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Detained in the US for “Visiting Thailand Too Much”

richardbarrow.com

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Re: Detained in the US for “Visiting Thailand Too Much”

#81

Post by grecy »

jacquesm wrote: post #10

Borders have three uses: 1) to keep people out 2) to keep people in 3) to be able to search/detain people without cause I've yet to see a border that I liked. In plenty of countries this now extends to a certain distance away from the border (sometimes surprisingly large), even when you are not actively crossing or have not crossed.

> I've yet to see a border that I liked.

You need to travel more.

I spent two years driving from Alaska to Argentina through 17 countries with my Jeep. The border that gave me the most trouble? Coming into the US in Washington (off the ferry from Victoria, Canada)

Also, see "Long Way Round" where Ewan and Charlie ride motorbikes from London to NYC, "around" the earth. Which border gave them the most problems? You guessed it.

Re: Detained in the US for “Visiting Thailand Too Much”

#82

Post by jasonkester »

steven777400 wrote: post #63
jasonkester wrote: post #11

For all the mean things that border control agents get away with every day, I personally enjoy "Returning From Thailand" as my little opportunity to even the score a bit. "How long have you been gone?" "I don't know. A year, give or take? Who keeps track?" "Which countries did you visit while you were away? Your landing card just says 'most of them'" "Well probably not most of them really, but definitely enough not t…

I'm happy for you. I have a friend in a similar situation to you (in terms of travelling/freedom/finances). It doesn't inspire me to "find a better job". Frankly, it makes me suicidal (I don't mean that in a hyperbole way). I look at how successful he is and I think; I could never be that successful. He will be cavorting around the world carefree for the rest of his life, and I will chained to a cube (whether at this…

Well said. But s/lower class than you/makes 3x more than you and will be able to retire without changing anything/.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6277782

As fate would have it, my job description is the same these days, but I am in fact doing much better, financially. Still, it's worth noting that travelling the world doesn't in any way require one to be wealthy.

Re: Detained in the US for “Visiting Thailand Too Much”

#83

Post by jwr »

sschueller wrote: post #24

What I would love to do is to get stamps from the 'axis of evil' all on one page of my passport by visiting Iran, Iraq and North Korea, then travel the the US. Maybe I can get them to also stamp that page :)

You mean with a "Guantanamo Bay - ADMITTED" stamp?

(I just realized that this would be a silly and not-too-funny joke several years back, while these days it is both not silly and not funny at all)

Re: Detained in the US for “Visiting Thailand Too Much”

#84

Post by dr_ »

Few articles on here lately regarding government "security" operations and the TSA. I can sympathize with these people, however most of the issues I have personally encountered have been outside the US, not while leaving the States or upon arrival. I've recently signed up for Global Entry, which is worth it I think, if you're concerned about any of these things. You are pre-screened in advance, and pretty much not bothered with immigration beyond that when you leave or arrive (note: TSA screenings still apply, unless you are a candidate for TSA pre check which, I believe, only applies to domestic flights as of now).

Re: Detained in the US for “Visiting Thailand Too Much”

#85

Post by Jtsummers »

kintamanimatt wrote: post #61
justinator wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The way to beat rudeness is not to be rude back. I've had these same people greet me with a big smile, ask me how well I'll do in a race (they had already met many people doing the same race) and wish me good luck. Airports are stressful places and traveling in general can also be stressful. My opinion? Being rude is not your privilege. It won't fix a broken system. It just makes you personally feel better, at the ex…

I can't see how jasonkester is being rude!

> Basically, it's your opportunity to remind them that their job is to sit in a little cube talking to people who are actually out there leading exciting lives. And that their attempts to make other people's lives worse is not really doing a very good job of making their own life any better.

The assumption that those who aren't out traveling are beneath him and deserve the ill treatment that he's intending (whether they realize he's intending to be abusive or not).

Re: Detained in the US for “Visiting Thailand Too Much”

#86

Post by evadne »

jasonkester wrote: post #11

For all the mean things that border control agents get away with every day, I personally enjoy "Returning From Thailand" as my little opportunity to even the score a bit. "How long have you been gone?" "I don't know. A year, give or take? Who keeps track?" "Which countries did you visit while you were away? Your landing card just says 'most of them'" "Well probably not most of them really, but definitely enough not t…

The last time back to Vancouver, the CBSA guy actually had to be convinced that I don’t have additional clothes… I showed him a hotel business card, then he postulated that I could have left clothes in a hotel!

(I got in.)

Another gem: “No way anybody takes a 75-day vacation, I don’t even take two weeks.”

I for one do not understand their obsession with clothes. It seems to me that they focus on people with very little luggage.

Re: Detained in the US for “Visiting Thailand Too Much”

#87

Post by solistice »

arrrg wrote: post #46
ape4 wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How about the border between EU countries.

At lest in Germany the police still uses them to justify random searches. I haven’t been affected by that since I’m quite white (even though I live in one of those zones where the police can more easily search me). In the train and train stations police seems always laser-focused on inconveniencing brown and other strange looking people. They are masters at racial profiling. For white people those open borders are qu…

"white" people are stopped as well, albeit most likely not as often. I have a friend who's more German than the Bundestag, who was once stopped and screened randombly by a customs official whilst he was running to catch his bus. Tough luck.

Re: Detained in the US for “Visiting Thailand Too Much”

#88

Post by [deleted] »

tehwalrus wrote: post #47
jacquesm wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which one? Between .ch and one of the surrounding countries? Between any two Schengen countries? Between a Schengen country and a non-Schengen country? What kind? On an airfield, a shipping port or a land border? How are you moving? With a vehicle or just you? Who are you? A Citizen of a Schengen country? A Citizen of the EU? A Citizen of the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia or New-Zealand? A Citizen of anothe…

I remember cycling across the border from France to Italy once. Just a deserted alpine road, it was beautiful... Also, come to think of it, the sleeper train from Paris to Munich last summer didn't ask me for any ID at all... The time we drove from Croatia to Italy was a different story though (come to think of it, that was before it joined the EU a month ago, so probably not relevant.)

[deleted]

Re: Detained in the US for “Visiting Thailand Too Much”

#89

Post by twoodfin »

jwr wrote: post #80

As a dual-citizen I still find it mind-boggling that a US border guard asks me questions about my private life. It still isn't clear to me what can happen if I answer "wrong" (e.g. the answers do not meet his expectations). For comparison, in many (if not most) countries (I don't want to name my specific case because this could derail the discussino) a border guard presented with a passport issued by his own country…

This is a type of "behavioral profiling". They take you on a random walk down a conversation tree, and unless you're a very good liar, it will be difficult for you to answer the questions without delays, inconsistencies or other signs of prevarication.

It's a common claim around here that airport security is mostly theater and that El Al does it right. But El Al uses behavioral profiling, and as you point out, that can seem as intrusive as any scan.

Re: Detained in the US for “Visiting Thailand Too Much”

#90

Post by lisper »

jacquesm wrote: post #10

Borders have three uses: 1) to keep people out 2) to keep people in 3) to be able to search/detain people without cause I've yet to see a border that I liked. In plenty of countries this now extends to a certain distance away from the border (sometimes surprisingly large), even when you are not actively crossing or have not crossed.

> I've yet to see a border that I liked

The one at Point Roberts is a bit of a hoot:

http://blog.rongarret.info/2011/08/three-geopolitical-odditi...

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