Originally Posted by
jaws3
<quote cut>3. Should my family expect the same treatment this coming week-end when they fly YWG-MSP-DTW-AMS-DTW-MSP-YWG on a mile run? They will only be in AMS for about 2 hours before their return flight departs.<end quote cut>
Answer to above question #3 I asked earlier:
Just spoke to wife an hour ago after they had cleared DTW CBP. Only one question was asked: "Did you come from South Africa" (they have South Afican tourist visas in their passports from visit last month). Answer "No, we were in Amsterdam". She did not add they were only there for 2 hrs and 35 minutes and he did not ask. Nothing further, passports stamped and they were on their way. Total of of about 2 minutes she said.
This brings to mind two further questions to which I probably will never find the answers. Anyway, here goes:
1. why did I get a secondary from CBP 5 days ago in MSP after having done, in essence the same trip as my family 5 days later? they went MSP-DTW-AMS-DTW-MSP while I went MSP-AMS-CDG-JNB-AMS-MSP)
2. why was my family asked if they were returning from South Africa (I was returning from there but they were not)
I may be paranoid but it seems to me it has something to do with visting South Africa.
Be that as it may, all four of us have applied for NEXUS all ready and then plan to get GE via the lateral application if approved. May have to travel to US just for that "sepcial sticker" on the inside back cover of passpoort but it's worth it to try and prevent a recurence of MSP last Monday.
Perhaps I don't have the right "personality" to fly? But I find it very hard after many years of travel, to be thought of as someone who is either lying or trying to hide something. I have absoluetly no problem with random checks or screening etc, but this CBP had an attitude of "you are lying or hiding something and I will find it".