Humiliated, unnerved by CO agent
 

While I can well understand, and in most respect and applaud the stepped-up security and attempts to thwart terrorists flying our skies,my experience last week at IAH has left me quite bitter.
While waiting at the gate in IAH for my connecting flight to Mexico, the CO agent at the check-in counter made an announcement that we should pick up our customs forms. I approached the counter with several other people who were simply handed the forms.When I approach The agent,( a foreigner, judging by her accent) she asked to see my boarding pass. I handed it to her along with my husband's. She then asked for my photo ID-which I produced. Then she asked for my passport. I told her I didn't have a passport-I showed her my birth certificate instead, acceptable for travel to Mexico. She looks at my birth certificate, then my license, and tells me " not good enough" -my name on my license doesn't match the name on my birth certificate. I told her of course it doesn't--I've been married for 32 years! She then asked me if I had any other ID. I produced my credit cards. No, she wants to see something else with my maiden name! I told her that I did not bring my marriage certificate because I do not need it. Now my husband approached, because he saw that I was visibly upset. He showed her his ID, and she still insisted that my birth certificate wasn't good enough, implying that it was a fake! EVERYONE within earshot was gawking at us. I asked her when Mexico changed the rules. "Oh, they change them every week." So I asked if it meant that only men and never-married women could go to Mexico with a birth certificate. She said, no, that wasn't the case, took both my husband's and my boarding passes, and left the counter. She returned a few minutes later, saying a "redcoat" was coming. Another agent wearing a red jacket approached and asked to see my birth certificate. She then fingered the seal on it, further giving the impression that to these agents, I was a fake. I was livid! I told her that it was real-I'm no fake-I'm a 56 year old American citizen by birth---These 2 agents had me close to tears. Then the "redcoat" had me fill out a form stating that I was born the same place and date as listed on my birth certificate . She "notarized" it and handed it back to me. ( When I got to Mexico I looked at the form, only to see that she forged the notary's signature-for the notary stamp showed a man's name!)
Then, when the flight was boarding, the agent at the ticket counter signals to the person doing the random checks. I'm pulled aside, my carry-on placed on a table--and never searched--but I was told to take off my Sandals-so she could wand my bare feet! Then she made a big show of frisking me. Someone please tell me the purpose of this kind of treatment! It certainly had nothing to do with security or my birth certificate, The stewardess on the plane gave out the customs forms--no questions asked. Customs in Mexico only looked at the customs form and my birth certificate--no further ID required-(I asked). Coming back into the US, I showed my license and birth certificate---again no questions asked. I WILL NEVER fly with CO unless it's absolutely necessary! Enough is enough!

mommaroo: I'm sorry to hear what you went through, but I think you'll find this kind of madness on every carrier these days.

I am often quick to judge, but I don't think this is representative of this airline, moreso it is the airlineS.

What a travesty! My sympathies.... too bad the airlines no longer believe that American citizens are good customers.... we too (50 something middle western wasps) have also endured indignities, so I don't think it's racial, whatever your appearance may be, but STUPID is sure a word that comes to mind.

Write to Continental with the flight number, date, time etc. Give them all the details. Even with stepped-up security, you should be treated in a professional manner.

Given the increased security and scrutiny, I would suggest, everyone travelling outside the U.S have a passport. Just makes things quicker and easier.

Sorry to hear about your trouble. Hope the rest of the trip went better!

mommaroo: I'm not sure from what you wrote whether it was this particular agent's treatment of you that you found unacceptable, or the seeming arbitrariness of the "security" procedures themselves. For instance, I can't tell whether you object to having to remove your sandals and have your feet wanded (which I have had three times myself now since 9/11, once at the security line and twice at the gate) or the specific way they handled the situation.

The airline agents have rules to follow. If they don't they are at risk for losing their jobs. But there are ways to do it that are more professional than others.

If you do decide to write CO, you might want to make sure it didn't sound like a complaint about the security rules (which they will ignore), but more specifically about the agent's behavior.

For what its worth,

I think this is a situation where you should call the 800-WE-CARE hotline.

They may not be able to do much, but sometimes they can help.

As an aside, this is a bit bothersome and may show some biases on your side. This was completely irrelevant to how you were handled. There are US-born people that have accents (almost all the people in Charleston, SC for example http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif )

Mexico is a nightmare for regulations. If for whatever reason, they deem the papers "incorrect" they put you on the next plane back and fine the airline $10,000. This has happened to me personally.

Even the consulate website does not keep track of the changing rules. I think they do this once in a while when they are short of money. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif Gate agents that allow this to happen may be penalized by the airline.

