I just came through the border.
They didn't take my laptop, just looked at it, opened it up.
What bothered me was their inquisitive, suspicious questioning. For instance, they asked me why I took a History of Art and Architecture class when I'm majoring in EE. I wish I had been more on my feet, I would have asked her if when she went to university for her degree, if she had to take classes outside her area of specialization. I guess she'd never heard of electives.
I was incredibly nervous through the whole thing. If they had asked "why are you nervous" I would have been screwed.
Why was I nervous? Because you have to answer right, and they're looking for "abnormalities" in the way you interact. I'm not the fastest thinker on my feet, and they would probably interpret my stumbling for words as nervousness for fear of getting searched. "What do you have to fear? Why are you afraid of being searched? You don't have anything to hide do you?" would have been the next questions, and those are questions you can't answer.
If you're not a speechgiver I would suggest you prepare an outline of the things you did, why you did them, etc. so that you are prepared for the BS interrogation and so even though you might be nervous, you'll be less worried about finding the words to say. And by the way, don't think you're immune for any reason; because I'm about the whitest normal American US Citizen you'll find.
If I study abroad again I think I'm going to be much more pointed and direct about the whole thing. She was trying to be tough but really didn't have anything on me to be tough about. Be on the lookout for stupid questions like "Why are you taking History of Art and Architecture when you are majoring in Engineering" or "Why did you go on a trip to Europe" and call them out on it. Don't have to be impolite about it, but if I thought of it I would have said something like "well who doesn't want to go to Europe? Don't you think it would be nice to go to Venice or Paris with your boyfriend?" or "So, what did you major in for college? [answers], Well, even though that was your major, you took other classes besides just English right? For instance you had to take at least one Math class or something didn't you?" etc. while subtly, with an inquisitive demeanor, showing them how silly some of those questions are. If she had said something like "Don't be getting smart with me" then, if you're genuinely just pointedly curious, you could easily pull off being surprised and offended. At which point, I think if you wanted to for fun, you could say something like "Oh, you mean you're not interested in other cultures? Everyone I know is..." or "Haha...um...ok right...what kind of college gives you a degree without making you prove you are a well rounded person? Someone who took nothing but English classes would clearly be a little lacking in other areas that are very important to their career...like, say, International Affairs. Everyone I know takes that...I mean, how are you supposed to be the leader of a multi-national corporation without understanding other cultures? It's simply not possible..."
I challenge you guys to be prepared next time you go through security. First, to prove just how silly some of this stuff is, and second, well, I think it would be pretty clear to the people standing around that this girl screwed up. She might get reprimanded later for it, who knows.
I'm not entirely against this questioning, but it needs to not be mindlessly baseless, like mine was.
edit: well I was also nervous because I run Linux and no Windows XP, and have heard multiple stories of people getting stopped, questioned, and their laptop taken, simply because when Border Patrol asked the person to turn it on, they didn't know what Linux was and thought it was "suspicious" and "warranted further inspection" because seriously, why would anyone run something besides Windows or Mac? Then they would take the laptop away, and either a). image it and give it back to you in an hour, or b). take it and not give it back. That's a problem, of course, because say it's December 23rd and the lady hasn't bought anything for her nephew yet for Christmas, but hey here's a nice new laptop that she would just have to put a copy of Windows onto and she'd be good. Good luck getting your insurance to cover the government taking your laptop and not giving it back after a month, they'll tell you to wait for 2, then 3, then 4, and by that time you'll probably have already bought a replacement because you probably needed a laptop for a reason, in the first place.
If they take your laptop, make sure they give you a receipt for it so you can fuss later if you don't get it back within a week.
Other questions I got asked (not necessarily by the girl I already talked about):
-"Do you travel with a lot of money" "Well I've got $5 on me" "Just $5?" "Um, YEAH....?"
-"How long were you gone?" (Btw I got asked this one by a few people. After answering the first time, the lady wrote some stuff on the Customs Declaration, I didn't think to look at what she wrote, wonder if it was, say "#3: 3 months" and then the next person asks you again, to check for consistency in your, who knows...but this is ridiculous because even the most stupid terrorist would probably have a story, right?)
-"Where did you go in Europe" (got asked this one multiple times too); I had written "everywhere in Europe" for the answer to that question on my Customs Declaration, because I literally did, we visited like 8 countries and there wasn't room to write them all in. They suspiciously asked me why I wrote "everywhere in Europe".
-"So what do you do for work" Well, I did tell you 30 seconds ago that I studied abroad with school...
