Originally Posted by
KoKoBuddy
Whenever I read about "horror" stories my first thought is, the "victim" did something to provoke it. Lots of people have an attitude of "let's stick it to the man" and go looking for a fight. And yeah if I'm a border agent and I see someone who is looking for a fight, I'll give you a fight. And guess what? I'll always win that fight. For example, in the above example, I can see the smart asses of the world saying something like "well you didn't ask what state, you only asked where". And that's when the fun would start which would end with a "horror" story and a post on Flyertalk about how border agents are fascists who are shredding the constitution.
When I cross, I have passport in hand, say please and thank you, smile, answer all questions politely, and off I go with minimal hassle.
Amazing how that works, huh?
I used to be like you. Then I met a Canadian officer on a power trip when coming off a cruiseship in Vancouver. All the other lines were zipping through, everyone in my line was getting a long grilling.
So no, being nice and polite doesn't always work. And power tripping immigration/customs agents can be found the world over.