Harassed, interrogated, searched by US customs for being a lonely male travelling

[trident765]

I was waiting in line for US passport control. There were several lines and a different worker/kiosk handling each one of them. I didn't put much thought into which line I picked - I just picked the shortest one. But as my turn came nearer I realized the worker for my line was a young attractive woman. I then wondered "Maybe I picked the wrong line. Given that she is an American woman, maybe she will do something to antagonize me."

My turn came and she asked me about my purpose for the trip. I said "tourism". From this point on she had an angry expression on her face. She ridiculed me for not having any friends or family I was visiting. Then glared at me and asked me if I have anything in my bag that "the dogs" are going to pick up on. I said no. Then she took my picture and let me go.

I went on my way and this black guy in plain clothes showed me his police badge and pulled me aside. I am fairly certain that he must have shown up in response to that bitch passport worker flagging me somehow. The plainclothes officer then started interrogating me, questioning me about what I did in Colombia. This made me extremely nervous and I began to panic and he started asking me why I was so nervous, which just made me even more nervous. He asked me why I wasn't looking him in the eye when speaking to him. He dumped everything out of my bag and searched it.

Then he asked me if I was going to visit a girlfriend, and then I explained to him that I was messaging Colombian women online who I tried to meet. After that he became cool and he told me "we don't care about that, we just want to make sure you aren't bringing anything you're not supposed to be bringing". On a sticky note he wrote down my name, passport number and had me write down my workplace on it, presumably to enter my info into some kind of database, and then he let me go and I was able to make my connecting flight.

But seriously? You really can't be a lonely male and just travel to a new country for the hell of it? I guess you have to have some "designated reason", like "visiting my uncle" or "going on vacation with my girlfriend", or else you must be some kind of criminal. I enjoyed my trip to Colombia even though I didn't meet any girls in person, and I think it was a much more effective use of my vacation days than having a "staycation". But I guess US customs thinks it is impossible that a lonely male would rather travel the world than sit at home and do nothing. Well I would rather travel. If not just for the hell of it, then to get away from American women like the bitch passport worker who flagged me because she is a man-hater who wants to do harm to men she is not attracted to.

[Pixel--Dude]

I was waiting in line for US passport control. There were several lines and a different worker/kiosk handling each one of them. I didn't put much thought into which line I picked - I just picked the shortest one. But as my turn came nearer I realized the worker for my line was a young attractive woman. I then wondered "Maybe I picked the wrong line. Given that she is an American woman, maybe she will do something to antagonize me."

My turn came and she asked me about my purpose for the trip. I said "tourism". From this point on she had an angry expression on her face. She ridiculed me for not having any friends or family I was visiting. Then glared at me and asked me if I have anything in my bag that "the dogs" are going to pick up on. I said no. Then she took my picture and let me go.

I went on my way and this black guy in plain clothes showed me his police badge and pulled me aside. I am fairly certain that he must have shown up in response to that bitch passport worker flagging me somehow. The plainclothes officer then started interrogating me, questioning me about what I did in Colombia. This made me extremely nervous and I began to panic and he started asking me why I was so nervous, which just made me even more nervous. He asked me why I wasn't looking him in the eye when speaking to him. He dumped everything out of my bag and searched it.

Then he asked me if I was going to visit a girlfriend, and then I explained to him that I was messaging Colombian women online who I tried to meet. After that he became cool and he told me "we don't care about that, we just want to make sure you aren't bringing anything you're not supposed to be bringing". He wrote down my passport number and asked for my workplace which he wrote down on a sticky note, and then he let me go and I was able to make my connecting flight.

But seriously? You really can't be a lonely male and just travel to a new country for the hell of it? I guess you have to have some "designated reason", like "visiting my uncle" or "going on vacation with my girlfriend", or else you must be some kind of criminal. I enjoyed my trip to Colombia even though I didn't meet any girls in person, and I think it was a much more effective use of my vacation days than having a "staycation". But I guess US customs thinks it is impossible that a lonely male would rather travel the world than sit at home and do nothing. Well I would rather travel. If not just for the hell of it, then to get away from American women like the bitch passport worker who flagged me because she is a man-hater who wants to do harm to men she is not attracted to.

