Jasper2009

I assume she was born sometime around 1840 and hasnīt cared to follow the news?

There are 193 UN members states, add a few other territories if you like, in any case itīs been a looooong time since there were ony 65 countries.

invisible

There are/were way too many candidates (unfortunately, due to living standards).

Plus, I was married for five years already.

GUWonder

I was returning to JFK from LHR and the rather young, attractive CBP employee collecting declaration forms at JFK saw my Gucci shopping bag -- had just picked up some clothes after playing in Sloane-ranger territory -- and asked if we could go shopping together there next time. [It was just one item and was in the free allowance as a resident.] I smiled and said I am not much of a shopper. That was one incident but not the only time I've had that kind of thing happen on returns to the US.

I've got different US residential addresses I've used on CBP declaration forms over the years. One CBP employee asked me if the listed town on the form had anything famous. I started rattling off people like a former senior government official (a neighbor) and some other stuff that clearly the CBP employee wouldn't know off the top of his head -- he was probably just looking for answers to be rattled off and probably too young to even know the stuff I was mentioning.

Then there was the time when CBP at the baggage claim exit asked me if I was carrying loose diamonds on my person. I couldn't help but to chuckle given the lady who had just passed in front of me without any questions. I said something like "no, but that woman ahead looks like she had a lot of 'bling'".

Wonderboynyc

As would only happen in CH.

Upon going through passport control in ZHR, the offier looked at my passport which was a bit bent having been in many pockets and said "You need to take better care of your passport."

BigFlyer

Are you saying that you did not enroll in Global Entry, but the Global Entry machine processed you and gave you a slip of paper without an X on it?

I find that surprising

CMK10

Yep. The CBP agent directed us all to the machines. I have a picture of my slip to prove it (I can show you, I have a terrible mugshot on it ), it was a huge surprise to be directed there and then I had to figure out how to work the machine!

BigFlyer

Ordinarily, it matches fingerprints to those it takes at the Global Entry interview. Did you have to touch your fingers to the screen so the machine could get fingerprints?

GUWonder

APC kiosks operational at MIA.

APC kiosks at MIA. Or GE kiosks? Both kinds of kiosks produce slips of paper without an X on them. The APC kiosks produce a slip of paper with a photo on it. APC kiosks don't use fingerprints. APC kiosks get confused for GE kiosks by some who don't know much about GE. I'm not sure what was the situation for this FTer, but sounds to me more like APC kiosks.

Interim

Coming back from Montreal over the Champlain–St. Bernard de Lacolle border crossing with a friend of mine. At the time I had worked for a well known car-sharing company, but the large SUV I was driving was a rental from a competitor.

CBP: Whose car is this?
Me: It's a rental.
CBP: Can I see the rental agreement.
Me: There isn't a physical one. It's all done online through RelayRides. They are like Airbnb for cars.
CBP: Oh okay. What do you do?
Me: I work for <insert name of competing car sharing company>.
CBP: Is this a work vehicle?
Me: No, this is a personal rental from RelayRides. An individual rented their car to me via the service.
CBP: What do you do at <competing car sharing company>?
Me: Marketing.
CBP: Do ya guys rent trucks? (Referring to the type of large SUV I was driving.)
Me: Uhm...yes.
CBP: Have a good day.

CMK10

Yeah I'd agree, and I certainly qualify as someone who does not know much about GE. Wish I'd done my research before telling the story but hey! Now I know for next time

emma69

I've not had much interaction with UK customs and immigration (and on one occasion due to some open corridors at a London airport, completely and utterly bypassed both!) but a bit more with US and Canadian.

Some years ago I was taken to NY for a graduation trip. the US agent asked why was I going to NY, etc. told him it was a graduation gift, then eh asks what my degree was in, I answer, then he proceeded to ask me at least a dozen really detailed questions that I struggled a bit with - he really knew his stuff. I still don't know if he just wanted an opportunity to talk, or he doubted my degree.

Fast forward a few years, I made several trips to the US for business over a period of about 3 months. Then I flew into the US for a friend's wedding - they would not believe that it was a personal trip - I showed them the hotel booking, an email I had printed out with the ceremony details, but the thing that really threw them, and made them stop asking things was 'I have been over x times on business, never had an issue, why on earth would I lie this time".

Coming back into Canda a few years ago, I had been given some Italian cheese by a friend. I had looked in great detail into whether I could bring it back, and found, provided it met certain conditions (type of cheese, weight, value etc.) I could. Canadian agent told me he had never in all his X years had someone declare cheese as honestly as I did! He told me he was proud of me!

ls17031

Since there's no such thing as US departure Immigration YMMV with the rest of the story.

aceman

flying into DLD (geilo airport, norway) years ago from the UK, landed, to a band playing and hot wine being passed around. Chatting to a fellow pax who mentioned customs, I said, odd, where was customs and they pointed to a shed. Walked into the shed and asked where customs were, one person left in there pointed outside, and said "they're all getting drunk on the free wine, we all went outside to see if your plane would crash, its the first one of its size thats ever landed at our airport before!"

Fredd

The poster might have been referring to YHZ's US Immigration preclearance, as he or she was traveling onward to India.

StevenSeagalFan

Upon coming back to the US from Iceland last year:

CBP: How long were you in Iceland?
Me: A day
CBP: A DAY!? Step right over there....(to the bag search area)

Once in the bag search area that officer was thoroughly searching my bag and asking me questions, but then upon learning that I only went for a day because I was an airline employee and had to get back to work and was flying standby the mood changed, he quickly finished my bag search, never asked me to take off my coat or empty my pockets and let me on my way.