mav

Sorry to vent, but very curious but has this happened to you? My husband and I do fly a lot and 97% is overseas. We have Global Entry and many times after we go thru Global Entry and then pick up our bags and go thru the customs lane for Global entry someone will start yelling " hey, where are you going? There's a line here" . Our lane is clearly marked, global entry, and we always just look straight ahead, keep walking, and never acknowledge anyone is talking. Well this past Saturday night at Dulles airport , as usual after we got our bags went thru the Global Entry line of customs and a women started yelling at the top of her lungs "Where do you think you are going! get in the back of the line! You have to wait like everyone else" We did as always, kept walking, never acknowledged her , and all the while she screamed and ranted, getting louder, if that was even possible She actually sounded possessed, she was so loud. YESH! I felt REALLY sorry for anyone in line with her. The lines were massive but our line was clearly marked. The man walking behind me said "wow, somebody back there needs a seditive." Whats with people? Has this happened to anyone else here??? Curious what you do? Just keep walking quickly like us , or say anything?

JoeBas

Once arrived at IAH from LHR and the line in Customs was, I kid you not, over 3 1/2 hours long; it snaked around all of the baggage carousels in numerous tendrils extending from the main trunk in the center aisle, which wound back and forth 6 times.

My wife and I (Both GE) claimed our bags, and then had to "Apologetically" cut through the sea of humanity to get over to the GE line on the other side. That was the only time that I've gotten looks bordering on murderous rage - passing a 3 1/2+ hour line to get to one with only 10(!) people in it. Most of the time, when the line is only 30-45 minutes long, people don't seem to mind as much.

In short, if CBP would do a better job of handling the large crowd, everyone would win.

gobluetwo

Ignore it. She's loud and obnoxious, but what harm is it causing you otherwise? If she started threatening you or throwing objects, then by all means find security. Otherwise, just be on your way.

GUWonder

Doesn't sound like the something that the CBP employees do that often. More frequently, that's the kind of stuff being done by some people hired by the airport (or perhaps the airline in some cases) deciding who should use what line. They tend to bark way more like that then CBP. CBP can bite. The line control contractors who don't work for CBP can't really bite if you're following the rules.

wrp96

I've seen similar things happen in check in lines, security, boarding the plane, hotels, etc. I've even had it at a doctor's office where I had an appointment to see my doctor and someone waiting to get a flu shot (they just needed a free nurse to give the shot) got mad because they took me back for my appointment before they gave her the shot.

wrp96

From the OP it sounded like another passenger, not even an employee or officer.

chollie

I've also seen and experienced similar things in different airport lines.

It's helpful when an employee (GA, CBP, TSO, whoever) who hears something like this speaks up to defuse the situation: "Folks, the line to the left is for GE members only. All others, please stay in the line to the right". Situations like these can get pretty tense; sometimes it gets pretty close to people throwing punches.

BSBD

Ignore it and keep walking. If you respond to a heckler, you are escalating the situation. If anything negative happens as a result of your escalation, you no longer have the high ground from a legal standpoint.

mikeef

You have two choices. The wise and practical choice is what most people have told you: Ignore them. Their ignorance in no way represents an obligation on your part.

Having said that, if you are going to get sarcastic, do it right. Don't just insult them, make them wonder. For instance...

Grammatical: You could say, "I'm sorry, I don't speak English," in perfect English, of course.

Religious: "I'm sorry, I follow a religion that forbids waiting in line."

DYKWIA: "Oh, I have Immigration Diamond status."

Confusing: "The guy in the blue shirt told me to go this way."

Really, your options are endless. Points are awarded on creativity, delivery and the shade of red that your opponent's face turns. You may end up getting punched for it, but you'll have a story that lasts a lifetime, and that's just invaluable.

Mike

Carl Johnson

If I could do it without undue inconvenience, I would tell the lady about Global Entry - it's available to anyone who can pass a background check, it costs only $100 for 5 years, it makes the border clearance process much easier.

I had somebody toot his horn at me as I was coming out of the Duty-Free at the Peace Arch crossing and entering the NEXUS lane, but I'm sure that he didn't know I was NEXUS and was trying warn me, in order to keep me from busting the lane and causing massive inconvenience for myself.

Nobody likes line crashers, and that's what this lady thought was going on - if you share knowledge and help people understand, you can make everybody's experience easier.

Carl Johnson

Oh my Lord. Customs!?!?!?! Immigration can take a few minutes per passenger, but there shouldn't be that kind of a line at customs. My wife's a permanent resident and when she has come in to SEA she has gotten through immigration and customs in under an hour. We are both GE by way of NEXUS, but we have not come in together since becoming GE, and a couple years ago she tried it and couldn't get the machine to work and a massive line built up at immigration. But they added some staff and it cleared much faster than they had initially said. And then customs was easy, with the longest wait being at the carousel. Now there are kiosks for all returnees at immigration, and she uses them and doesn't try GE, and she just breezes through.

Customs doesn't take long per passenger - IAH CBP is doing something wrong.

JoeBas

Yup, this was customs at IAH - AFTER the luggage claim.

FWIW, the customs agents busted out the tried and true "We weren't expecting all these planes to arrive at once" excuse... because, you know, planes just drop out of the skies and drop these pesky passengers with no rhyme or reason... ... ...

chollie

I've gone through 45-minute lines at LAX - for customs. They were questioning every single pax and it added up, particularly because there were many non-native English speakers. I don't know if that is standard for LAX - I haven't experienced it elsewhere.

Ysitincoach

A bum hurt TSO?

Did she yell, "ma'am, ma'am, ma'am!!!!!" "What I need for you to do for me...."

Often1

There are all manner of know it alls who want to tell you how to board an aircraft, where to put your things, how to pass through Customs and the like. Unless they are airline employees, CBP Officers and so on, just ignore them.

The worst thing you can do is to engage them. If they actually physically confront you, summon assistance.

While the temptation in OP's situation is to say, "oh no, we're very important and don't have to wait in line like you poor slobs because we're better than you," that really doesn't help things much.