1 in 3 Americans Fears International Travel and Flights

[Halwick]

I'm more afraid of the interrogation from U.S. Customs when I get back.

Most people fear the inspection/audit/interrogation process if they're trying to hide something, carry contraband or get away with something. What have you got to hide?

I just got back from Bolivia and Panama and went through customs/immigration in both those countries and U.S. upon return without any problems because I had nothing to hide, cooperated with them and smiled and did my best to look harmless and non-threatening. When one of the officials in Bolivia requested to inspect one of my bags, I smiled, ooperated fully as I had nothing to hide. After a cursory look, they smiled back and sent me on my way.

I'll admit the process is an inconvenience, but so what? It's like a game. Cooperate, move on and get over it. I think next time I'll wear a Japanese style loose-fitting Yukata, with speedo underneath, wrapped all over with suran wrap and go barefeet, just to assure the officials I've nothing to hide. Results should be amusing.

And by the way, I have no problems disclosing where I'm from, the purpose of my visit (in this case visiting relatives and tourism), providing the address of where I will be staying. It's just part of the routine.

Now when you start acting indignant about having your so-called "personal freedom, rights and property violated", or try to hide something that you know you shouldn't be carrying, and antagonistic about the whole thing, then you're going to have problems.

Good advice. Americans let this bullshit happen, and it's far too late now to do anything about it. Might as well just get through it and get to your destination unscathed. Smile and go on by. But it does suck and going into the U.S. you are treated as a suspect. Suspect of what? Who knows? You're a traveler. You must be weird or criminal or something. Dress decently, smile, don't bring gadgets with you when possible, and travel light.

Look at the cause and effect: If you act like a suspect, or act suspiciously, then you're going to be treated like a suspect. Then who's fault is it? Yours, for acting suspicious in the first place.

A long time ago (and this was way before 911) one of my friends travelled to Israel on El Al Airlines for tourism reasons. Even though he's a WASP, he went through quite an interrogation about where he is from, the purpose of his visit, where he is staying, etc. My friend also happens to be an attorney and doesn't tolerate nonsense, But in this case, he knew well enough not to act suspicious or give the officials any reason to suspect anything. He was cooperative during the whole time, answered all questions truthfully. After the El Al officials were satisfied he was not a terrorist, they were all smiles and wished him a pleasant trip and he boarded his flight. When he got off his flight, he had no problems going through customs.

When he returned to the U.S. on El Al, there were no problems, as he already established himself previously as a non-threat.

But you're right......best to nowadays travel light without gadgets, dress sensibly, smile and present yourself as non-suspicious and low-profile as possible.

[Contrarian Expatriate]

It's not surprising when you consider how most people--even on this forum--haven't traveled abroad or have only a limited experience in doing so. The rest are too busy spouting off about "American women," "n*ggers," "monkeys," "the Illuminati," "illegal aliens," or "Jews," to care about traveling abroad.

I think the addle-brained and the conspiracy idiots are in the minority here, but these are the people that are at the core of America's "idiocratic" decline.

Truly a pathetic lot in my opinion. Nature has a way of ensuring that these people get their just desserts. That is a good thing so they don't end up spoiling the fun for the rest of us abroad!

[E Irizarry R&B Singer]

I'm more afraid of the interrogation from U.S. Customs when I get back.

Most people fear the inspection/audit/interrogation process if they're trying to hide something, carry contraband or get away with something. What have you got to hide?

I just got back from Bolivia and Panama and went through customs/immigration in both those countries and U.S. upon return without any problems because I had nothing to hide, cooperated with them and smiled and did my best to look harmless and non-threatening. When one of the officials in Bolivia requested to inspect one of my bags, I smiled, ooperated fully as I had nothing to hide. After a cursory look, they smiled back and sent me on my way.

I'll admit the process is an inconvenience, but so what? It's like a game. Cooperate, move on and get over it. I think next time I'll wear a Japanese style loose-fitting Yukata, with speedo underneath, wrapped all over with suran wrap and go barefeet, just to assure the officials I've nothing to hide. Results should be amusing.

And by the way, I have no problems disclosing where I'm from, the purpose of my visit (in this case visiting relatives and tourism), providing the address of where I will be staying. It's just part of the routine.

