Picked for Special Customs Screening

[Ocean Boy]

Originally Posted by weliketocruise86

Always met with surly faces from the TSA guys when arriving in the US but I suppose they have a job to do and if you've nothing to hide whats the problem.

I guess I was brougt up that you treat people with respect. Just because you are in a position of authority doesn't mean you have to act like a jerk. If you have no problem with the attitude that they give you then so be it. And I don't have anything to hide. They are welcome to go through my stuff just put the attitude away

And for your info, when I arrived in London they could not have made me feel any more welcome and they have just as much of an issue with terrorism. There is no reason for a miserable attitude.

[Missus Makkem]

Originally Posted by Ocean Boy

I wish they would teach the guys at Boston's Logan airport to smile at folks at the end of their flights. When I got back from London the guy couldn't have been any more of a crank. He made it seem like people were some sort of a criminal for ever leaving the country in the first place. Just what someone needs after being cramped in an airplane for 6 hours crossing the Atlantic. And what a great first impression it must be for someone coming over to visit America. Could you ask your family member whay they do that?

that is how your immigration treat us when we land in Miami!
We put up with it because we just love cruising from the States and Miami is usually our point of entry.
If the forms are left by your room steward and they are pre punched or marked,just loose them and get another that has no markings on

[Aquahound]

Originally Posted by Ocean Boy

I guess I was brougt up that you treat people with respect. Just because you are in a position of authority doesn't mean you have to act like a jerk. If you have no problem with the attitude that they give you then so be it. And I don't have anything to hide. They are welcome to go through my stuff just put the attitude away

I hate to say this, but I have to be honest on this topic. I visit the training center often where CBP is trained and it is downright scary. In the last few years, they have hired a lot of people, and have not been too discriminatory in their hiring (meaning backgrounds). Even long time agents who were legacy Customs inspectors are complaining about many of the new hires. Many of these people have criminal histories, and even some with gang affiliations. Some aren't even fluent in the English language!

Unfortunately, until they raise their hiring standards, you can expect to deal with some attitudes. In more than one case, I have taken issues to their supervision for unprofessional conduct.

[Ocean Boy]

Originally Posted by Missus Makkem

that is how your immigration treat us when we land in Miami!We put up with it because we just love cruising from the States and Miami is usually our point of entry.
If the forms are left by your room steward and they are pre punched or marked,just loose them and get another that has no markings on

I do not doubt that is how you are treated and there is no need for it. They can accomplish their jobs without making me feel like a criminal for leaving the country on vacation or making our visitors feel like they are unwelcome. And I don't judge every agent by the way I was treated. When we returned to Miami on Explorer I still remember the agent being so polite and welcoming us back. And that cruise was years ago but I still remember her. Everyone knows that they have a job to do and I don't think any of us mind them doing it. Attitude and impressions, good and bad, mean a lot... at least to me. If others are not bothered by it so be it.

When I landed in London I began my visit with a great first impression thanks to immigration and I left London with an total love for both the city and the British people. It was an amazing visit from landing to takoff. And I guess that makes me more critical of the way I was approached on my return home.

[temple1]

I notice the attitude also, especially the local police at the airports. I can understand the private security not being the most pleasant, but if the local police do not seem to understand that they are one of the first impressions visitors to our community have - it is not a very good one.

They walk around as if the were Sheriff Buford Pussor on the prowl for a some miscreants they can bash over the head.

[Tucker in Texas]

Originally Posted by vickiw0318

I'll listen carefully to the pages next time. I've only heard ones asking people to come to the pursar's desk - not a specified conference room. I don't think this would ever be done at the pursar's desk because there were about four guy/girl officials including someone to take money from us. It was quite a set-up.

Now that I think about it, you are right. They are called to the Purser's desk so I guess it is deadbeats. Sure are a lot of them, though.

Tucker in Texas

[cruiseknots]

The cruise lines are not acting as police officers. They are required to cooperate with the requests made by Customs and Immigration. It is the law. Yes, it is both random and selective in who gets their stuff searched.

As some others have mentioned, get a customs declaration from guest relations although I really don't think this helps. They usually have a stack of them just sitting there the last day. If you have been selected for a search, you're going to get searched.

As for the TSA rules, yes last minute changes between airlines can trigger a "selectee" indication on your boarding pass. Not always though. It can also depend on your frequent flier status with the airline you are changing to. Even though you are not chosen as a selectee, the TSA is also required to do random secondary screenings.

I agree that just because someone is a Customs officer, Immigration officer, or TSA, this doesn't give them the right to be mean and rude. Although I have seen my fair share of the mean and rude ones, I think it most them are professional and pleasant to work with. Just think what their jobs must be like. Nobody enjoys having there stuff searched or being held up by these guys. So I'm sure they get more than their fair share of angry travelers who think they know the rules better than the CBP and TSA.

One little tip: If they are being rude and unprofessional, don't let your temper get the best of you. Whether its the TSA, CBP or any other government/law enforcement official, you will get absolutely no where by getting belligerent with them. Once you start losing your cool, this gives them more reason to be suspicious and will only delay you even longer. Be as courteous and as cooperative as possible. This is your only chance at speeding things up. If you do encounter someone who is unprofessional and unreasonalble and want to report them, politely ask for their name and badge number AFTER the search.