This is atrocious! What business is it of these nosey busy bodies why you're travelling. If you've been through customs and they've found nothing on you which could cause harm then they should piss off and mind their own business.

What would be the consequences of telling them to piss off and mind their own business? Why do they get to ask you the purpose of your trip? Just goes to show that we're all f***ing slaves and have no authentic freedom to just see the world unless some dickhead in a tie thinks we have a good enough reason.

[Yohan]

This can happen to you also here in Japan when entering or re-entering the country.

I am a permanent Japanese resident and cleared for automatic gate when leaving and entering Japan - the immigration robot does it all, take pictures of me, my fingerprints, reads my passport, knows about my automatic gate permit - I do not have anything to do with passport control officers - even no exit or entry stamp in my passport....

However custom check in Japanese airports can be very strict and all what you carry with you might be checked in every detail, and even expect a body check - and I cannot deny that they find a lot and arrest people (foreigners and Japanese) who carry with them prohibited items - like illegal drugs, forged documents, weapons like certain knives, importing of small rare animals and prohibited plants, fruits etc.

I never carry anything with me except a small bag, no check-in luggage as I have my own condominium-unit in Thailand and in my rooms there is all what I need anyway - but I was also searched sometimes on arrival up to my underwear.

All what you can do is to remain calm and cooperative - I know I do not have any prohibited items with me. Just waiting until they let me go....

[publicduende]

I was waiting in line for US passport control. There were several lines and a different worker/kiosk handling each one of them. I didn't put much thought into which line I picked - I just picked the shortest one. But as my turn came nearer I realized the worker for my line was a young attractive woman. I then wondered "Maybe I picked the wrong line. Given that she is an American woman, maybe she will do something to antagonize me."

My turn came and she asked me about my purpose for the trip. I said "tourism". From this point on she had an angry expression on her face. She ridiculed me for not having any friends or family I was visiting. Then glared at me and asked me if I have anything in my bag that "the dogs" are going to pick up on. I said no. Then she took my picture and let me go.

I went on my way and this black guy in plain clothes showed me his police badge and pulled me aside. I am fairly certain that he must have shown up in response to that bitch passport worker flagging me somehow. The plainclothes officer then started interrogating me, questioning me about what I did in Colombia. This made me extremely nervous and I began to panic and he started asking me why I was so nervous, which just made me even more nervous. He asked me why I wasn't looking him in the eye when speaking to him. He dumped everything out of my bag and searched it.

Then he asked me if I was going to visit a girlfriend, and then I explained to him that I was messaging Colombian women online who I tried to meet. After that he became cool and he told me "we don't care about that, we just want to make sure you aren't bringing anything you're not supposed to be bringing". He wrote down my passport number and asked for my workplace which he wrote down on a sticky note, and then he let me go and I was able to make my connecting flight.

But seriously? You really can't be a lonely male and just travel to a new country for the hell of it? I guess you have to have some "designated reason", like "visiting my uncle" or "going on vacation with my girlfriend", or else you must be some kind of criminal. I enjoyed my trip to Colombia even though I didn't meet any girls in person, and I think it was a much more effective use of my vacation days than having a "staycation". But I guess US customs thinks it is impossible that a lonely male would rather travel the world than sit at home and do nothing. Well I would rather travel. If not just for the hell of it, then to get away from American women like the bitch passport worker who flagged me because she is a man-hater who wants to do harm to men she is not attracted to.

If it can be of any consolation, I had a similar treatment when I flew on my own, from London to Medellin, to get married with my ex-wife. In transit through Bogota airport, I got stopped and searched. They even checked the pockets of my freshly ironed and folded tuxedo, looking for heaven knows what.

Then the notorious question, "the purpose of your trip". To which I said "placer...el placer de casarme con mi novia a Medellin". The officers and a couple of staff next to them gave me what I thought was a heartily laugh, but immediately got serious again and asked for proof. In the mess that the inside of my bag had become, I had to find the "anillo" (ring) and show it to them. That was enough to get me through.