-"So you traveled with a group? How many were in the group?" I never said anything about being in a group to anybody during this process, which makes me wonder what caused them to ask it (she had no way of knowing), and if I had said "no" what would have followed, ie "why did you go to Europe all by yourself" and other stupid questions. Although, this one seems pretty reasonable, cause everybody would have a simple answer for it: "Family" "Job" etc.
-That's all I can remember.
halik
Lifer
- Oct 10, 2000
- 25,696
- 1
- 0
WTF...were you arriving from colombia with a kilo of coke in your butt?
I've entered the U.S. countless times as a visitor, permanent resident and now a citized (that is using czech passport and visa, czech passport and green card and us passsport)... at no point did I have any issues. That includes coming back from CUN with two handles of bacardi while 19 years old.
Things have changed a lot very quickly. This national security crap is a loose cannon. No one who supports these measures seems to realize that it is costing far too much freedom and it is like opening Pandora's box. Closing that box is going to be ridiculously hard even after most people realize we do not need it to be opened.
halik
Lifer
- Oct 10, 2000
- 25,696
- 1
- 0
No,
because I haven't heard that from anyone ... and being European I know many, many people that travel internationally. Hell my stepbrother flew back from china last week with no issues.
The only time you might get questions is when you're entering on a Visa, only because they don't want people coming here for work (illegally). Someone with a U.S. password won't get any more than the standard questions (where are you coming, how long were you there, are you brining cash/booze)
Juked07
Golden Member
- Jul 22, 2008
- 1,474
- 0
- 76
Just curious... What kind of data do you all have that would really give you any trouble crossing a border anyways? I can see the need for privacy and stuff, but these people are strangers and don't really care about your personal lives etc.. And it's not like they're going to incarcerate you for having adult content on your HD or whatever.
So, you're cool with them taking your laptop and holding it for at least a month, probably 2? You might not even get it back...
Also, something they do look for is Child Porn, and so lets say you're traveling with your laptop with porn on it, the girl is 19 but they think she looks 17, how are you going to prove that to them? They're putting the burden of proof on your for all of this stuff.
This woman never got her laptop back.
- Sep 29, 2000
- 70,150
- 5
- 0
Incomporable for two reasons:Originally posted by: Specop 007
Originally posted by: Skoorb
repost
BTW, specop007, semantics aside, this is the case of the government seizeing private assets without any due cause AT ALL, and indefinitely at that. It's wholly unacceptable.
Does the government have legal standing to intercept and examine your suitcase if your bring it into the country? The fact is they dont need "probable cause" to examine anything that enters the country.
Again, I dont necessarily agree with it however your working under and entirely different set of circumstances when your crossing a countries borders.
1) it doesn't take months to search a suitcase, it takes moments, unlike a laptop
2) suitcase and other luggage are used to illegally import things into the US, actual tangible goods; a laptop has nothing but digital data that can very easily/safely be moved across borders by somebody so inclined.
Again, I wonder how much this has really helped and what it has saved?
I agree that this sucks but Customs and Immigration is given a lot of latitude at border crossings. This is something they've always had and I don't think it is ever likely to change. What you're seeing now is just implementation of procedures adapted to new technologies. Just two weeks ago I crossed with my laptop but I "cleaned" it of sensitive data before traveling and uploaded what I needed to my server for easy ftp access.
As for the questioning, in every instance I've ever crossed the border over the years (and I've traveled internationally since 1983) I've always been asked a question or two. It's SOP but also an area where they've adjusted procedure in recent years.
As for the questioning, in every instance I've ever crossed the border over the years (and I've traveled internationally since 1983) I've always been asked a question or two. It's SOP but also an area where they've adjusted procedure in recent years.
rudder
Lifer
- Nov 9, 2000
- 19,441
- 85
- 91
Border patrol can seize ipods, etc.
According to this they can incarcerate you or destroy your stuff if your porn (or other media) is not legally owned (how they can prove that is beyond me).
From the link in the OP:
While I agree with the require reasonable suspicion for border searches the prohibit profiling on race, religion or national origin is asinine, WTF is this idiot thinking?
Hell you might as well make the law say "only White people can ever be profiled, stopped, searched and questioned in this country" because that is basically what it will be . They could not ever stop any non-white without it being considered/claimed racial profiling and the plethora of law suits and dropped/dismissed cases this law will open up will make sure of it.
