I went to Malta years ago with a friend and her OH. We were all stopped and interrogated at customs. Based on the questions we were asked, we suspect they thought that friend's boyfriend and I were actually family members of locals and pretending not to be. I still can't figure out why that made us dangerous.
It's more a case of if you lie about knowing somebody what reason is there for the lie.
When we were in the USA my wife was stopped when we got off an internal flight. The lady who stopped her could see she was concerned and told her not to worry it really was entirely random, based on ticket numbers. I had both pieces of hand luggage and asked if she wanted my wife's. She declined, saying this is only going to take a few seconds, and it did.
Its not "entirely random" when your in a wheelchair I can assure. Every and I mean every time we've travelled the wife is stopped and searched. Wheelchair swiped for who knows what and then patted down. If your disabled and in a wheelchair your deliberately targeted for a search because they cant put you through the scanner because of the metal in the wheelchair.
Sorry @Kili I wasn't referring to the wheelchair checks, just the comments of the person checking my wife. I have no reason to doubt what she said in that situation.
Forty years ago we were once stopped while entering the USA with only a few dollars on our persons. We had an Amex card and an American bank account and were planning on staying with relatives, but they were only interested in why we had so little cash.
Were we planning on working in the United States, they wanted to know.
”Who the hell would want to work here?” my OH asked. Not a good way to endear yourself to the authorities. After that they went and checked that we really did have relatives (one a high-powered attorney) and bank account and Amex card.
He’s not very good at dealing with pen pushers is my OH.
The US has always been convinced that everyone really wants to live in their country. In 1976, I applied for a tourist visa to visit my Pen Pals in Honolulu for 3 weeks. What a performance.......... the 1st query was why I, as a married woman, wished to travel to the US without my husband. Then when I explained that I was actually an individual and was allowed out on my own, their next query was why was I intending to visit someone I had never met in person with the inference being that I intended to gain entry to the US and settle there despite the fact that proof was provided that I was a joint home owner in the UK and was in full time employment. I got so fed up with the sheer idiocy that I contacted my MP who then contacted the US Embassy's visa department. That didn't go down very well and I received a very snotty letter some time later suggesting that I should refrain from seeking assistance from the UK govt. I did eventually obtain grudging permission to visit the US on that occasion . Their attitude wasn't much better even some 20 odd years later. My OH, on his way home from Panama was dumped in New York ( flight problems ) awaiting an ongoing flight to the UK. His treatment by Immigration officials followed a similar pattern - Who, Why, etc. Valid ticket, valid Passport but the officials still took some convincing that he wasn't planning on remaining there.
It's probably standard procedure rather than "targetting" to check wheelchair users manually because they can't go through the scanner. If wheelchair users didn't get checked (not scanned and only a randomly-selected small proportion manually checked) the criminal fraternity would exploit that weakness for smuggling etc. You can't tell who's a criminal and who isn't just by looking, unfortunately.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
Why does America assume that everybody would like to live there? It certainly wouldn't be on the top of my list even though I haven't got children of school age.
Our experience of most US border personnel is that they are downright unfriendly, not simply showing professional detachment. We have met a couple of really friendly one's but they have been very much the exception. We were asked how we could take 3 weeks holiday in one lump and the person asking the questions was shocked to discover that we both got 6 weeks annual leave plus Bank Holidays. They said they only got 2 weeks leave per year.
Back in the 1960s my aunt, a nun and dressed in full fig, was returning through Heathrow back to her convent in France. Immigration pulled her to one side, with fulsome apologies, as they said her habit was a perfect foil for smuggling. Aunt Mary thought it was a hoot.
I think it was on that occasion she turned round and found herself almost face to face with the Queen who gave my aunt an almost imperceptible bow of the head in deference to her religion.
Mary was quite a character and during WW2 was involved in smuggling Allied service personnel through Vichy France.
Somebody told me that they once saw a bloke get out of a car and don the full Burkha kit. Maybe he was transgender and maybe he wasn't. If I worked for security, I would always check nuns and religious looking blokes in frocks. Didn't ladies in the past hide dogs and who knows what under their voluminous skirts?
In town earlier and watched a woman complete with face mask, carrying a pack of 4 drinks from Costa. She left the coffee shop and then ran across 5 lanes of traffic rather than walking 20 yards and using the proper crossing. What does that dozy mare think she is at greater risk from these days - Covid or being run over by a car??!!
Once on the other side of the road she walked past the crossing anyway.
Posts
Sorry @Kili I wasn't referring to the wheelchair checks, just the comments of the person checking my wife. I have no reason to doubt what she said in that situation.
I did eventually obtain grudging permission to visit the US on that occasion .
Their attitude wasn't much better even some 20 odd years later. My OH, on his way home from Panama was dumped in New York ( flight problems ) awaiting an ongoing flight to the UK. His treatment by Immigration officials followed a similar pattern - Who, Why, etc. Valid ticket, valid Passport but the officials still took some convincing that he wasn't planning on remaining there.
It certainly wouldn't be on the top of my list even though I haven't got children of school age.
I think it was on that occasion she turned round and found herself almost face to face with the Queen who gave my aunt an almost imperceptible bow of the head in deference to her religion.
Mary was quite a character and during WW2 was involved in smuggling Allied service personnel through Vichy France.