Now when you start acting indignant about having your so-called "personal freedom, rights and property violated", or try to hide something that you know you shouldn't be carrying, and antagonistic about the whole thing, then you're going to have problems.

You are right and exact here. However, per my rant, I have done that, and the results had still badly-panned-out like they way that they have.

[E Irizarry R&B Singer]

Speaking for myself here. I'm not afraid to fly or leave the country. Not having the money to do it is the only thing keeping me here. I am also already in school working on my trade. I've got to postpone my plans so I can have a useful skill to live abroad.

Yup two MS certs shy of becoming a SharePoint 2013 MCSE. I cannot wait until I cop that!

[Kublai Khan]

It's not surprising when you consider how most people--even on this forum--haven't traveled abroad or have only a limited experience in doing so. The rest are too busy spouting off about "American women," "n*ggers," "monkeys," "the Illuminati," "illegal aliens," or "Jews," to care about traveling abroad.

Either that, or they re still stuck in the "America is the best country in the world f**k the rest YEEEEEHAAAAW" mindset.

[Falcon]

I'm more afraid of the interrogation from U.S. Customs when I get back.

Most people fear the inspection/audit/interrogation process if they're trying to hide something, carry contraband or get away with something. What have you got to hide?

I've been through the US-Mexico border many, many times, and while it's true that we've got nothing to hide, sometimes they make you feel like a criminal with their harsh interrogation. They want to try to make you nervous to see what they can get out of you.

Most of the time they just wave me through and take it really easy on me (especially heavy-traffic ports of entry such as Tijuana-San Diego), but sometimes at places such as Mexicali and San Luis, Arizona, they can grill you really hard and harass you non-stop. Some of those guys just don't seem to understand that Mexico is an interesting place for cultural tourism.

They obviously also profile people. For example, at Mexicali, they harassed my Mexican-American friend by saying he doesn't resemble his photo ID, and gave him trouble for a few minutes, but they let me through with hardly any interrogation. At the Tijuana crossing, they harassed my female friend who had visa stamps from East African countries, and asked her what she was doing there, and what she was doing in Mexico.

"Why are you looking nervous?" Well why wouldn't you if you're being stared at like a piece of meat by mean, burly cops who want to strip search you and rip open all your baggage.

In many ways, it's like approaching or going out on a date with a nasty American woman. The interrogation and tests to see how much of a man you are reach their extremes in Anglo countries.

[Ghost]

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[Jonny Law]

1 in 3 Americans are Retarded Idiots Afraid of Everything.

I believe the great philosopher Green Day was right

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee_uujKuJMI

Don't wanna be an American idiot.
Don't want a nation under the new mania
And can you hear the sound of hysteria?
The subliminal mind f**k America.

Welcome to a new kind of tension.
All across the alienation.
Where everything isn't meant to be okay.
Television dreams of tomorrow.
We're not the ones who're meant to follow.
For that's enough to argue.

Well maybe I'm the faggot America.
I'm not a part of a redneck agenda.
Now everybody do the propaganda.
And sing along to the age of paranoia.

Welcome to a new kind of tension.
All across the alienation.
Where everything isn't meant to be okay.
Television dreams of tomorrow.
We're not the ones who're meant to follow.
For that's enough to argue.

Don't want to be an American idiot.
One nation controlled by the media.
Information age of hysteria.
It's calling out to idiot America.

Welcome to a new kind of tension.
All across the alienation.
Where everything isn't meant to be okay.
Television dreams of tomorrow.
We're not the ones who're meant to follow.
For that's enough to argue.

[Falcon]

Wow, Falcon, that's awful. Psychopaths who love intimidation run the game. People who make the "What do you have to hide?" argument fail to understand that regardless, they are likely to profile, intimidate, interrogate, and harass you regardless of that. This is a 'game' of power, and we all know it.

I know I've read here on HA that Detroit is probably the worst. Someone really knowledgeable about this should start a list of best and worst places to re-enter the U.S.

Small towns along the US-Mexico border are by far the worst, and no airport can compare to these places. Those areas are de facto police state zones, since the US Code now says that checkpoints and random stops are legal in any place 100 miles of the border.

AmericanInMexico says that when going back into US, he's been escorted into secondary inspection simply because the officer thought he was "looking nervous." And this is a WASP guy who's served in the US military.

