American Customs are so F*CKED UP!

duggro

chopitdown wrote:

perhaps if the US customs officials were this thorough and used better judgement a few years ago we'd still have some buildings standing and people home with their families for the holidays. It's amazing what little things like that will do to people. I mean, the audacity of the US gov't trying to protect it's citizens from people that fit a certain criteria.

oooh shut up you small minded fool

racial profiling is just a term which seeks to legitimise racism

parel jam

chopitdown wrote:

perhaps if the US customs officials were this thorough and used better judgement a few years ago we'd still have some buildings standing and people home with their families for the holidays. It's amazing what little things like that will do to people. I mean, the audacity of the US gov't trying to protect it's citizens from people that fit a certain criteria.

The only thing the US govt is doing is building a big "wall" around the country...if you are somehow coloured, just because the attackers of 9/11 were so...than it gives the customs clear way to search some persons for 7 hours? This is so short-sighted...

I'm a Dutchman, who looks more like an Italian and the US customs were held me once for a long time...does it make me a criminal? A terrorist?

Those criteria stink! It's all based on the colour people have...

Smellyman2

parel jam wrote:

The only thing the US govt is doing is building a big "wall" around the country...if you are somehow coloured, just because the attackers of 9/11 were so...than it gives the customs clear way to search some persons for 7 hours? This is so short-sighted...

I'm a Dutchman, who looks more like an Italian and the US customs were held me once for a long time...does it make me a criminal? A terrorist?

Those criteria stink! It's all based on the colour people have...

You're a white guy, who looks like a white guy and you were detained?

Seriously, the US is jumpy right now. Until new leadership is in place(07 can't come fast enough, 09 even better) it will be the same for a while.

Drilling for fear it makes the job simple....

chopitdown

parel jam wrote:

The only thing the US govt is doing is building a big "wall" around the country...if you are somehow coloured, just because the attackers of 9/11 were so...than it gives the customs clear way to search some persons for 7 hours? This is so short-sighted...

I'm a Dutchman, who looks more like an Italian and the US customs were held me once for a long time...does it make me a criminal? A terrorist?

Those criteria stink! It's all based on the colour people have...

it may be short sighted, but something had to be done after that event; it's prob not ideal, but we don't live in an ideal world.

did they charge you with being a criminal or a terrorist? My guess is no, so therefore you aren't one (legally...and if you haven't committed a terrorist act then you're not one by definition). I'm not saying it's not inconvenient to people, don't get me wrong. But it is what it is.

I don't know the criteria. Since you don't like the criteria...what would you change about them? I mean we are a sovereing nation that has a responsibility to our citizens first the rest of the world second. What would you have us do? And please, no utopic suggestions like, let everyone in...that's not going to happen.

chopitdown

duggro wrote:

oooh shut up you small minded fool

racial profiling is just a term which seeks to legitimise racism

that's the best you could come up with..."shut up you small minded fool"? Glad to see that scottish education working for you.

parel jam

chopitdown wrote:

I'm not saying it's not inconvenient to people, don't get me wrong. But it is what it is.

This inconvenience will result that many people will not enter the USA again. I'm not going anymore and know some other people in the NL that are not going again. Too bad, because the US also has lots of good sides...

chopitdown

parel jam wrote:

This inconvenience will result that many people will not enter the USA again. I'm not going anymore and know some other people in the NL that are not going again. Too bad, because the US also has lots of good sides...

i know that is the unfortunate side of it. i wish we had a much simpler / efficient system b/c i feel the US has tons to offer people who are visiting here.

Restless Soul

negationist wrote:

Sorry, I don't get it, are you even trying to defend the treatment of these people?! Just because you're skin colour is totally different from the 'average' British citizens, you're discriminated against?! I think that's a bit harsh. I only say this coz I can empathize with these people. Being from Malaysia and being not of the correct 'skin type' I've been stopped at numerous airports all over the world and questioned under various pretexts when all my friends have been allowed to travel freely. I just think it's racism pure and simple. And the day people start to admit it, then we can begin to move forward in a positive manner. But I don't see that day coming or have any hopes that it will come in the near future. Soo much for freedom!!

I'm British asian and I get the same treatment whenever I go abroad. My suitcase is always the one that gets searched and there's always a ton of questions. A friend of mine who is fairly dark-skinned has to travel regularly to Germany at least once a week in her job and she says that although they practically know her by now she gets stopped and searched every single time. When she goes with her white colleagues she's the only one that gets stopped.

darkcrow

it also doesnt help when passengers refuse to fly with dark skinned people. remember a few months back when mi5 and the police siad they foiled an aircraft bombing plot? well a few days after that people refused to fly on the plane because two asian guys "look suspicious". the pilot forced them off the plane even though spanish (it might have been in italy) police checked them and said they were fine to travel and that their luggage was clean. i hope those guys sued the airline. there really was no call for it.

world

I took a flight about 10 months ago and the only people they questioned at the airport was an old lady and some mom with her 1 year old.