The security check that you had to go through happens to people all the time. There may have been a better way to handle this although the "redcoat" seems to have taken care of it in the easiest way possible. I am just wondering if your perception of the agent's ethnicity is coloring your perception of the incident and your attitude towards the agent.

For the future, I strongly recommend getting a passport for international travel as someone suggested above.

Makes me remember an incident at IAH waiting to board a flight to Mexico a few years ago.

A woman and her young daughter were not permitted to board the flight without a notarized letter giving permission from the father.

It seems that CO agents at EWR had neglected to advise the passengers at check-in of the requirement (Where the father was available to provide the document)

It was a very nasty scene, not handled well by the IAH gate staff. I had a lot of sympathy for this poor woman and child. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

Getting a passport will make your life easier.

QuietLion is right. $40 will make you life MUCH easier.

Cost of passport $40 plus sometime $15 fee If you doing in at one of the applications centers like USPS. Total cost $60. If you live in one of the big cities you can go to the Service Center and have it done within couple of days or so for just $40. They are used If you have travel plans within the couple of days or weeks and can't wait the whole month to receive you passport. I don't know if they check for validity of your travel plans, but maybe someone here will know for future reference.

Hope that helps, somehow .. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

As stated above, and FWIW. . . .travel with your passport anywhere outside of the country--even if they tell you that you don't need it. It is the one form of ID that shuts up any inquiry immediately (or does someone have a different experience?).

My wife and I travelled to Mexico and she was travelling on a birth certicate issued by the U.S. in Heidelburg, Germany (military brat). The CO folks didn't have a problem with it, but the Mexicans had to be convinced that my wife was a U.S. citizen, not a German citizen. . . .it helped that she was with me and I (a real American http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif ) explained the situation to them.

Worst recent experience was in MEM with NW -- posted elsewhere--The answer as far as I can tell is to resist them, and get in "trouble" or let them have their mini power trip and report them later. Revenge is a dish best served cold. . . http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif ..

Sorry to hear about your problems. . .!!!

[This message has been edited by tvx (edited 05-08-2002).]

[This message has been edited by tvx (edited 05-08-2002).]

I appreciate all the replies, but feel that because my profile gives SC as my home state many of you believe that I am a racist. I am a white American, born and raised in NY, and one who has been personally affected by the attacks on the WTC. My only reason for pointing out that the agent spoke with a foreign accent was that I felt that she did this to me because she does not like Americans-especially ones from NY-as my ID showed. Her demeanor was malevolent. As far as the passport situation, my husband and I took care of that immediately upon our return. I truly wish I had had the passport last week---I wonder if any discrepancies can be found even with a passport--I have no problems with stepped-up security. I do have a problem when an agent deliberately tries to unnerve me. Had the agent doing the random check really been doing her job, she would have searched my carry-on where she would have found 2 dozen syringes-which we had a doctor's note for-but WE SHOULD HAVE been questioned about them.-- Wanding my bare feet??? What did she think she could possibly find in my skin??
As far as Mexico sending me back-I inquired as to the validity of my birth certificate with my maiden name when I arrived in Mexico--they told me it WASN'T a problem because the information on my driver's license was sufficient to match me with my birth name. I think the CO agents at IAH are just too consumed with their added "powers".

Wow, what a horrible experience! Just listening to your story made me cringe! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

I do agree with the others in just getting a passport. It makes life so much easier and it's much more convenient than having to bring your birth certificate.

Since my international travel for work is pretty much confined to Frankfurt, I've always had a passport. I use it for both my Canada and Mexico personal trips.

I just can't imagine what I would do if I got treated the way you did on that trip. I don't think I would have had that much self restraint. Oh well, let's just hope it doesn't happen to anyone else.

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SFnFlaGuy

[quote]<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by mommaroo:
Not to distract from the discussion at hand but if you travel as much as we do, you will soon realize that gate agents, as a whole, do not discriminate on age, sex or race when it comes to bad service. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Would it surprise you if this gate agent was as much an American as you are (perhaps even one with an American Passport already? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif ) and could have equally been affected by WTC tragedies?

Just curious. Why do you consider this GA "a foreigner" especially when you do not know his/her history and status?

PS: I, personally, don't think any state has a monopoly on racists.

I am tired of reading about individuals feeling they are being picked on when someone is obviously doing their job. Yes, the demeanor in which you were handled is an issue, but how were you reacting?

Did you notice that everyone who is subject to a random search is asked to remove their shoes? Did you stop and think that YOUR NAMES ON YOUR 2 PIECES OF ID DID NOT MATCH?
You would have blamed Continental (or any other airline for that matter) if they ahad allowed you to travel to MX and then you were not allowed to enter for improper documentation.

STOP AND THINK ABOUT IT.