Allure - Our room was raided and tossed!

[John&LaLa]

4 hours ago, sockmonkeygirl said:

 

With a 5 or 6 man SWAT team coming through, most people would suddenly feel very vounerable.  It's easy to say "I would.." but hard to execute when you become outnumbered, outgunned, and under scrutiny.   It's a very scary experience for sure.  Actually, going through all this in barefeet and a bathrobe probably adds to the stress of it just by taking you even that much further out of your comfort zone.  

I actually agree with your post, I, personally, would just have a hard time pulling it off.

 

 

 

Barefoot on nice carpet. 😇

[ShillyShally]

1 hour ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Barefoot on nice carpet. 😇

Don't be reasonable, you know what that gets you 🙂

[springfire]

6 hours ago, sockmonkeygirl said:

 

With a 5 or 6 man SWAT team coming through, most people would suddenly feel very vounerable.  It's easy to say "I would.." but hard to execute when you become outnumbered, outgunned, and under scrutiny.   It's a very scary experience for sure.  Actually, going through all this in barefeet and a bathrobe probably adds to the stress of it just by taking you even that much further out of your comfort zone.  

I actually agree with your post, I, personally, would just have a hard time pulling it off.

 

 

Remember, the OP did nothing wrong to begin with, he committed no crime and yet the OP was faced with custom agents with guns and dog demanding to enter his cabin.  He gets kicked out of his cabin and they mess up all his belongings.  They find nothing because he never did anything wrong.  I am amazed at how well the OP handled the situation.  

[LrgPizza]

The only think about this entire situation that surprises me is that they spent 45 minutes in that cabin. I've been on plenty of searches with dogs in houses, and in a room as tiny as a ship's cabin, I can't fathom spending more than 10 or 15.  

[Trickie Dickie]

2 minutes ago, LrgPizza said:

The only think about this entire situation that surprises me is that they spent 45 minutes in that cabin. I've been on plenty of searches with dogs in houses, and in a room as tiny as a ship's cabin, I can't fathom spending more than 10 or 15.  

Well I was being conservative when I guessed how long it took.  They came between 7:00 and 7:30.  It was almost 9 when we went to the Windjammer for a quick bite after it was over.  They took their time and they went through everything and they did call us in to talk to us three times, separately. We were changing rooms and we had 4 big suitcases, 2 large carry ons and two backpacks.  The gays don’t pack light on a three week vacation. 😄

[Cruzaholic41]

14 minutes ago, springfire said:

Remember, the OP did nothing wrong to begin with, he committed no crime and yet the OP was faced with custom agents with guns and dog demanding to enter his cabin.  

 

“With guns.”   Oh, please.  Stop with the melodramatics.  That’s a classic exaggeration line for those who have nothing substantial to say. 

[LrgPizza]

1 minute ago, Trickie Dickie said:

Well I was being conservative when I guessed how long it took.  They came between 7:00 and 7:30.  It was almost 9 when we went to the Windjammer for a quick bite after it was over.  They took their time and they went through everything and they did call us in to talk to us three times, separately. We were changing rooms and we had 4 big suitcases, 2 large carry ons and two backpacks.  The gays don’t pack light on a three week vacation. 😄

 

Yeah, but still... Maybe they didn't rely on the dog very much. It doesn't take a dog nearly that long to clear a room that size. It's bizarre.

[Trickie Dickie]

1 minute ago, LrgPizza said:

 

Yeah, but still... Maybe they didn't rely on the dog very much. It doesn't take a dog nearly that long to clear a room that size. It's bizarre.

It was a long time. Too long. When I was called in I was only interrogated by one officer as the others continue to work. I saw one guy removing each item, from my suitcases one at a time.  I saw another going through my medicines and checking each bottle’s contents carefully. The dog wasn’t working when I was in the room. He just sat there smiling at me.   I felt they were treating me respectfully, however they were accusing me of something or trying to.  That was always their tone. I believe they actually thought they hit the mother load, but they couldn’t find anything.   I believe that’s why they tried their tactics on me.   Eventually they gave up.   I did wish them a good day when they left.   And I said thank you instinctively as a good Canadian.  But I really wasn’t Thankful honestly.

