Originally Posted by quantum-x
Customs agents suck dick.
I'm Australian, part of the Commonwealth - yet when I went to the UK, I was held up for about 45minutes by some shit-for-brains customs agent.
Bear in mind, I've just stepped off the plane, carrying only my hand luggage.
Customs agent: Can I have your passport
Me: Sure.
Customs agent: Purpose of visit?
Me: Seeing some old friends, having a few meetings and just looking around.
Him: What meetings?
Me: Just seeing some work colleagues.
Him: What are their names, who do they work for?
Me: Uhh...
Him: You're required to tell me this information. Do you have proof of your meetings? I need to see their business cards, contact details, and a letter of confirmation of your meetings.
Me: I've just stepped off a 30 hour flight, I don't have this information on me.
Him: Well, that's just another problem you have then, isn't it.
Me: Uhhh..
Him: These friends you're staying with. Where do they live.
Me: I'm not sure, I've never stayed with them in the UK before. I'm meeting them in arrivals.
Him: They're your friends and you don't know where they live? Sounds like a pretty weak excuse to me.
Him: How much money do you have in your wallet?
Me: What does that have to do with anything?
Him: I need to know how much you have.
Me: About 60 Pounds.
Him: And you're staying for 2 weeks, right?
Me: Right.
Him: That's not much money for 2 weeks. How were you planning to stay?
Me: I have my VISA.
Him: A VISA isn't cash - that's not sufficent proof that you have enough funds to sustain yourself. How much is on your card?
Me: That's none of your business
Him: Yes, it is.
Me: Let me ask you something. How much money do you have in your pocket?
Him: I don't have to answer that.
Me: Humour me.
Him: 20 Pounds
Me: And you live here permanently? Damn, how do you sustain yourself on 20 pounds?
Him: Stop being smart:
Me: Seriously man, what's you're case? I'm Australian. I've just gone through immigration in 5 countries including the middle east before here, and they couldn't care less about how much money I had in my damn wallet.
Him: ...
Me: So can I come through?
Him: *Calls colleague over, chats, walks off, comes back with a big red stamp.
Him: I'm letting you in, under a Code 3 Stamp.
Me: And that means?
Him: We will be monitoring you throughout the duration of your stay. If you do not leave within your two weeks, we will track you down.
Me: You've stamped my passport for 6 months
Him: Two weeks!
Me: Ok, remind me next time when I come through to say I'm going to go see the palace and feed the pigeons, ok?
Him: *Smirks - Oh no! Don't do that, we're happy to have you here.
Now, not to be paranoid, but every time I made a phone call in the UK, the unlock icon on my phone kept appearing - indicating that GSM encryption had been turned off for that call. It continued for a week after I left the UK, then went back to normal.
I swear customs guys are complete arseholes - I feel for you man.
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