# Cruise Passengers suffer 7 hour immigration check



## James_C (Feb 17, 2005)

Story here: 

http://travel.aol.co.uk/2011/06/07/...gers-endure-7-hour-us-revenge-security-check/

US immigration officials petty and discourteous? Surely not!


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## John N MacDonald (Apr 1, 2008)

Nothing new there!


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## billmaca (Jan 14, 2006)

Easy answer to that is, don't go to the states


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## Satanic Mechanic (Feb 23, 2009)

James_C said:


> Story here:
> 
> http://travel.aol.co.uk/2011/06/07/...gers-endure-7-hour-us-revenge-security-check/
> 
> US immigration officials petty and discourteous? Surely not!



They are very special people - great 'Homeland security' moments - I arrived at the gangway at the same time as the two inspectors in Camden

"On you go lads" I say gesturing for them to go in front

One actually put his hand on his pistol as the other said

"You go first - NOBODY walks behind Homeland Security"

"Ok I'll go first"

"You have a problem with that"

"Why would I have a problem over first up the gangway priviledges"

"Don't get smart"

"Eh"

"I said don't get smart"

"I heard what you said... look tell you what how about I just go up the gangway eh and we'll say nothing more about it"

"We'll be the judge of that"

"Of what?"

"Of whether there is anything else to be said about it"

"ok - how about I just go up the gangway" 

"Ok"

"Ok"

3/O comes up behind them from ashore after checking the draft marks

"On you go lads"(Jester)

I took the opportunity to just go up the gangway and have done with it - they eventually arrived about 10 minutes later due in a large part to the queue that had built up behind them


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## Don Matheson (Mar 13, 2007)

I wonder just how many terrorists the CBP actually found while checking elderly tourists on a UK ship? Fairly typical of the present attitude, noting like the frendly and polite officers I always seem to meet on numerous visits to the US, on ship.business and vacation.
Have a friend who recently started with homeland security at an airport in Hawai. Didnt stay long as she reckoned she had never met such a bunch of hicks and biggots in her life.

Don


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## NoMoss (Mar 14, 2007)

I discovered several years ago that US Immigration officials do not have a sense of humour. When asked what was the purpose of my visit I stupidly said 'Just coming to spend Chrismas with my daughter and her daughter.'
'What is her status?' I wasn't sure but thought she was waiting for her Green Card. Since then I stick to 'Vacation' and leave it at that.


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## Keltic Star (Jan 21, 2006)

No different from entering the UK with a passport issued by the USA or one of the Commonwealth countries that helped to save Britain's ar-e in two World Wars. Grilled by some implant from Upper Wonga Bonga while the enemy who killed so many is welcomed with open arms.


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## GlennysF (Jun 5, 2011)

Try being a dual citizen and using your NZ passport when travelling to the UK. Even when you're first in line at Immigration you get shoved out of the way to let a whole plane load of Bulgarians through first.


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## Satanic Mechanic (Feb 23, 2009)

Keltic Star said:


> No different from entering the UK with a passport issued by the USA or one of the Commonwealth countries that helped to save Britain's ar-e in two World Wars. Grilled by some implant from Upper Wonga Bonga while the enemy who killed so many is welcomed with open arms.


 

This is why cousins shouldn't marry


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## Satanic Mechanic (Feb 23, 2009)

GlennysF said:


> Try being a dual citizen and using your NZ passport when travelling to the UK.


Why would you do that?


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## GlennysF (Jun 5, 2011)

I'm not the dual citizen. My husband is. He'd forgotten to renew his other passport so had to use his Kiwi one. 

He'll never forget passport renewal again.


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## spongebob (Dec 11, 2007)

Yes, if you are lucky enough to have a UK passport as well you can get away with placing your partner's colonial one inside yours to get through the faster entry checks.
It worked 12 years ago but maybe I will get a rude awakening next time.

Bob


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## Satanic Mechanic (Feb 23, 2009)

GlennysF said:


> I'm not the dual citizen. My husband is. He'd forgotten to renew his other passport so had to use his Kiwi one.
> 
> He'll never forget passport renewal again.


Fair enough - so why would they fast track a planeful of people 

and if you were going to do that - why put them through the non EU line if the were EU citizens. Never seen anything like that before at immigration - security yes but not immigration and I spend an awful lot of time in immigration. 

