I got locked out of an eGate at DXB because of a bizarre situation.

I noticed that a man had gone through an eGate and was waiting for his partner, who was struggling scanning her passport and was going from eGate to eGate. I approached the eGate next to her and began scanning my passport. As my passport got read and authorised, the first set of doors opened. Exactly at this time, the idiot of man put his arm over the second set of doors of my eGate to give something to his partner. Obviously this was detected instantly and the first set of doors on my eGate closed, I presume the system thought that I was now in the middle part of the eGate where you look at the camera! I wasn't. Worse still, the camera was now asking me to look at it! I did my best from afar but it wasn't working.

I was stuck at this point and I tried several other eGates but I guess the first one hadn't timed out or reset itself so was still thinking that I was in there trying to look at the camera. Eventually, I managed to use a different eGate and got through immigration.

So, just be aware of anyone on the other side of your eGate standing too close to it or trying to pass something to their partner in an adjacent eGate. It messes things up for you!

"Idiots" may be a bit harsh...

Usually when you go through immigration your in an area marked “no waiting”, in Dubai no such signs as far as I remember.

I had a similar experience a few years ago somebody telling his wife what to do and he set of some sort of proximity weirdness where we all got rejected in one go.

i can’t make up my mind whether the Heathrow, treating everyone like children, or the Dubai, no help available method is the best option.

Well...you can always go to the manned immigration counters at DXB

I expect they were both alcoholics

I saw recently a family trying to get their kids through the gates by bringing them in at the same time to avoid queueing at the manned Control. I had to tell them that it wasn�t allowed and that if they didn�t check the kids through at passport control they would be for an interesting time when they next leave the country as the child won�t be registered as having entered the uae. If this is longer than a six month period their residency visas will be automatically cancelled too.
Of course the two locals monitoring the gates were stood behind a pillar playing on phones so didn�t see anything....:

Sorry, drunk idiots.

He was probably an F'er. At least that's what I called him when I got locked out of my eGate.

Careful - being rude to someone and using vulgar language is criminal in Dubai: more so than drinking.

Yes, your posts always have a certain charm about them...

- whatever happened (and we only got your recollection of events) no need to be so nasty.

Indeed, a good job he doesn't drink if he's like that sober.

Thanks for the compliment!

I was being light-hearted. I apologise if you take things too seriously. Cheers!

Isn't this whole thread about you taking a minor delay at an eGate too seriously?

Well, it was at DXB immigration and it worried me quite a bit! I don't like any complications when it comes to immigration or customs, especially in places where they don't mess around.

But I also provided useful knowledge to all of you out there that the eGates contain some kind of proximity detectors if someone ever encroaches on the space inside the eGate and how it would lock you out. I imagine most people weren't aware of that and have never experienced such an event.

You're welcome!