I actually feel better that they are questioning people from Pakistan instead of old ladies and babies now.

bootlegger10

duggro wrote:

oooh shut up you small minded fool

racial profiling is just a term which seeks to legitimise racism

It's not fucking racism. Are they saying that white people are better than Asians, or Mexicans are better than Arab look people? No. Did your friends eventually get into the states? Yes. Oh, they had to wait 6 hours? boohoo. The US is still the leader in people of all ethnic backgrounds peacefully living together and being accepted. Look at France, the Muslims are setting fire to cars once a year.

bootlegger10

darkcrow wrote:

it also doesnt help when passengers refuse to fly with dark skinned people. remember a few months back when mi5 and the police siad they foiled an aircraft bombing plot? well a few days after that people refused to fly on the plane because two asian guys "look suspicious". the pilot forced them off the plane even though spanish (it might have been in italy) police checked them and said they were fine to travel and that their luggage was clean. i hope those guys sued the airline. there really was no call for it.

Right, no passengers should be left off a plane because of what another passenger thinks.

duggro

bootlegger10 wrote:

It's not fucking racism. Are they saying that white people are better than Asians, or Mexicans are better than Arab look people? No. Did your friends eventually get into the states? Yes. Oh, they had to wait 6 hours? boohoo. The US is still the leader in people of all ethnic backgrounds peacefully living together and being accepted. Look at France, the Muslims are setting fire to cars once a year.

of course it is racism. you are discriminating against someone and making subsequent judgements about them based on the colour of their skin. that should not be any measure of criteria for stopping and detaining people.

who cares if you are the leader of ethnic groups, that does not justify these actions at all, it only makes them more ludicrous.

hope the blinkers you are wearing aren't too uncomfortable.

duggro

chopitdown wrote:

that's the best you could come up with..."shut up you small minded fool"? Glad to see that scottish education working for you.

what? i wanted you to be quiet, you seem to be rather foolish and come across as small minded, in my opinion. I'm pretty sure my statement conveyed all i wanted to say.

As for the scottish education system, what exactly are YOU trying to convey? Would you prefer me to perhaps communicate my feelings through poetry? perhaps a haiku? that may make it seem more intelligent, but it will nonetheless still carry the same sentiment.

bootlegger10

duggro wrote:

of course it is racism. you are discriminating against someone and making subsequent judgements about them based on the colour of their skin. that should not be any measure of criteria for stopping and detaining people.

who cares if you are the leader of ethnic groups, that does not justify these actions at all, it only makes them more ludicrous.

hope the blinkers you are wearing aren't too uncomfortable.

Here is a lesson in common sense.

Police don't look for cars that are going the speed limit and driving straight when they are looking for drunk drivers. They look for cars that are speeding and driving erratically. It would be a waste of time and resources to pull over cars that have no sign of drunk driving just to be fair to all cars. And while the cop is pulling over someone who has little to no risk of driving drunk, it only allows more drunk drivers to get by.

And seriously, it is just a Customs post. It is an inconvenience only. Nothing more. If Americans were known for blowing up markets in Ireland, then I wouldn't be offended if I was stopped at an Irish airport for a few hours. Hell, I'd be worried if I weren't.

RavennaSeattle1911

hard for pakistanis to get into india if at all

thats life

chopitdown

duggro wrote:

what? i wanted you to be quiet, you seem to be rather foolish and come across as small minded, in my opinion. I'm pretty sure my statement conveyed all i wanted to say.

As for the scottish education system, what exactly are YOU trying to convey? Would you prefer me to perhaps communicate my feelings through poetry? perhaps a haiku? that may make it seem more intelligent, but it will nonetheless still carry the same sentiment.

foolish b/c why? B/c i suggested that customs officials admitted people to the US who prob shouldn't have been admitted? If they would have done their jobs better we may have prevented something. Yes, that is ignorant and small minded...I am truly sorry. I couldn't help but notice that you didn't respond to my question / comment in the post but you were able to eek out "small minded fool".

yes, i want a haiku. Thanks for caring

duggro

chopitdown wrote:

foolish b/c why? B/c i suggested that customs officials admitted people to the US who prob shouldn't have been admitted? If they would have done their jobs better we may have prevented something. Yes, that is ignorant and small minded...I am truly sorry. I couldn't help but notice that you didn't respond to my question / comment in the post but you were able to eek out "small minded fool".

yes, i want a haiku. Thanks for caring

i hope you understand I was mainly pissed off cos my friend felt really demeaned and was quite upset about it, I apologise for venting in your direction, but I dont agree to the "hmmm thats life" attitude, thats all

i'll try and get back to you with the haiku

chopitdown

duggro wrote:

i hope you understand I was mainly pissed off cos my friend felt really demeaned and was quite upset about it, I apologise for venting in your direction, but I dont agree to the "hmmm thats life" attitude, thats all

i'll try and get back to you with the haiku

i can understand why people would be pissed off; esp if it happens routinely (hense the need for quick AND efficacious ways to screen people). My hmmm that's life attitude is prob born out of cynicism rather than anything. I wasn't trying to belittle the situation, but it's too bad we are forced to do these extensive checks and hold people up. I want to say there was a study put out a year or 2 ago that suggested the added security really didn't do that much overall...but i could just be making that up.

i'll let the haiku slide, as long as i can request one in the future.

audome25

Songburst wrote:

It could be that those people happened to have names that were red-flagged and that's the way it goes sometimes.

please do not bring common sense in here. its more fun to scream racism.