As one who has to interact with INS and Customs personnel sometimes up to 6 or more times a day. I will find that there are some very polite, considerate personnel who its a pleasure to work with. Unfortunately there are some real A-holes who are on a power trip just because they have some special authority and carry a gun. Without attempting to cast any aspersions most of the ones who I encounter with bad attitudes all seem to ex-military.

Most of my contact is a seaports and much too often I have seem INS delay the loading or all vessel operations for sometime hours just because the crew-list presented to them was not in alphabetical order - thus costing somebody ( the charterers, the terminal or others parties involved) thousands of dollars.
Most of the agents are to scared to complain feraing that they might be singled out for retribution.
mike