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My U.S. Border Nightmare

zakhomuth.com

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Re: My U.S. Border Nightmare

#171

Post by anghyflawn »

j_col wrote: post #166
awlo wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Schengen Agreement, which eliminates border control is in effect in 26 countries (including non-EU countries, like Iceland, Norway and Switzerland, but excluding some EU countries, for example UK).

I cross the border between the Republic of Ireland (independent) and Northern Ireland (part of UK) in a car all of the time, never stopped once despite lack of Schengen.

Are you a British or Irish citizen? Then you can do it, because of the Common Travel Area (Irish border authorities do conduct random checks, though). It is, however, strictly speaking illegal for somebody holding only a British visa to cross into the Republic, or vice versa.

Re: My U.S. Border Nightmare

#172

Post by pmjordan »

j_col wrote: post #166
awlo wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Schengen Agreement, which eliminates border control is in effect in 26 countries (including non-EU countries, like Iceland, Norway and Switzerland, but excluding some EU countries, for example UK).

I cross the border between the Republic of Ireland (independent) and Northern Ireland (part of UK) in a car all of the time, never stopped once despite lack of Schengen.

Schengen is just one mutual agreement of no border controls between member countries and enforced border controls to other countries. Any 2 countries which are not part of Schengen are free to enter a similar bilateral agreement.

Re: My U.S. Border Nightmare

#173

Post by rickmb »

I can't believe how many people are defending this because "those are the rules".

FYI: If a visitor from a friendly first world nation tries to enter your country carrying a valid passport, the appropriate response at the border should be: "welcome".

The one in a million who wants to enter the country with the intention of outstaying their welcome can do this so easily by booking a hotel and having a return ticket that is is really not worth harassing all the other visitors for.

Re: My U.S. Border Nightmare

#174

Post by kokey »

adrianwaj wrote: post #124
grecy wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I don’t have any rights, right? Exactly. By very definition, when I enter the USA under the visa waiver program, I have to sign the back of the form, which essentially says "You have no rights". (That's actually what the guard was talking about when he asked if I could read) Even when I've applied for a working visa, been interviewed and approved, paid the fees, have an entire page visa in my passport and caught a…

hmm, maybe you're giving off unconscious vibes that create those situations because they know they can get away with it.

I've been a visa requiring foreigner for about a third of my life, and I have found that apart from being nice, humble and unassuming the best is to dress conservatively, be clean and just basically look like you are too conservative to break any rules. Also make sure you carry the right papers, know all the questions and have answers to them, and have enough sleep beforehand.

Re: My U.S. Border Nightmare

#175

Post by alan_cx »

I can only read so many comments, so if this has been covered, apologies.

I don't think any one begrudges countries their border paranoia. But what is utterly un-necessary is the rude, psychotic, OTT behaviour of the border people. Fine that they want to check people out, but to scream, shot, and abuse people visiting is frankly outrageous.

I've rarely left my country, and every time it was no pain what so ever. But after reading that, which confirms all the negative press, has confirmed that I will never ever travel to the USA. Why would any one want to risk that?

Re: My U.S. Border Nightmare

#176

Post by seclorum »

Its not so hard: get a Visa before you go to the US. Don't just assume you can cross the border like its some sort of drive-through situation. If you know you need to visit the US, go to the US Embassy in your country and file your paperwork.

Re: My U.S. Border Nightmare

#177

Post by [deleted] »

vacri wrote: post #96
potatolicious wrote: post #8

Author seems a bit naive about international sovereignty, though I suppose one can't exactly blame him for it. I grew up in Vancouver, a stone's throw from the border, so I suppose I take it for granted that we all learn very early on that CBP is a wretched hive of scum and villainy, and everyone knows someone who was chewed out, berated, and generally treated like a criminal by them. Seeing as how I work in the US n…

National Sovereignty = natural arseholes? Not necessarily. I have a friend who in the pre-Euro days only realised he had drunkenly stumbled over the Netherlands-Belgium border when he went into a fish'n'chip shop and thought 'wow, the prices are really high here'. My own experience with the US border guards was mixed. Inland in Texas, I met a guard who ruined my day at a checkpoint (though I wasn't in danger of being…

[deleted]

Re: My U.S. Border Nightmare

#178

Post by barry-cotter »

j_col wrote: post #166
awlo wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Schengen Agreement, which eliminates border control is in effect in 26 countries (including non-EU countries, like Iceland, Norway and Switzerland, but excluding some EU countries, for example UK).

I cross the border between the Republic of Ireland (independent) and Northern Ireland (part of UK) in a car all of the time, never stopped once despite lack of Schengen.

Yes, but the Irish-British common travel area has been in existence since the instant there was a Republic. Our (Ireland's) visa policy on EU citizens is to all intents and purposes formulated in London because we're not going to have more than minimal border checks with the North and the UK isn't going to have internal border controls between the North and Britain.

Not as weird as the fact that Irish people without UK citizenship, resident there can vote in all elections, and that UK citizens resident in Ireland can vote in all elections bar for President (seeing as Irish people in the UK don't get to vote on the Head of State.)

Re: My U.S. Border Nightmare

#179

Post by furyg3 »

mech4bg wrote: post #20
grecy wrote: post #15

I'm a foreigner that has crossed into the USA 25+ times, about half of those at land borders from Canada (where I live, but I'm not Canadian) >the border guard starts in on me hard. I mean he had it out for me. I still have no idea why I rubbed him the wrong way, but he sure didn't like me. This happens to me 75% of the time I try to enter the USA. The best one was when I had my usa-plated motorbike in Canada, and ca…

Ouch, I'm not sure what that says that I immediately wondered if you were a minority. Oh, and I had a similar experience re: Melbourne. I'm a US citizen living in Australia, and was landing in San Fran for a 3 week visit about 8 years ago. As required by law, I travel on my US passport in and out of the US, so no problem right? But no, I start getting the third degree about what I do with myself - "I'm a student at t…

I live in Holland (US Citizen) and get a long series of questions about 50% of the time when crossing the US border.

"Do you live in Holland? What do you do there? What are you doing on your visit back home?"

I usually (happily, respectfully) humor them for a few questions, and then switch to "am I free to go?" (with a smile).

Only once has this resulted in a small temper-tantrum by the agent (after which he just let me go). They cannot deny you entry, they can only delay it for a while and conduct extra searches.

Re: My U.S. Border Nightmare

#180

Post by whostolemyhat »

mike-cardwell wrote: post #168
brusch wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As someone growing up at a border (1 mile from the Austrian / Swiss border) - I have to say that this is a whole different thing in Europe (between Switzerland / Austria / Germany for sure). Well you get checked for the stuff and if you are over the allowed quantities for the stuff you have with you - and you may have to show your ID but that's it. If you didn't do any wrong you have no problems. For me (and many fam…

The US is scared of immigrants from outside of the US. Europe is scared of immigrants from outside of Europe. Europe is not scared of immigrants from inside Europe.

Not entirely true - there was a lot of scaremongering in the UK when Eastern European countries (like Poland) joined the EU because of fears about an influx of immigrants working for cheap wages.
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