[Pratique]

I know it's a disturbing feeling to have them go through your things, ask questions, and hold you up.

 

Not the same situation, but a few months ago my wife and I had to make an emergency trip to Florida when my father-in-law was put into hospice. As it turned out, we made it there with only hours to spare before he passed away. When we got to the airport, TSA was training a new agent and they picked me to be a guinea pig for an enhanced screening. Since they were training it took longer than usual. I cooperated fully, remained calm, and explained how important it was for me not to miss my flight, but there isn't much more that can be done to move things along. But having an idea of my rights in these situations helps me overcome the feeling of helplessness when dealing with an inspection. I guess that's why I keep bringing it up here. Situations are different and people respond in different ways.

[John&LaLa]

25 minutes ago, LrgPizza said:

The only think about this entire situation that surprises me is that they spent 45 minutes in that cabin. I've been on plenty of searches with dogs in houses, and in a room as tiny as a ship's cabin, I can't fathom spending more than 10 or 15.  

 

'When the waves turn the minutes to hours.' Gordon Lightfoot - The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald 

[Oakman58]

Personally I would have been outraged.  I also would have gone straight to a lawyer when I returned from that trip.  Although knowing how I am I would have been smart mouthing the customs agents enough that it would lead to a true confrontation and my arrest.  I would have needed a lawyer for sure.  When I feel I'm being treated unjustly I can get very pithy.

[springfire]

2 minutes ago, Oakman58 said:

Personally I would have been outraged.  I also would have gone straight to a lawyer when I returned from that trip.  Although knowing how I am I would have been smart mouthing the customs agents enough that it would lead to a true confrontation and my arrest.  I would have needed a lawyer for sure.  When I feel I'm being treated unjustly I can get very pithy.

I think many people would feel that way.

[John&LaLa]

4 minutes ago, Oakman58 said:

Personally I would have been outraged.  I also would have gone straight to a lawyer when I returned from that trip.  Although knowing how I am I would have been smart mouthing the customs agents enough that it would lead to a true confrontation and my arrest.  I would have needed a lawyer for sure.  When I feel I'm being treated unjustly I can get very pithy.

 

Hard to sue the US government 

[Trickie Dickie]

3 minutes ago, Oakman58 said:

Personally I would have been outraged.  I also would have gone straight to a lawyer when I returned from that trip.  Although knowing how I am I would have been smart mouthing the customs agents enough that it would lead to a true confrontation and my arrest.  I would have needed a lawyer for sure.  When I feel I'm being treated unjustly I can get very pithy.

 I am a Canadian.   When visiting a foreign country like the United States I have to respect their laws.  I don’t know what my rights are and I have to trust that the officers were following the law.   My duty as a tourist is to be honest and respectful.   I shared my story so everybody would know that It can happen.  

[SRF]

On 3/30/2019 at 11:23 PM, BND said:

I know how it works. I'll leave it at that.

 

I think we can have some fun conversations next week. 😄

[mayleeman]

6 minutes ago, Trickie Dickie said:

 I am a Canadian.   When visiting a foreign country like the United States I have to respect their laws.  I don’t know what my rights are and I have to trust that the officers were following the law.   My duty as a tourist is to be honest and respectful.   I shared my story so everybody would know that It can happen.  

I think that many of us sympathize with your discomfort at feeling suspected and the intimidation you went through. And we also realize that much of what you describe seems to be the inevitable result of the fact that someone will always be totally innocent but hugely inconvenienced as the result of these search procedures.

 

Simply put, the circumstances seem to demonstrate that for whatever reason, probably independent of anything about you, you were singled out, perhaps unjustifiably as a result of misidentification or even confusion.  The best lesson is probably to not take it personally, but that is hard to do when it happened to you personally.

 

Hopefully, the stress can be reduced over time as you have read the explanations of CBP procedures and if you can chalk it up to you falling into a fairly rare statistical category.

 

I was assaulted at random by a homeless person who followed me inside a Starbucks near Times Square years ago. I wasn't hurt, but being punched in the back out of the blue left me with a "What did I do?" feeling that, thinking back, never really gets answered because there is no answer.

 

But a better lesson for all of us readers who have never experienced an intrusion like this is to see how well it ended for you by responding calmly and courteously.  So, thank you for posting.

