i've heard others mention this.

i'm originally from india, though i am not sure if this played a factor in how i was treated.

i sometimes travel 10+ times a year. i've interacted with airline personnel, immigration officers, customs officers, security personnel, as well as airline personnel. these interactions have been pleasant and involve a smile or laughter. a smile is like a universal language - understood regardless of what your mother tongue might be. this is the first time anything like this has ever happened.

i had a disagreement with security personnel at JFK a couple of years back, but the experience was quite different.

i was carrying shampoo and conditioner in aveda 1.7 fl. oz. refillable, unlabeled containers - something i had been using for a while, probably since the whole liquids restrictions were introduced. the security officer objected because the bottles were unlabeled. i asked to speak with a supervisor, and the person in charge came and spoke with me. i explained the situation, and i pointed out that the TSA website (at that time) pictured unlabeled nalgene bottles as an example of liquids in a 1 liter clear plastic bag, the exchange was quite pleasant. while we disagreed, we both spoke very politely to each other. i think that made all the difference. he even said something like - look, i'm sorry. this is not your fault, and it isn't my fault. we have to do this because of what's going on in the world right now.

on another occasion, about a year ago, i was asked to go through a customs inspection at IAD. i think i got flagged because my trip out of the u.s. was less than a week long. the officer went through the contents of my duffle very thoroughly, opening up everything and examining it. but she did so in a very professional manner. i understood she was doing her job and asking questions about what she encountered. and we had a nice conversation through the process. i keep a travel kit that includes currencies for countries through which i transit or to which i travel. she asked why i had so many currencies, and i explained - and that was fine, we moved on. i also had a receipt from a place i had shopped in india on a past trip. she asked what i purchased, and i told her that it was such and such item on a past trip, and pointed out the date. my point is because she was professional and courteous, it made a time consuming experience quite pleasant.