Well.. I've gotten quite a few drillings about what I've been up to overseas, especally coming back from SE Asia and South America.. took maybe 15 minutes with the customs officer after coming from Asia. When I told them I flew through Singapore outta the region, that easied their minds a bit.

Hong Kong and China took 10 seconds, I was shocked.

My friend HATES LAX.. they grill her like crazy, she said.

Yes US CBP treats their own citizens like crap
 

Have you noticed if this more intense scrutiny is a more recent phenomenon (say beginning the latter half of last year) or have you always received this treatment? Do you or your friend sense that you or they are "flagged" in the BICE/CBP database for whatever reason?

Might want to check out the following FT thread:

After 30 years of travel new problem for me at Customs

I came across this thread while searching....


700 dollars?!??!

That seems a little outrageous - More then the price of the equipment itself!

I remember going to Cancun doing the Red Light/Green Light fiasco - always a little scary.

I'm sure i'm not flagged. I left the county a few times since that post in 04 and had nothing but one or two questions.

I just drove into Mexico this past weekend and they also have a red/green light setup at the car checkpoint and I always get nervous when about to drive through and see the green light that says Pase :)

I did get stopped one time at like 1am at the red light. Very cursory check and I was on my way.

Sad, but true....

As a recent poster alluded to, my experience is that U.S. citizens get more hassles from their own customs people than they do from other countries' agents.

That said, I've still found most of them to be courteous and professional. Perhaps this little story can shed some insight....

I was going through U.S. customs at Pearson airport in Toronto not long ago. After clearing me, I asked the agent how he liked living and working in Toronto. He replied that he wouldn't know....he was always working. Long days, six days a week usually. He said on his days off he usually was just too tired to enjoy the city.

------------
Got back (SFO) from Bulgaria yesterday. First customs guy asked me how long I was gone for (5 days, err, 6 :D ) and if I'd been anywhere else (just changing planes in Germany). On my way. Then after the luggage grab (carry on only, thank you), I approached the customs woman who directs me to either leave or have a secondary chat. I'm fluish and haven't shaved in several days. She asks me why I went to Bulgaria -- to see my girlfriend (true). Wow. Why isn't she here? She's still in Bulgaria. Why didn't you bring her back? She hasn't finished school. (Linguistics major at U. of Sofia) She smiled and told me to exit to the right. :)

I was flagged in the BICE/CBP database.


For background, I've made 20 or so trips in the past year from NYC to Colombia.

In November (the Saturday after Thanksgiving) I was asked a new set of questions from the Immigration Officer at EWR. Without going into details, this concerned a criminal matter long since adjudicated from the mid-1980s.

The IO was courteous throughout the questioning and said I would need to go to IBIS "to take the flag off". He said it would only take a few minutes and there was nothing to be nervous about.

Once at IBIS, another officer took my passport and read/typed away at his computer. Didn't ask me any questions and then apologized for any inconveniece.

I then went to clear customs (carry-on bag only) and was told to go to secondary screening. Mayne coincidence, maybe not - but it was the first time I was ever given a secondary screening coming home.

Again, the officer was very courteous, took everything out of my bag, asked me a few questions and sent me on my way.

I've been back to Colombia 4-5 times since then (including last night) and "the flag" was indeed taken off - and I haven't been sent to secondary since either.

Frankly, after 20 short trips to Medellin, I'm surprised I'm not sent to secondary more often.

It makes sense that customs officials scrutinize their own citizens returning home: Have you bought anything abroad? Clothing? Cigarettes? Pornography? Perhaps taxes and customs duties are due? Perhaps some apples need to be confiscated? The domestic economy needs to be protected, after all.

For Americans inconvenienced by US customs: Remember the relatively enjoyable experience you had at immigration a few minutes earlier. And travel to other countries to enjoy seeing how they hassle their citizens.

Once when I was crossing from Brownsville, TX to Matamores, two teenage girls in line front of me stopped and couldn't decide who was going to go first. They just stood there, giggling and debating, so I stepped around them and got a green light. The first girl also got a green, but the second (my old spot) got the red light. Ha!

Wow, old thread! As I subsequently posted six months after the start of that thread, the flag appears to have come off for me and it has been clear sailing since.

20 trips to Colombia this year?? -- I'm surprised you aren't flagged every time!

Over 50+ trips into Mexico and nothing but green (knock wood). Too bad my luck doesn't convey to Vegas.

Three trips to Mexico and RED every time!

However, no search has taken more than 3 minutes, and twice they didn't even open all my bags!

I remember going to Cancun with the Green Light. I was concerned that the immigration man was going to ask me for a bribe since I was entering without a passport.

I think the red light / green light thing is kind of fun. I get the same rush right before I press the "spin" button on the slot machine.

Wheee! :)