *out* of the country he was questioned at the airport - 'are you sure you're from London, you look like you're from Bombay, where are you really from?'

I'm really sorry to hear you had to go through all that.

You can always try...then they might beat the crap out of you and do the search anyway. But you can try...

<font color="#ffccff">You travel in a $1500 suit? Ick. I always dress down when traveling, keeps the mooches and bums away....any way back on topic..what is wrong with the USA? try:
<center><h2><font color=deeppink>9/11</font></h2></center>
I too have metalic hardware holding my shoulder together and also get searched extra vigourously at airports, but to be honest, the only people I have seen who get body cavity searches are ones who are acting like total dill weeds. Im not saying you were, just that the only people who I have ever observed getting hasseled in the manner you describe, were being total dicks.

Edit: As for expensive clothing, they routienely have found terrorists with thousands of dollars in cash on them...so they don't all have to dress in camel jokey robes.</font>

[ 02-20-2003, 08:45 AM: Message edited by: MagiK ]

<font color="#ffccff">On a happier note, if you really dislike US customs people that much....You are quite free not to visit [img]smile.gif[/img] Well unless you are a terrorist, in which case you may be orderd to visit [img]smile.gif[/img]

In the 1980's when Libya was terror bombing greece and france and other countrys in the Med, the customs officials of those nations weren't all that chipper and friendly either.....I think most of the people who are aghast are not thinking in the proper context.</font>

[ 02-20-2003, 08:49 AM: Message edited by: MagiK ]

"The only people who get hassled like that were being total dicks...I'm not saying you are, just that everybody else I know who was body searched was acting a total ass... not that that says anything about you, of course... but well I don't know why I'm saying this. Possibly just to discredit your story without appearing to, I covered myself well enough by saying it's only all those other people I am talking about, not you of course!"

C'mon... Why ARE you putting it like that when you're not talking about Animal? [img]smile.gif[/img]

I don't see how that could be a "happier note". Instead, i see this as a very sad way to see things, and a silly way to handle problems.

I agree that because of the 9/11 (2001!) they have to be careful and all. But that doesn't mean they have to do that kind of crap.


And you are quite free not to make people flee away from your airports. Think about tourism, think about business trips, etc...Those things are quite important.
And what if I have some family (or just friends) over there and I get annoyed like that everytime I want to visit them ?

C'mon, there must be a better way.

[quote]Originally posted by Melusine:

Quote:

Originally posted by MagiK: [qb]C'mon... Why ARE you putting it like that when you're not talking about Animal? [img]smile.gif[/img]

<font color="#ffccff">Ick I think the quote got all messed up.

I don't know Animal [img]smile.gif[/img] so I have to take his word for the events, I was just relating my own personal experience while traveling. I can sympathize with him having metal rods in his body, since I have a couple too. It does make travel more dificult. I find that when I am cooperative and cheerful, I get great treatment by customs officials and security types....so I wanted to illustrate that his experience may have been an anomally since Im sure he was very cooperative and helpful to the people who were just doing their jobs. </font>

I don't see how that could be a "happier note". Instead, i see this as a very sad way to see things, and a silly way to handle problems.

I agree that because of the 9/11 (2001!) they have to be careful and all. But that doesn't mean they have to do that kind of crap.

<font color="#ffccff">
The Happier NOTE is that we are FREE to choose to come and go. We could be in a repressive dictatorship where you cannot move without government sanction.

In every situation there are two sides to the story, we have heard 1. I am sure the Customs people have a story of their own. </font>

Quote:

You are quite free not to visit

And you are quite free not to make people flee away from your airports. Think about tourism, think about business trips, etc...Those things are quite important.
And what if I have some family (or just friends) over there and I get annoyed like that everytime I want to visit them ?

C'mon, there must be a better way.</font>[/QUOTE]<font color="#ffccff">You are right, there must be a better way, but untill someone can invent it, there isn't.</font>

Animal was not for at least 36 hours of his life, and for no reason.

And when I say that there must be a better way, I mean they could do their job in a better way.

It was invented thousands of years ago, it's called showing a little goddam respect to your fellow man!

Well I hope people treat this comment with the contempt it deserves. Once you get past the ignorant prats at immigration America is one of the friendliest countries you could wish to visit. They have a few arseholes but what country doesn't, the vast majority of the people are very helpful and obliging.

Animal was not for at least 36 hours of his life, and for no reason.

