Customs Agent: Where did you buy that XXXXX?
#76
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Catania, Sicily/South Jersey (PHL)/Houston, Texas/Red Stick/airborne in-between
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I was referencing Article XXI section 2
Section 2. The transportation or importation into any State, Territory, or possession of the United States for delivery or use therein of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited.
It has been argued this gives the states full reign with regard to alcohol thus CBP enforcing said laws.
#77
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: SE Asia
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Driving to Vancouver, Canada from Seattle, WA with some fellow attendees of a hacker conference in late 1999:
Jake
Canadian Border Agent: "Gentlemen, do you have any drugs, firearms, or dangerous materials in the vehicle?"
My (idiot) friend, after leaning towards the officer: <snif> "Yeah, sure, whadda ya need?"
... add another 4 hours delay to the trip for being smart-asses. Good story now, but sucked at the time.Jake
That line is from Steven Wright - I Have A Pony, Circa 1985
Shame on you
#78
Join Date: Nov 2007
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Programs: enjoyed being warm spit for a few years on CO/UA but now nothing :(
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#79
Join Date: Jul 2005
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But don't pass it off as your original anecdote when its not - that's just lame
#80
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 288
"No, we've got plenty, thanks,"
#81
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: SFO
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Posts: 963
More recently they've started to walk back some of that, ruling that the 21st Amendment didn't remove states' obligations of equal protection under the 14th, and chipping away at the power to treat in- and out-of-state sources of alcohol, but State Board still hasn't been overturned.
#82
Moderator: Manufactured Spending
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 6,576
Not just "argued". In State Board v. Young's, the Supreme Court more-or-less signed off on states having all sorts of power to do things normally forbidden to them, so long as it involves regulating alcohol.
More recently they've started to walk back some of that, ruling that the 21st Amendment didn't remove states' obligations of equal protection under the 14th, and chipping away at the power to treat in- and out-of-state sources of alcohol, but State Board still hasn't been overturned.
More recently they've started to walk back some of that, ruling that the 21st Amendment didn't remove states' obligations of equal protection under the 14th, and chipping away at the power to treat in- and out-of-state sources of alcohol, but State Board still hasn't been overturned.
#83
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: SHA, PVG
Programs: ANA Diamond, HH Diamond, Langham 1865 Voyager
Posts: 6
I returned to Chicago from Tokyo as part of a larger trip that also included HK and Shanghai. I went to the Global Entry kiosk (with was about as crowded as regular immigration), answered the questions including saying I had nothing to declare, got my slip, and went to the exit line with the final customs check. The agent asked if I had anything to declare and i said no, which I didn't. He then became more specific, alcohol, tobacco, are you sure you don't have any alcohol or tobacco. He then wanted to know why I was in Tokyo. I told him a business trip, which it was. He then said business trip is vague, what were you doing in Tokyo. He's had an attitude the whole while but I'm thinking what the h**l, is this really information he's entitled to. So I tell him I met with a Japanese asset company to discuss opening a domestic fund for one of our funds.He instructs me to go over to the line where they X-ray your luggage and if they choose to do so throughly search your luggage. I really didn't have anything so all they did was x-ray it and send me on my way. My question is the agent entitled to question me this way, as in "business trip is vague, what did you do in Tokyo?" It seemed to me this guy was acting more like immigrations office than customs office and a real pain of a customs office at that. Can I tell the guy that it was none of his business what i was doing in Tokyo? And clearly Global Entry signified nothing to him regarding my basic credibility.
#85
Join Date: Jun 2009
Programs: GE
Posts: 247
The agent asked if I had anything to declare and i said no, which I didn't. He then became more specific, alcohol, tobacco, are you sure you don't have any alcohol or tobacco. He then wanted to know why I was in Tokyo. I told him a business trip, which it was. He then said business trip is vague, what were you doing in Tokyo. He's had an attitude the whole while but I'm thinking what the h**l, is this really information he's entitled to.
My question is the agent entitled to question me this way, as in "business trip is vague, what did you do in Tokyo?" It seemed to me this guy was acting more like immigrations office than customs office and a real pain of a customs office at that. Can I tell the guy that it was none of his business what i was doing in Tokyo?
Customs is about what you're carrying. They are more than entitled to ask where you were: to decide your risk of bringing in prohibited items, dutiable items, diseases, anything like that.
It's not a particularly intrusive question. And it is his business, as long as it's relevant to his job of preventing dangerous things coming in the country.
And clearly Global Entry signified nothing to him regarding my basic credibility.
How long was this customs interview anyway? 2 minutes? I would take the extra 15 seconds to answer their questions directly and be out of the door quicker.
#86
Join Date: Jan 2009
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He's entitled to "ask" anything he wants. You are entitled not to answer. You don't have to tell Uncle Sam what you were doing in Japan if you don't want to. They still have to let you in if you have proven that you are a US citizen.
They can't deport you for refusing to answer. They can't arrest you for refusing to answer. They can't keep you at the airport forever for refusing to answer. All they can do is yell at you and stamp their feet and threaten you and search your bag and then let you go home in 1-2 hours.
They can't deport you for refusing to answer. They can't arrest you for refusing to answer. They can't keep you at the airport forever for refusing to answer. All they can do is yell at you and stamp their feet and threaten you and search your bag and then let you go home in 1-2 hours.
#87
Join Date: Jun 2009
Programs: GE
Posts: 247
He's entitled to "ask" anything he wants. You are entitled not to answer. You don't have to tell Uncle Sam what you were doing in Japan if you don't want to. They still have to let you in if you have proven that you are a US citizen.
They can't deport you for refusing to answer. They can't arrest you for refusing to answer. They can't keep you at the airport forever for refusing to answer. All they can do is yell at you and stamp their feet and threaten you and search your bag and then let you go home in 1-2 hours.
They can't deport you for refusing to answer. They can't arrest you for refusing to answer. They can't keep you at the airport forever for refusing to answer. All they can do is yell at you and stamp their feet and threaten you and search your bag and then let you go home in 1-2 hours.
Seriously: if you are GE with no previous violations then 90% of the time you are basically though immigration AND customs after speaking with CBP for only 1-2 minutes MAX. They are simply asking you a few broad questions relevant to their job.
#88
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
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Customs agents all over the world are trained to spot inconsistencies and asking such questions (which are sometimes meant to annoy you) are part of that technique.