Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/08/07
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Jim, From your adventures with U.S. Customs, they do not appear to be profiling YOU, only the countries you are coming from. Nathan Jim Laurel wrote: > In general, the customs officials have been pleasant, but I find it > insulting that they seem to profile me all the time. I am US-born of > Eurasian descent, and am clean-cut and dress in regular (khakis, cotton > shirts, etc) conservative clothes when traveling. Why do these guys always > seem to pick me out? I am a native-born American with no police record, > (not even a traffic ticket!), who pays his taxes on time and obeys the law. > What right do they have to ask me personal questions about what I do for a > living, etc? Well, they have no specific right to do so. Yet, if you > decline to answer, you may be subject to a body cavity search, and there > isn't a damn thing you can do about it afterwards. If they don't find > anything, all you get is "you may go now". US Customs is like the IRS in > that you are viewed as guilty and it is your responsibility to prove your > innocence. > > It's worth noting that I generally don't have any trouble when returning > from anyplace in Western Europe. - -- Nathan Wajsman Herrliberg (ZH), Switzerland e-mail: wajsman@webshuttle.ch General photo site: http://belgiangator.tripod.com/ Belgium photo site: http://members.xoom.com/wajsman/ Motorcycle site: http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Downs/1704/