The Day US Customs Found a Bullet in My Pocket
Nov 1, 10, 4:01 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: ATL/SLC
Posts: 3,522
The Day US Customs Found a Bullet in My Pocket
Interesting read.
http://www.wanderingearl.com/the-day...-in-my-pocket/
The Immigration Officer swiped my passport, glanced at his computer screen and almost immediately stamped me back into the country. But just before I started to walk away he asked, “So you went to Afghanistan and Pakistan. How was it?” The only reply that I could muster up was a quiet, “Very interesting.”
He then called the next person in line and I turned away, relieved beyond belief at how well that had gone. Of course, that relief lasted a mere six seconds, right until the moment when a Customs Officer approached and asked me to step over to one of the inspection tables.
The following hour and a half of my life is a period of time that I will never forget and truthfully, never really want to endure ever again.
He then called the next person in line and I turned away, relieved beyond belief at how well that had gone. Of course, that relief lasted a mere six seconds, right until the moment when a Customs Officer approached and asked me to step over to one of the inspection tables.
The following hour and a half of my life is a period of time that I will never forget and truthfully, never really want to endure ever again.
Nov 1, 10, 5:06 pm
#2
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Very interesting.. I wonder if the CBP Officer would have reacted the same if he was not carrying the candy and books.
Nov 1, 10, 5:27 pm
#3
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Northern Nevada
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Posts: 1,640
It doesn't surprise me at all. I have been similarly "detained" for my various Middle Eastern travels and residency... and for Arab contacts in my mobile phone. The FBI wouldn't be able to tap my home phone tho - I don't have one.
Nov 1, 10, 8:32 pm
#6
Join Date: May 2005
Location: various cities in the USofA: NYC, BWI, IAH, ORD, CVG, NYC
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What a depressing, albeit wholly unsurprising (which makes it even more depressing), story.
A box of "Super Osama bin Laden Kulfa Balls" would be a fantastic souvenir (so long as neither he or henchmen get royalties).
A box of "Super Osama bin Laden Kulfa Balls" would be a fantastic souvenir (so long as neither he or henchmen get royalties).
Nov 2, 10, 12:12 am
#7
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: DTW
Posts: 234
Originally Posted by ralfp
What a depressing, albeit wholly unsurprising (which makes it even more depressing), story.
A box of "Super Osama bin Laden Kulfa Balls" would be a fantastic souvenir (so long as neither he or henchmen get royalties).
A box of "Super Osama bin Laden Kulfa Balls" would be a fantastic souvenir (so long as neither he or henchmen get royalties).
Nov 2, 10, 9:20 am
#8
Join Date: May 2003
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Originally Posted by Loren Pechtel
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Nov 2, 10, 9:31 am
#9
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I was able to load it last night, but not now.
The blogger mentioned Customs found a "bullet". I'm going to assume this refers to the inert projectile itself, not a complete cartridge with primer and powder.
The blogger mentioned Customs found a "bullet". I'm going to assume this refers to the inert projectile itself, not a complete cartridge with primer and powder.
Nov 2, 10, 9:35 am
#10
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Texas
Programs: AAL Gold, SWA, Amtrak, CAL
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Originally Posted by N965VJ
I was able to load it last night, but not now.
The blogger mentioned Customs found a "bullet". I'm going to assume this refers to the inert projectile itself, not a complete cartridge with primer and powder.
The blogger mentioned Customs found a "bullet". I'm going to assume this refers to the inert projectile itself, not a complete cartridge with primer and powder.
Nov 2, 10, 9:39 am
#11
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 843
Originally Posted by AirborneBevo
My reading of the story makes it seem like it is the full primer and powder
Nov 2, 10, 10:41 am
#12
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Texas
Programs: AAL Gold, SWA, Amtrak, CAL
Posts: 10
Originally Posted by Good Guy
This was my understanding too. A live round given as a souvenir. In it's self, not really a problem. Bullets become dangerous when they are introduced into firearms.
Nov 2, 10, 11:00 am
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2000
Posts: 37,486
There was a bit more to the story than "just a bullet". There were trips to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Osama Bin Laden candies (really!!), a bunch of religious books and an overzalous customs agent.
There is not much story to this, just an agent who put 1 and 1 together, and came to 3, which to him automatically meant "terrorist". After an interview, the guy was allowed to go.
In the rest of his story he then said his phone was tapped and he constantly got secondaries at the airport.
I'm a little hesitant to believe the FBI/phone tap part of the story, but it certaibly did make for a good read.
There is not much story to this, just an agent who put 1 and 1 together, and came to 3, which to him automatically meant "terrorist". After an interview, the guy was allowed to go.
In the rest of his story he then said his phone was tapped and he constantly got secondaries at the airport.
I'm a little hesitant to believe the FBI/phone tap part of the story, but it certaibly did make for a good read.
Nov 2, 10, 11:19 am
#14
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Originally Posted by ScottC
I'm a little hesitant to believe the FBI/phone tap part of the story, but it certaibly did make for a good read.
Dude, long before the current climate of paranoia and unfettered FBI harassment, I was active in multiple leftist organisations, all of whose members were continuously wiretapped by the FBI (indeed, one of these organisations was formally classified as a 'terrorist' organisation despite our charter, which committed us to achieving our goals through creative non-violent resistance as promoted by Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.). If they were doing that then, we can only imagine what sort of abuse they believe they can get away with now. Don't be naďve -- the FBI is an evil, abusive organisation that recognises no constraints on their behaviour.
Nov 2, 10, 11:33 am
#15
Join Date: Apr 2003
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