One good tip though - if you are travelling to the UK avoid the London airports, between the strict passport checks and the shear amount of people - it is a new type of hell


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## GlennysF (Jun 5, 2011)

spongebob said:


> Yes, if you are lucky enough to have a UK passport as well you can get away with placing your partner's colonial one inside yours to get through the faster entry checks.
> It worked 12 years ago but maybe I will get a rude awakening next time.
> 
> Bob


Actually, I read recently on the UK government website that you can apply to have your partner's passport specially stamped to allow him/her to go with you through the quicker checks.


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## GlennysF (Jun 5, 2011)

Satanic Mechanic said:


> Fair enough - so why would they fast track a planeful of people
> 
> and if you were going to do that - why put them through the non EU line if the were EU citizens. Never seen anything like that before at immigration - security yes but not immigration and I spend an awful lot of time in immigration.


Who knows - too many EU citizens coming in at once maybe. All I remember of that hellish time was being horribly embarrassed by buggerlugs (husband) who lost his temper and shouted at the poor Immigration people.

We won't be making the same mistake again.


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## Satanic Mechanic (Feb 23, 2009)

GlennysF said:


> who lost his temper and shouted at the poor Immigration people.


Tip No.2 


Never ever do this - this is a definition of pointless activity(Thumb)


(as I am sure you found out)

I mean it though - try and avoid London airports - its like a circus down there


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Some years ago I arrived at Heathrow with my wife. My UK passport had expired so I used my Australian one. My wife, an Australian, had an Australian passport with a stamp from the British Consulate giving her permission to stay in the UK forever, work, get the dole, and generally do what she liked - all courtesy of my Britsh citizenship (she keeps this right even if we get divorced). She breezed straight through. The Immigration man said to me: "You're obviously Britsh, why haven't you got a British passport?" I replied: "It ran out and the Australian one was cheaper." He gave me an unimpressed look and stamped my passport with "Permitted to remain for three months, not permitted to work, not permitted to draw benefits".

On recent visits I've found it quicker to ignore the UK Residents and EU gates and go straight to the 3rd World one. Either that or fly to Manchester, which is much quicker, as long as you don't arrive at the same time as 500 drunk Mancunians in massive sombreros!

John T


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## NZSCOTTY (May 20, 2006)

spongebob said:


> Yes, if you are lucky enough to have a UK passport as well you can get away with placing your partner's colonial one inside yours to get through the faster entry checks.
> It worked 12 years ago but maybe I will get a rude awakening next time.
> 
> Bob


Worked for me last year so I hope it works again next month!


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## JoK (Nov 12, 2006)

Americans are crazy, I hope never to have their level of paranoia. Their government encourages it, I swear.


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## Coastie (Aug 24, 2005)

JoK said:


> Americans are crazy, I hope never to have their level of paranoia. Their government encourages it, I swear.



I think you're right!(LOL)

We, on the other hand have been bombed and terrorised so many times we're almost complacent!


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## Coastie (Aug 24, 2005)

"The US has a record for the most stringent and thorough security and entry requirements in the world, and they felt the need to enhance their security checks further, which they have the power to do."

Hmm, they obviously haven't met the Israeli Security people yet!!


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## Alex Salmond (Mar 7, 2011)

Satanic that mad old lunatic is back!! , how did he get back in ? were the Rotties sleeping??you sneak up behind him with the net while i distract him with some Rap music that ll have him frothing at the mouth..OK


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## Gareth Jones (Jul 13, 2007)

I travelled to join ships in the USA quite a few times and found the airport immigration/customs officers perform to the same standards every time.
Ignorant, arrogant, rude, surly, obstructive.


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## G0SLP (Sep 4, 2007)

Gareth Jones said:


> I travelled to join ships in the USA quite a few times and found the airport immigration/customs officers perform to the same standards every time.
> Ignorant, arrogant, rude, surly, obstructive.


Houston, Newark, Miami - I agree completely. (Especially Miami (MAD) ). However, I arrived in the US at Atlanta for onward connection to Corpus Christi a couple of years ago - COMPLETELY different attitude. I was made to feel welcome - that old 'Southern hospitality', perhaps?


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## JoK (Nov 12, 2006)

Gareth Jones said:


> I travelled to join ships in the USA quite a few times and found the airport immigration/customs officers perform to the same standards every time.
> Ignorant, arrogant, rude, surly, obstructive.