I have had nothing to hide from US Border Patrol and immigration officers there, but these guys will still create ordeals for decent citizens who don't talk back. They will randomly stop anyone and try to search your car for drugs and illegal immigrants, and question you about why you are even out there. What you do, where you are going, where you came from, what you are doing here, whose car this is, anything in the trunk, ID inspection, and so on. They will literally treat you as a suspect simply for being out in a public highway paid for by taxpayers. Take a drive to southern Arizona, and you will be shocked.

The best places to re-enter the US would usually be large, busy airports where they have to keep the line going. Transit hubs popular for human and drug trafficking such as Miami are not.

[Falcon]

Try to avoid minority (non-white) and female officers if you can. That's because many of them have inferiority complexes and try harder to impress their superiors. The most laid-back officers are usually the old white guys, since they're at the top of the food chain.

Many of them are obviously military veterans and have probably manned checkpoints in Iraq and Afghanistan. Go figure.

[Ghost]

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[Falcon]

Yes they do, even if you're just a regular innocent-looking suburban white guy.

What people don't get is that Mexico is not scary it all. The officers I've met in Mexico are friendly and laid back, and the locals are more than happy to see you there. The scary part is coming face-to-face with your own law enforcement officers again. The welcome you that get into Anglo countries is police state intimidation.

Cruises are no problem, since they figure you're some kind of a rich middle-class suburban guy who falls for tourist traps. I've been on cruises before, and immigration is usually quite slack.

Ghost, you'll be fine if you're coming back by cruise or through a busy airport during peak hours (usually mid-day or summertime). Not good: small places where officers have plenty of time on their hands.

In China, when I flew into the Kunming airport, which usually isn't very busy, immigration would question me for about 1 minute but would not be intimidating at all. Usually it's because I have a US passport but am of Chinese descent, so they would ask me about my background. You get the feeling that they're nosy, but don't treat you as a suspect like in the US. When I flew into Guangzhou, it was quick, with no questions asked at all.

You can browse the forums at FlyerTalk.com for more info on airport immigration experiences throughout the world.

[Ghost]

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[newlifeinphilippines]

Avoid minority (non-white) and female officers if you can. That's because they have inferiority complexes and try harder to impress their superiors. The most laid-back officers are usually the old white guys, since they're at the top of the food chain.

Many of them are obviously military veterans and have probably manned checkpoints in Iraq and Afghanistan. Go figure.

Not always. This last time the Chinse middle aged immigration guy put a 1 on my thing which meant no "search" just free to get out of airport. Last time it was a black guy who gave me an x and i got a long interrogation from a white guy who was the worst of all and his superior who was white. Thankfully they didn't search my computer but its gave me one more reason why i dont like traveling. The other 2 times i went i think the immigration officers were white and i think one gave me a x and one didnt cause the first one i got searched but 2nd one he just asked couple questions and i was out of the airport. Im gonna avoid black and female immigration officers though cause i think your theory is right with them. they are the ones in charge of putting something on your card for secondary inspection at the airport..


The line was very long this time though it was saturday night in San francisco in august. I guess cause it was a summer. Las time was august also but a sunday and not quite as busy. next time i wont go on a sunday back to the u.s. are weekday nights busy at airports compared to saturday usually?

[Wolfeye]

An important point is that impeding mobility vitiates someone's capacity to protect & provide for themselves. Someone might think of this only in tearms of physical running & various arm locks or restraints, but it definitely applies to general travel.

More & more, it seems that the goal is to make America a very prison-like environment in dynamics. It's getting to where you not justifying whatever you're doing to someone else's satisfaction is like an admission of guilt. It's like a mini-trial & the trial itself tends to be with the assumption that people mostly get caught in the act- so the arrest is now proof.

I've also found that the idea of being in danger is worse than actually having real problems. Ever notice how some people will put up with anything if it's "keeping people safe"? I guess it has more to do with the philosophy that "potential utility equals complete innocence." I've definitely noticed a trend in America where if there's so much as a claim of potential utility or charitable intentions, someone can do whatever they want to people. Also: if they're reluctant, emotionally neutral, or simply want something different than what their actions would produce- then no matter what they do, they're completely innocent.