And when I say that there must be a better way, I mean they could do their job in a better way.</font>[/QUOTE]<font color="#ffccff">It is easy to nitpick when peoples lives don't depend on how well you do your job. </font>

It was invented thousands of years ago, it's called showing a little goddam respect to your fellow man!</font>[/QUOTE]<font color="#ffccff">I thought you were an atheist?

Again, you heard just one side of the story, perspective can change things radicly. </font>

Well I hope people treat this comment with the contempt it deserves. Once you get past the ignorant prats at immigration America is one of the friendliest countries you could wish to visit. They have a few arseholes but what country doesn't, the vast majority of the people are very helpful and obliging.</font>[/QUOTE]<font color="#ffccff">Treat it as you wish, the underlaying fact is still true.
As I said before, and before and before, you heard one side of a story.
It is very easy to nitpick and bitch and gripe and moan when your decisions are not the ones that have to gaurentee the safety of hundreds. </font>

<font color=skyblue>A few people are getting a little dirty with their language.

Please clean up your mouths and proceed with the discussion.</font>

<font color="#ffccff">People bitch and moan over how they are treated by officials everywhere, never having once considered the shite that those service people have to put up with, people yelling at them, calling them names and in general giving them hell just because they are trying to do their job. Most people have never had to do that kind of job or had people die because they let the wrong guy through. Just in case you have all forgotten, Boston is where TWO of the flights on 9/11 originated, the two that took out the world trade centers. Think about that for a bit. </font>

The lives of hundreds of people depend on the custom people being impolite and rude??
No one is saying they shouldn't check up on people and make sure there are no lunatics with bombs getting on planes. What we're saying is that they could at least be polite about it, and try to put someone at ease. After all, what happened to INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY?? As long as they are just checking and have no actual proof someone is a terrorist, they have no right to treat you like one. Harleyquinn, I wasn't going to post this here, but you have disabled the option of receiving Private Messages, so... I am sorry about what happened to you. I have a similar experience. And I agree that what happened to Animal would be even harder for me to deal with. It would be like a nightmare.

So don't come up with crap about safety. Safety isn't endangered by being nice to someone, putting them at ease, and apologising for all the misery they were put through.

But I am talking about my own experience of 12 visits to the US on holidays, and this was pre 9/11.

Post 9/11, I read a column by an American of Arab descent who said, in effect, go ahead and profile me, search me top to toe, as long as the airplane I am riding in doesn't blow up or is crashed into buildings killing me and other innocent people. That said, there is no excuse for rudeness.

Incidentally, I'm actually agreeing with MagiK on one thing: I don't see where your expensive clothes come into this, Animal... Someone with bad intentions could wear expensive clothes just as easily as you do.
But I do agree that the overall appearance and impression you must have made was at least such that they could have treated you respectfully and apologised afterwards.
Again, I'm ALL FOR safety. I'm all for making sure dangerous idiots don't board planes. I mean... DOH, who isn't?? What I'm against though, is excusing every type of behaviour in its name. How the custom people treat someone, I reiterate, has no effect on how well their job of maintaining safety is done.

Hmmmm...Hiya Magik. Seems you're getting roundly pounded on for being the one with the unpopular opinion...again. LOL...Well, you're about to have company. :D

Mel...One key thing that you, and several others, seem to be forgetting. That whole 'Innocent until proven guilty' thing...in America, it only applies to AMERICAN CITIZENS! Citizens and nationals of other countries have NO RIGHTS under the US Constitution. So yeah, it's guilty until proven innocent. And, in case anyone had forgotten, the US is on Level Orange terror alert, so security is heightened at ALL international checkpoints. The US customs has EVERY right to treat any and all incoming individuals like terrorists until and unless it is *PROVEN* that they are not. All it takes is to let *ONE* person slip through, and there goes another airliner, or a government facility, or a public school, or or or and and and. Get my point?

Now, lest I get flamed out of existance, I do have to say that I emphatize with Animal. It sucks that he was treated so rudely. BUT...as Magik said, there are two sides to every story. If the custom's officers were here I'm sure that there side of the story would reflect well on them too. These guys are underpaid, overstressed, and are trying desperately to A)Prevent crackpots/terrorists/scumbags from entering the US, B)Trying to do so in a manner which 'wont offend anyone', cuz godforbid we offend a freakin terrorist by actually catching him and stopping him from doing what he intends to do and C)Deal with an angry, worried, and generally pissy public who keeps constantly screaming for greater security while at the same time screaming bloody murder when it happens to personally inconvienence them.

Now, do I think that the custome people went a wee bit overboard...sure I do. But, and, forgive me Animal, but this really is my opinion, I would rather have a few people pissed off than a lot of people dead.