I did the one trip to New Orleans 25 years ago by ship, this descriptions fits.
I crew changed and the ships agent drove me to the airport and immigration to head back to Canada. Same Customs guy is at the airport desk that had greeted the ships arrival, but now he is nice and cheery, like best buds.
Doesn't that sound so good for tourism: 
"Don't come here and we are glad to see your backside going up the plane ramp to leave."

I took the hint and didn't go back other then flying through NY to go to Berlin 5 years ago for work. That won't happen again.
Sheeple.


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## Pat Kennedy (Apr 14, 2007)

I can honestly say I've never had a problem with US immigration, in fact most have some quip about my name, asking me am I a relation of JFK's family. I always grin and nod and get waved through.
I really think the best approach is to say as little as posible, dont crack any jokes, and call them 'sir', they love that


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## barrinoz (Oct 9, 2006)

When asked the reason for your visit, _never_ say any of the following:
"Momentary lapse of reason."
"I've come to improve the breed."
"To visit an insane relative."
"Apply for planning permission to build a mosque."
"I'm looking for the recipe for baked bomb Alaska."
barrinoz.


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## Alex Salmond (Mar 7, 2011)

G0SLP said:


> Houston, Newark, Miami - I agree completely. (Especially Miami (MAD) ). However, I arrived in the US at Atlanta for onward connection to Corpus Christi a couple of years ago - COMPLETELY different attitude. I was made to feel welcome - that old 'Southern hospitality', perhaps?


Whit!!? Let me give you my little yarn about "SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY"
I have posted a few photys of when I was on the good ship Wiltshire a Bibby Line gas tanker in 1971 it was only my third trip to Sea so everything was a Big Adventure we were in either Lake Charles Louisiana or Mobile Alabama Deep South onyway I was only just turned 18 so used to tag along behind all the older guys when they went ashore like a pesky wee brother they all decided to walk to the nearest bar so off we went strolling up the road not a care in the world about 10 of us me like a babe in the woods at the back ,streets busy but Ehh everyone has a black face ...whatever noise ,music lights its a bar HELLO here we go etc.. walks in silence music stops all the faces (black ) turn and stare at us now I was naive then but not that naive ,should we be here i thinks but no nothing fazed these guys ,by the way the whole crew apart from me were off the Furryboot toon (Aberdeen) pool Orkneys,shelties guys from buckie and banff and places of that ilk Happy Bams in other words they just carry on up to the bar and order drinks,The BIGG black bartender rumbles at us like that dude out the Green Mile"I think you boys are a little lost here"D,ye sell booze ?inquires lunatic #1 Yup D,ye huv music inquires lunatic #2 Yup well thers woman here too so Naw we re in the right place,well that was it strangers in town and we had a great time once they knew we werent from around them thar parts so after several hours of fun and hilarity we decide to go somewhere else says our goodbyes and head off into the night,gets up the road a bit and this is where it gets a bit scary ,
A black and white prowl car follows us then turns his flashers on and hits the siren.
Window slowly winds down and this huge very white cop with mirror shades (honestly), I know,i know sounds like In the Heat of the Night Eh but its all true,stares at us for a minute and says "What the [email protected]# are you boys doing here ? "(EEK) by this time there wasnt another soul on the street even my Teuchter mates were subdued Eh we,re just looking for another bar for a drink we says ,Scary cop looks at us again and says "This heres [email protected]#%town you boys dont belong here amongst the Jigs get your [email protected]## uptown cos if I see you again I,ll run you in and then youll be real sorry"(EEK)what about that then? We got Southern Hospitality all right just not where you might have expected it.


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## barrinoz (Oct 9, 2006)

Reminds me of a time in New York. On the Nottingham, I think, but maybe Canberra Star, 'bout '67/68. Anyway, me and another guy, from Coventry, I think, go ashore alone. Name of Terry Hill - spitting image of Roger Daltry - used to have birds asking for his autograph. I tried, unsuccessfully , to pass myself off as Keith Moon but I couldn't play the drums for nuts. We end up in this bar playing all this great Blues music and chockers with black folks. Everybody was up dancing and the place was heaving. We soon noticed we were the only white boys in there - and so did they. We were sitting in this wee booth thingy and about four of five black dudes and dudettes come over and ask us what the f*** we thought we were doing, didn't we know that no effing ******* were allowed in there. Being a wee crofter boy from Barra I didn't even know what a ****** was so Terry did the talking. Once they heard the accents and discovered we were off a ship from England (they don't do Great Britain) they were all over us. Half the bar wanted to say Hi and we had a great time.
barrinoz.