It will tie the hands of law enforcement up so tight it will virtually invalidate most all security measures; you might as well close down Homeland Security, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies because they will have been rendered ineffective. We will become a nation of "enter, live, work and travel at your own risk.
While I agree with the require reasonable suspicion for border searches the prohibit profiling on race, religion or national origin is asinine, WTF is this idiot thinking?
Hell you might as well make the law say "only White people can ever be profiled, stopped, searched and questioned in this country" because that is basically what it will be . They could not ever stop any non-white without it being considered/claimed racial profiling and the plethora of law suits and dropped/dismissed cases this law will open up will make sure of it.
It will tie the hands of law enforcement up so tight it will virtually invalidate most all security measures; you might as well close down Homeland Security, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies because they will have been rendered ineffective. We will become a nation of "enter, live, work and travel at your own risk.
Do you mean the FBI that can search your house without a warrant and not tell you about it?
The same FBI that can find out what kind of books you are reading and not tell you about it?
The same govt that can read your email and tap your phones without a warrant?
These damm liberals and all of their restrictions on law enforcement.
It figures that you would object to someone wanting to prevent racial profiling. Because Tim McVeigh certainly was a brown muslim, wasn't he? Or Eric Randolph as well. Or for that matter, the FBI says another boring, geeky white guy committed the anthrax attacks. Pathetic, truly pathetic.
So the terrorists are once again able to cow Americans into accepting a police state and a degraded standard of living. And Nazi worshipers like Dick Cheney can laugh all the way to the bank cashing in their profits from homeland defense contracts.
Is America winning The Global War on Terror (TM), aka The Long War (TM)?
Is America winning The Global War on Terror (TM), aka The Long War (TM)?
Originally posted by: marincounty
Do you mean the FBI that can search your house without a warrant and not tell you about it?
The same FBI that can find out what kind of books you are reading and not tell you about it?
The same govt that can read your email and tap your phones without a warrant?
These damm liberals and all of their restrictions on law enforcement.
Well if that law gets passed it will be;
The FBI that can search White peoples houses without a warrant and not tell them about it?
The same FBI that can find out what kind of books White people are reading and not tell them about it?
The same govt that can read White peoples email and tap White peoples phones without a warrant?
Anything else whould be considered profiling on race, religion or national origin and be prohibited.
I am rarely asked more than a question or two. My wife, on the other hand, was harassed everytime she came to the US (even with advanced parole) until she got her Greencard.
I just got back not long ago from a trip in which I went to Argentina, Uruguay, and Mexico. My passport was instantly stamped and not a single question was asked. Hilarious as it may be, I have been stopped more times coming back from Mexico and searched/questioned than coming back from Colombia. Actually, I've been searched more in Colombia and Mexico than I have in the US. Everytime I am in Mexico I get the red light, and twice on arrival to Bogota. Not to mention on street corners and when entering a mall, store, or restaurant.
At any rate, I think this is a bit overdone. While ICE could certainly be more professional and better trained they do have a job to do. As jjones mentioned, they have always been given a great deal of latitude and this new idea is simply a continuation of that power that is given to them. CBP officers still can deny anyone with a visa at the border just because they do not like them and they will NOT be overruled.
I just got back not long ago from a trip in which I went to Argentina, Uruguay, and Mexico. My passport was instantly stamped and not a single question was asked. Hilarious as it may be, I have been stopped more times coming back from Mexico and searched/questioned than coming back from Colombia. Actually, I've been searched more in Colombia and Mexico than I have in the US. Everytime I am in Mexico I get the red light, and twice on arrival to Bogota. Not to mention on street corners and when entering a mall, store, or restaurant.
At any rate, I think this is a bit overdone. While ICE could certainly be more professional and better trained they do have a job to do. As jjones mentioned, they have always been given a great deal of latitude and this new idea is simply a continuation of that power that is given to them. CBP officers still can deny anyone with a visa at the border just because they do not like them and they will NOT be overruled.
TRENDING THREADS
-
Discussion Intel current and future Lakes & Rapids thread- Started by TheF34RChannel
- Replies: 23K
-
Discussion Zen 5 Speculation (EPYC Turin and Strix Point/Granite Ridge - Ryzen 9000)- Started by DisEnchantment
- Replies: 10K
-
Discussion Speculation: Zen 4 (EPYC 4 "Genoa", Ryzen 7000, etc.)- Started by Vattila
- Replies: 13K
-
Discussion Intel Meteor, Arrow, Lunar & Panther Lakes Discussion Threads
- Started by Tigerick
- Replies: 7K
-
Facebook
Twitter