It was at LAX. We almost always use PDX every summer (summer vacation in Oregon with family), but I had a little work to take care of in LA first this year. Maybe PDX immigration is just a little kinder to a returning Oregonian.

To a returning Oregonian, possibly. To anyone else though, I have my doubts. After all, PDX is also known as "De-Portland."

Then again, LAX showed up a few times in the "horrible airports" thread...

This reflects my experience exactly. Mrs. David (German) and I (US) have always asked the IO doing the "traffic directing" at the beginning of the line, and until last year were always sent to the "US Citizens" line. Last summer, the "traffic director" (a uniformed IO) sent us to the US Citizens line, but the private security person at the head of the line said that was wrong and sent us over to the Non-Citizens line. Last winter (Xmas), the traffic director said that Mrs. David could no longer use the US Citizens line, because only the Non-Citizens lines have the cameras and fingerprint readers required for non-US citizens. So, we both used the Non-Citizens line. AFAIK, this is still the situation.

One time clearing departure passport control at MUC T2, I (US citizen) was directed to us the EU National line by the folks herding us to the lines. Got through w/o a problem.

As of the end of July, I could see that the US Citizens line at LAX still had the cameras and fingerprint readers. So the rationale for sending non-US citizen family members to the Non-Citizens line may be due to plans to eventually remove the equipment (budget cuts?) now used to process non-US citizens, from the US Citizens line?

Might as well keep the equipment where it is as isn't it only a matter of time before Immigration starts taking photos and fingerprints of US citizens as well?

This is getting to be almost as farcical as the time I inquired of Immigration here in Japan as to why dual citizenship (for adults) was not allowed. The official's answer: "If the US and Japan went to war, then there would be a problem as to whose side the dual national would have to fight on."

BTW, thanks for the input, david7031. :-:

IME all the desks have all the equipment, because the roles are allocated according to demand and a desk may be switched from "citizens" to "visitors" at any time.

That said, this week Mrs c and I used the visitors line at ORD in preference to the citizens lines, because it was much shorter.

Funny!! I actually got barked at in Russia for being in the correct line also. It was in Moscow during 2000 and my first time flying international and I was by myself. My russian friends were on the other side of the looking glass waiting for me. In the passport control line some people said you only had to declare foreign currency if it was over $1500. Well, I didn't want to be one of those idiots who just believed things strangers in line said and get arrested. So, I read the signs saying to declare any foreign currency, looked at the lines, and being that the declaration line was shorter I went with that.

The woman in front of stopped to fill out a form so the guy asked for mine. I had fibbed a little and wrote $840 USD although I really had $843 so I was a little nervous. The guy glared at me and said in a condescending voice "You have $840??!!" I meekly said "Yes." (wasn't ready to fess up to the extra $3) He replied "What are you doing in this line?!" ME: "The sign says if you have foreign currency...." HE: "That's only if you have over $1500." ME: "I heard some people saying that but I didn't know if it was true.." HE (angrily): "JUST GO!" ME: "Uh, can I get my stuff?" (It was on the conveyor already. So, he thrust the reverse button, I grabbed my stuff and ran (ok, walked) out.

In LAX my bf (russian citizen) and I would usually both go through the US Citizens line. I normally would ask if he could go with me and they acted bored and said whatever. That's been awhile though since he's now my ex.