Originally Posted by
binman
JFK DFW DEN EWR PHX LAX and arriving by ship have been painless in last 5 years. LAX was the longest wait. BOS the worst but about 10 years ago as my son threw up in the queue.
The set up in T2 on Monday meant everyone was directed to E Gates. There was the one non U.K. Eu EEA queue which had less than a dozen in it. The egates allow Swiss citizens and others to use them but at the baggage belt it states if you are holding passports of these countries (countries are listed) and used the egate you should return to the desk to get a stamp !!!!
I was there last week and at T2 there were three lines, the eGates, the queue for those ineligible to use the eGates (under 12s, non biometric passports, no passports at all, if you need a stamp etc) and the queue for the non UK, Eu EEA people. Not sure what that sign is all about. There was a sign saying that you may need a stamp if certain conditions are met from certain countries, maybe that's what you saw?
Originally Posted by
binman
I don’t agree that you can’t compare. Singapore for example had /has landing cards that stated in capital letters “Death for Drug Traffickers” yet I cannot recall a more friendly, efficient and welcoming experience. You can have strict and robustly delivered laws and still be welcoming, after all most people are law abiding and compliant.
Sorry, what I meant was that you can't compare being stopped because your name is on a watchlist, since that's more likely to happen if you have a UK name etc, as I described above. Obviously staff and the hardware will vary around the world as you've found out.
Originally Posted by
binman
Buts it's not just about names, it’s about processes, procedures, signage, demeanour and attitude. My experience of Heathrow compared with 60 other nations over 35 years places it well outside the top 20 places to arrive .
APIS data is regulatory data and it is passed to the authorities. I don’t know if it filters to the screens of officers, but if it doesn’t then you have to wonder why it’s collected at all. Asking me where I have come from without knowing the answer, is a waste of everyone’s time. If it’s to check my answer to known data, that’s legitimate.
It's collected because there is legislation stating that carriers have to collect it.
I agree with you on that point, asking any questions of a UK passport holder is pointless and unnecessary, once it's been established that they are a UK citizen since they have an absolute right of entry (other than to establish whether or not that person is identical to a person on the watchlist).
Lol, wrong way round - If they are only allowed to ask questions that they know the answer to, then that's the waste of time!