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## spongebob (Dec 11, 2007)

I might have mentioned this before but a bloke I worked with restored a 1928 vintage Ford Model A tourer in NZ, shipped it to Los Angeles then drove it across the USA to New York on his honeymoon. The interest attracted many offers and he sold it for a good profit to finance his ongoing holiday in the UK.
After he cleared LA Customs he was driving through the Watts district and stopped to make some adjustments to the carburetor. A crowd quickly gathered all full of questions about the old car when suddenly there was a wail of sirens and a couple of squad cars converged on the scene. 
The police explained that they had stopped in a notorious black district where most white men fear to tread and in spite of the driver's insistence that the onlookers had been entirely friendly the cops insisted on escorting them out of the area and onto a safe freeway. 

Bob


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## tom roberts (May 4, 2008)

Whats new about U.S. imigration,in New Orleans on the Novelist as j.o.s.aged 16 I was asked if I was a commie hell I wasnt old enough to vote I replied and he said you want to go ashore answer yes or no,and then a short arm inspection and then the bigotry and racial predudice I witnessed shocked me ,land of the free my a***e.


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## Ron Dean (Aug 11, 2010)

Coastie said:


> "The US has a record for the most stringent and thorough security and entry requirements in the world, and they felt the need to enhance their security checks further, which they have the power to do."
> 
> Hmm, they obviously haven't met the Israeli Security people yet!!


I agree - arriving at Ashdod in 2001 I was asked to open my SLR camera. I protested as I didn't want lose any shots I'd already taken.
After some arguement I was told to operate the camera - i.e. take a photograph. The young security girl wouldn't let me take her photograph, so that's why there's a photograph captioned "Ron's left trainer" in the photo album. (Hippy)


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

We had Israeli's down as Crew who went ashore and came back with different head's on.(EEK)


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## John Cassels (Sep 29, 2005)

Just back from a four week caravan trip to Scotland. When we went through
security control prior to boarding the ferry back to Ijmuiden , we were subject
to a complete check. Inside the caravan was checked - every nook and crany -I had a complete body check. What I don't understand is why have this on 
leaving the UK . why not on entering the country ?.


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

John, I think Class A is cheaper here to buy in bulk than in your part of Europe, where did you visit in GB?. Or, you old friend Yorky Boy may have spotted your car and had a word in the right ear to give you a going over.(Jester)


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## R58484956 (Apr 19, 2004)

Arriving in NY in the 50's we had to go before 3 immigration chaps who asked if you were a commie or was mum or dad/aunt/uncle/grannie one. I asked them on one trip that if I was a commie, alI had to say "no I am not". They told me that a true commie would never say that. All crew went before these "gents" in order of seniority so on a quick turn around the bell hops did not have a chance to get ashore. The French soon got pissed off with this routine and started to do the same routine when a US ship docked in France. Shortly afterwards we went once more to the goons and was then presented with a credit card size photo which identified the holder as a negative commie.


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## John Cassels (Sep 29, 2005)

chadburn said:


> John, I think Class A is cheaper here to buy in bulk than in your part of Europe, where did you visit in GB?. Or, you old friend Yorky Boy may have spotted your car and had a word in the right ear to give you a going over.(Jester)


Chas , both times at DFDS terminal North Shields.
On arriving 8th.June , nobody gave a s***t. When leaving 5th July. got the complete work over . Would have thought it to be the other
way around, ie. when entering the UK or have the border control 
other thoughts. Withn all the benefits illegal immigrants seem to 
enjoy in the UK nowadays , maybe they want to keep them so as to
ensure that ( for example ) UK pensioners go further behind.

Strange country has the UK become.

Before you ask Chas , I made the same mistake on the same roundabout ( where the A1 meets the A19) , ended in the wrong lane but fortunatly there was no tank truck driver to complain.


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## Andy Lavies (Feb 12, 2006)

I've never come across a nasty one in the States, either when afloat or an air passenger. Israel is another matter! Warned to "zip the lip" or you won't get in - or worse, be delayed until you've missed your homeward flight. I shan't go there again.
Andy


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