Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/08/07
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Nathan, The only time I've ever been searched was on a flight coming back from Nassau to Atlanta. We had pre-cleared U.S. Customs at the Nassau airport, turned in the little form, etc. Thus, at Atlanta the plane was supposed to go directly to a regular concourse for transfer to connecting flights. I noticed when we landed at Hartsfield that we taxied past the domestic gates to the international arrivals building. The door was slow to open, and when it did a U.S. Customs inspector entered the plane and watched everyone while they disembarked. Then, in the Customs hall, after claiming checked baggage everyone lined up at the inspection stations and officers searched every bag of every passenger. No exceptions. There were a lot of officers, but the lines were still long and we missed our connecting flight. Delta representatives were there to make new reservations. I told the inspector that checked my bags that I hoped they found what they were looking for and he just smiled. Nice guy, really. I figure they must have had a tip about drugs or money coming in. Or, who knows, this could have been a random check. This was in 1987, my wedding trip. I had a Nikon FE and some lenses, and he didn't care about them one whit. > > >Has any of the LUGgers here ever actually been questioned about the content of > >their camera bag when entering the U.S.? I have done so several times, both > >when I lived there and since moving to Europe; mostly via JFK or Newark but > >also Orlando on one occasion. None of the customs officers ever expressed any > >interest in anything beyond getting the white form you fill out on the plane. > > > >Nathan