Originally Posted by
maninblack
This is generally my response as well, it's 2019, there's no stopping it. Heck, I'm using my phone for whatever if I was stuck in line too. Unless you're talking on the phone or taking photos. Bonus points for talking on the phone while walking up to us. That's an easy referral. I know a guy at Chicago that had a hard-on for cell phones and other trivial rules, i'm wondering if this was the same guy hmmmm
I agree totally with this response. The second agent had the pragmatic view. The first agent, just in case that its the same guy was a rather greasy, curly haired beared gent wearing black gloves. The second agent appeared to have little in the way of empathy for his actions. I didn't notice signs but I don't dispute that they exist. .Thumping on windows and yelling at people in a queue 20 yards away is both pointless and a never-ending battle with no return. Every 10 seconds Immigration officers are asking for information from travellers from phones e.g. itinerary showing hotel booking and return ticket etc. To get that information, I do have to actually switch my phone on. Its like anything else in the LE arena. Use judgementand discretion in the exercise of powers. If some agents have a thin skin or like to bark at people who clearly pose no threat then perhaps LE is not the vocation for them.
Originally Posted by
garykung
CBP bans cellphone usage so that passengers can't contact anyone. For example, smugglers usually work in a team. So by banning cellphone usage, the person at the front can't signal the person after. Mobile Passport app users have a designated lane away from the main lanes. Hence, signaling out those who has a legitimate need for cellphone usage.
This is an incorrect assumption.