[SRF]

On 3/31/2019 at 1:49 AM, Charles4515 said:

 

So you are one of those who think “law enforcement” should have carte blanche and citizens don’t have rights? The search that was described was unreasonable and never should have happened. “Law Enforcement” should be held accountable.

 

 

No, the legislators that put the laws on the books, and the people who continually vote these idiots into office are responsible.

 

 

[Trickie Dickie]

2 minutes ago, mayleeman said:

Hopefully, the stress can be reduced over time as you have read the explanations of CBP procedures and if you can chalk it up to you falling into a fairly rare statistical category.

 

Canadians are hardly rare in Florida in the winter 😄

[SRF]

1 hour ago, springfire said:

Remember, the OP did nothing wrong to begin with, he committed no crime and yet the OP was faced with custom agents with guns and dog demanding to enter his cabin.  He gets kicked out of his cabin and they mess up all his belongings.  They find nothing because he never did anything wrong.  I am amazed at how well the OP handled the situation.  

 

I guess you did not realize that Customs Agents are armed law enforcement officers?   They always carry guns.

 

Heck, here in DC, even the ones working in the office carry guns.  It is part of their uniform.

 

[HBE4]

51 minutes ago, Oakman58 said:

Personally I would have been outraged.  I also would have gone straight to a lawyer when I returned from that trip.  Although knowing how I am I would have been smart mouthing the customs agents enough that it would lead to a true confrontation and my arrest.  I would have needed a lawyer for sure.  When I feel I'm being treated unjustly I can get very pithy.

 

It's always best to be really aggressive when being confronted by law enforcement.   Maybe poke your finger in their chest and remind them that you pay their taxes and they work for you!  That will put them back in their place.

 

🙄 x 10.

Edited April 3, 2019 by HBE4
typo

[HBE4]

43 minutes ago, Trickie Dickie said:

Eventually they gave up.   I did wish them a good day when they left.   And I said thank you instinctively as a good Canadian.  But I really wasn’t Thankful honestly.

 

There have been a few times I've thanked a cop for giving me a speeding ticket.  Not really thankful but pure instinct...from this native New Yorker.

[Charles4515]

1 hour ago, LrgPizza said:

The only think about this entire situation that surprises me is that they spent 45 minutes in that cabin. I've been on plenty of searches with dogs in houses, and in a room as tiny as a ship's cabin, I can't fathom spending more than 10 or 15.  

 

They knew there was nothing. Let's not be naive. They were harrasing the couple because they were gay. 

[Trickie Dickie]

7 minutes ago, SRF said:

 

I guess you did not realize that Customs Agents are armed law enforcement officers?   They always carry guns.

 

Heck, here in DC, even the ones working in the office carry guns.  It is part of their uniform.

 

Yes, everyone was armed except the Royal Caribbean security person. I didn’t mention it as I had enough drama in my story. Since we are talking about it, the guns do add additional stress to the situation. 

[HBE4]

27 minutes ago, Trickie Dickie said:

32 minutes ago, mayleeman said:

Hopefully, the stress can be reduced over time as you have read the explanations of CBP procedures and if you can chalk it up to you falling into a fairly rare statistical category.

 

Canadians are hardly rare in Florida in the winter 😄

 

So, I've skimmed thru a lot of pages but I'm sure I missed a post or three.

 

Honest question - not being snarky - do you feel it was random or that you were targeted because you were a B2B cruiser, gay, a non-US citizen or some combination of all three?

 

The reason I ask is that what sounded like a cool, unique little story has somehow spiraled into a referendum on profiling, police brutality, unconstitutional actions, illegal searches, privacy violations....have I missed any think else?

 

Having said that, you seem to have handled yourself with class, respect and dignity.  I probably would have pooped my pants...which apparently is okay if you are a ESA.  Seriously, my hands would have been shaking the rest of the day. Not sure if I would have taken it personally but its good to know it can happen and the to better prepared (mentally) should it happen to me.

 

 

 

Edited April 3, 2019 by HBE4

[John&LaLa]

6 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

 

They knew there was nothing. Let's not be naive. They were harrasing the couple because they were gay. 

 

That's a massive assumption