Detained crossing the border

[Timber Loftis]

Originally posted by wellard: What this thread needs is some more info from Animal..PLEASE *hint* Harleyquinn to answer your question from an Australian perspective.. yes you would have to submit to a full cavity search by two female officer in private if they had reasonable reason to require such a search (basically anytime they wanted to)

Well, I'm sure here and there that there is some threshold level of suspicion that may arise.

But, when travelling in the USA, both with pat-down searches and any other searches, women search women and men search men. There's your answer Harley, hope it's acceptable.

[wellard]

Originally posted by Timber Loftis: Quote: Originally posted by wellard: What this thread needs is some more info from Animal..PLEASE *hint* Harleyquinn to answer your question from an Australian perspective.. yes you would have to submit to a full cavity search by two female officer in private if they had reasonable reason to require such a search (basically anytime they wanted to)

Well, I'm sure here and there that there is some threshold level of suspicion that may arise.

But, when travelling in the USA, both with pat-down searches and any other searches, women search women and men search men. There's your answer Harley, hope it's acceptable.[/QUOTE]Yes your honour we had reasonable grounds for searching Harleyquinn. She had shifty eyes and that chocolate cake she was sending to callum was heard to be ticking

and no your honour we did not save you a piece

[Timber Loftis]

Wait until I'm on the bench before you start with the "Your Honor" stuff. Right now, "Mr. Diety Sir" will be fine. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[wellard]

Originally posted by Barry the Sprout: Considering Richard Reed couldn't even light his shoe laces when he needed too how on earth did they expect you to light a bomb actually implanted inside you... [img]tongue.gif[/img] But flippant comments aside I strongly recommend making a fuss about this Animal - its too much to just let it slide. May I offer my sympathy, I hope it didn't mess the trip too much for you...

Let me count the ways... Timer.. pressure differantial... mercury tilt (don't lie down) ...magnetic flux...

other suggestions on a postcard to... Wait cancel that smile, it is no laughing matter.

[Sir Krustin]

Originally posted by MagiK: Yup, got several cases of MRE's and Gallons of water down here

Ah, Meals Ready to Eat - three lies in one.

[skywalker]

Sorry to hear about this Animal. I hope something can be done in your behalf.

And I thought that having my luggage searched twice when I went to Paris was inconvenient. I think I would have lost my mind if I was in your shoes and probably ended up in a cage in Cuba.

Mark

[Masklinn]

Posted by MagiK :

Especially those customs and security people who have the world trade center tradgedy on their minds...wonderiing..gee if I had just been a little more attentive, maybe those people would still be alive

I have been wondering the same, but on their behalf we should note this : when powerful terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda decide to do that kind of unexpected atrocity, they will do all they can to make it successful. It was well planned, and unless there is a leak from the inside of their group there is no way you can prevent it. They had as well different plans, in case the first ones failed.

But I agree, it must be hard for those guys who were working on that particular day...their heads must be full of "what if..".

Not an excuse to what Animal went through though.

[Animal]

Originally posted by MagiK: 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.

I have no problem with tight security these days and certainly fully understand the need for it, and I thought I took the necessary steps to protect myself. I remember leaving Heathrow in 1986, when the British Forces provided security there, and they were a damn site more friendly than those clowns in Boston.
Protecting your country is fine, but being an a***ole while doing it is not.

[Animal]

Originally posted by MagiK: Cloudy, I was merely responding in kind to all the debasement towards customs officials that were flooding the thread. I took the unpopular side of the argument, and I fully expected people who had nothing useful to add to pop in and take shots thinking it clever or witty. Animal, Im sorry if you were offended by my taking the other side of the story line, but the responses to your post were all one sided and not really very fair.

Don't sweat it. I understand your patriotism, having run accross it before.

[Animal]

Wow, I never thought this thread would generate a response like this. Just for the record, however, I will clarify a few points.
1. I have no desire to file a lawsuit against anyone. I do not want an incident made of it. I just want an appology for the, in my opinion, unnecessary treatment, and some disciplinary action taken against the customs and security officials.
2. I understand the need for the security in the US at the moment, but like I said before there's no need to be a dick while doing it.
3. I travel quite extensively for business, and quite familiar with the DO's and DON'T's of customs. Being "a dick," as it were, just makes matters worse. I complied with all requests made of me no matter how ridiculous.

Heeding the advice of my lawyers, I shouldn't discuss the details much further as things always have a way of becoming twisted. I posted this thread as a rant, to blow some steam off. I wasn't attacking the US, and feel no resentment or ill will against the US as a whole, just the individuals who abuse the power of their positions, whether US or not. I do question whether I would have been treated the same if I were a US citizen.