Originally posted by Carioca Canuck:
I'm glad to hear that our border "guards" are at least being polite. This process is tolerable if you are not treated rudely. I've been profiled as well in LAX by the INS and they were nice to me....thorough....but nice.
Terenz.....it was as a transiting passenger that I was put thru this process by the way, and that was in Feb 2000.
CC
May I ask if there was/is a sterile transit facility at LAX or did you mix with U.S.-orignating pax on your ongoing flight who did not enter am immigration sterile area? Were you free to leave the airport with ease and without detection and could have easily skipped the flight to wherever and remained in the U.S.?
The HNL transit facilty (gates 25-31(?)) is an immigration AND security-sterile area - similar to international transit areas at AMS, GRU, HKG, SYD, ZRH, BKK & GVA among a few. You DO NOT (have to) clear U.S. immigration and customs if you are not leaving it, and a few years back you did NOT have to see any I.N.S. officials if you were merely transiting. I haven't seen immigration officials checking pax in the transit area at any of the previously-mentioned airports.
Empress who was flying between SYD and YYZ reported that he was harassed and held at length by I.N.S. officials though he had NO intent to enter the U.S.
[This message has been edited by terenz (edited 12-25-2000).]