[vavasmom]

Several years ago, I was coming back into the US at Washington Dulles Airport. As I passed through immigration, the officer handed me a card that was an unusual color. I noticed that an agent semmed to floow me to the baggage claim area. Once I had my bags, the came up and directed me to the special processing line. I was taken to a room, asked if there was anything that I had not declared, and they proceeded to search my bags for almost the next two hours. After they finished (the Customs officials were very professional), they explained that I was the lucky 5,000th traveler through immigration that day. It was totally random - I am still mad at my coworker who said ladies first - he could have had all the fun

I will the ICE personnel in Baltimore, after our Grandeur cruise in July, were much more pleasant and professional than those in Miami, after Freedom, this year.

[KJBBrett]

If you all are finding that the agents aren't being courteous to you or are being downright rude, get the badge number and name as cruiseknots says and report it to the Office of the Inspector General. That's what they are there for.

For the love of everything that is sacred, do NOT make a scene where you are at! That will do nothing but cause you problems. Deal with it with someone with a certain level of authority. OIG is that authority, that's why they were created.

However, if it's a simple customer service issue, a call to a supervisor would suffice. But if you really feel that you are being mistreated, call OIG.

[Captain Jake]

Originally Posted by vavasmom

Once I had my bags, the came up and directed me to the special processing line. I was taken to a room, asked if there was anything that I had not declared, and they proceeded to search my bags for almost the next two hours. After they finished (the Customs officials were very professional), they explained that I was the lucky 5,000th traveler through immigration that day. It was totally random - I am still mad at my coworker who said ladies first - he could have had all the fun

.

Maybe Karma went his way since he's treats the ladies with respect
:cj

[bionicman97]

Originally Posted by rollie

Bionicman97, remember how far it was from AA to Delta? We were not happy campers having to lug all our luggage and ourselves in and out of the airport. It was not a happy experence for us to say the least. I won't say never again, but we will avoid Kennedy like the plague.

Rollie

It's like you were there with me.

Originally Posted by Mark_K

TSA standard procedure. Having air arrangements made/changed at the last minute, even when not by your choice, always gets you designated for special screening.

Good to know. I wouldn't have minded, except I was afraid we were going to miss our second straight flight.

[fredmdcruisers]

Originally Posted by PaulMCO

No it has to be RCCI playing policeman and it was not random. It is not CBP -- since I do have a special "trusted traveler" in my profile.

And this is not security -- it is disembarking. It was obvious from the person in front of me that they were looking for undeclared merchandise and gave them a full baggage search.

And yes -- the item was fully declared on my customs form.

I'm sure RCCL decided to jerk your chain after you spent such a big amount in the gift shops just to make sure you would never come back. They hate customers who do that kind of suff!

[bayou cruiser]

This reminded me of one of my favorite customs stories that I tell every time we have to go through customs. Upon returning from our honeymoon, my Shiny New Husband and I arrive to customs with our luggage and a box with some pottery that I bought on our trip. Shiny New Hubby places the box down and the agents says what's in the box. Not So Sparkly New Hubby says "a little pot." Well, that was it. They immediately separated us and brought us into separate rooms and began searching our luggage. Yep, the honeymoon was definitely over and I kept thinking if they did a strip search it was going to be a short lived marriage with Lost Your Shine Hubby. 25 years later and I'm still telling that story, still married to him and still cringe every time we go through customs.

[cruiseknots]

Originally Posted by bayou cruiser

This reminded me of one of my favorite customs stories that I tell every time we have to go through customs. Upon returning from our honeymoon, my Shiny New Husband and I arrive to customs with our luggage and a box with some pottery that I bought on our trip. Shiny New Hubby places the box down and the agents says what's in the box. Not So Sparkly New Hubby says "a little pot." Well, that was it. They immediately separated us and brought us into separate rooms and began searching our luggage. Yep, the honeymoon was definitely over and I kept thinking if they did a strip search it was going to be a short lived marriage with Lost Your Shine Hubby. 25 years later and I'm still telling that story, still married to him and still cringe every time we go through customs.

That is very funny!

It reminds me of a story when I was a kid coming through customs. The customs officer asked my dad, "do any of you have any fruit?" My younger brother thought the man was asking "do any of you LIKE fruit?" When my dad answered "no", my brother chimed in and said "Yes I do...bananas, apples, oranges". This got us escorted to the special treatment line and all of our stuff inspected thoroughly.

[rollie]

I got a nice laugh from the last 2 posts. A nice way to wake up in the morning.

Rollie

[Tucker in Texas]

My sister travels frequently to England. She makes sure she has a package of crackers, cookies, whatever. When she lands, if the line looks long through customs for people with nothing to declare, she goes over to the line where you declare things and asks if she needs to declare her crackers. Of course, they tell her she doesn't so then she says "as long as I'm here, can I continue on?" She says it works every time.

Tucker in Texas