As I have always maintained, Colombians are high on pride, both the personal and patriotic types. "Voy a buscarme cualquieres chicas para pichar" would have probably not cut the same way

[Seeker]

I can't imagine such a thing happening when entering my own country of the UK. I just go to the electronic gates and nobody asks me anything. It's even more incredible that you got asked questions when leaving the US? When leaving the UK you pass through security which is kind of a pain in some airports but nobody asks you any questions. On the other hand I can understand being asked questions by immigration officials when entering a foreign country, that's to be expected. When I was travelling around Europe in 2010-2011 I was often singled out by immigration and asked bluntly, "What is the purpose of your journey?", this was obviously racial profiling because I resembled a certain demographic, (youngish Middle Eastern looking men by themselves), who had been responsible for various terror acts. I didn't really have a problem with this because they were just doing their job. When I answered, "I'm on a holiday", they let me go without any further questions once they'd looked at my passport. When I revisited the European mainland on a few trips in 2015-2017, nobody asked me anything, despite some horrific attacks such as the truck attack in France maybe I just didn't fit the profile anymore. This year I visited Iceland and Germany, I was certainly singled out in Iceland for the same reasons, but yet again, after they looked at my passport they let me go.

[MrPeabody]

Apply for the Global Entry program. I never get hassled. It's worth it and not that expensive.

https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs

[Falcon]

This kept happening to me when I was 18-22. Young lanky guy traveling in and out of Mexico by land, all by himself.

I ain't no drug mule, but they kept searching me ruthlessly, especially at the Calexico and Yuma crossings.

[Mercury]

I was waiting in line for US passport control. There were several lines and a different worker/kiosk handling each one of them. I didn't put much thought into which line I picked - I just picked the shortest one. But as my turn came nearer I realized the worker for my line was a young attractive woman. I then wondered "Maybe I picked the wrong line. Given that she is an American woman, maybe she will do something to antagonize me."

My turn came and she asked me about my purpose for the trip. I said "tourism". From this point on she had an angry expression on her face. She ridiculed me for not having any friends or family I was visiting. Then glared at me and asked me if I have anything in my bag that "the dogs" are going to pick up on. I said no. Then she took my picture and let me go.

I went on my way and this black guy in plain clothes showed me his police badge and pulled me aside. I am fairly certain that he must have shown up in response to that bitch passport worker flagging me somehow. The plainclothes officer then started interrogating me, questioning me about what I did in Colombia. This made me extremely nervous and I began to panic and he started asking me why I was so nervous, which just made me even more nervous. He asked me why I wasn't looking him in the eye when speaking to him. He dumped everything out of my bag and searched it.

Then he asked me if I was going to visit a girlfriend, and then I explained to him that I was messaging Colombian women online who I tried to meet. After that he became cool and he told me "we don't care about that, we just want to make sure you aren't bringing anything you're not supposed to be bringing". On a sticky note he wrote down my name, passport number and had me write down my workplace on it, presumably to enter my info into some kind of database, and then he let me go and I was able to make my connecting flight.

But seriously? You really can't be a lonely male and just travel to a new country for the hell of it? I guess you have to have some "designated reason", like "visiting my uncle" or "going on vacation with my girlfriend", or else you must be some kind of criminal. I enjoyed my trip to Colombia even though I didn't meet any girls in person, and I think it was a much more effective use of my vacation days than having a "staycation". But I guess US customs thinks it is impossible that a lonely male would rather travel the world than sit at home and do nothing. Well I would rather travel. If not just for the hell of it, then to get away from American women like the bitch passport worker who flagged me because she is a man-hater who wants to do harm to men she is not attracted to.

American jails and prisons are commercialized. They are a major source of income for state and Federal government. Every time a person gets locked up, the government makes money. Before you know it, leaving the USA for any reason will get you arrested and charged with treason and also theft! Before you know it, you leave the USA, and the authorities will arrest you not only for treason, but also theft, and they will say that you are stealing money from the Federal government by 1, revealing Federal laws against socializing, 2, violating Federal law by going to a country where dating is still legal, and 3, stealing yourself from America's penal system by going abroad to mingle with foreign women in countries that don't throw guys in jail for asking a woman out on a date.

[yick]

I was waiting in line for US passport control. There were several lines and a different worker/kiosk handling each one of them. I didn't put much thought into which line I picked - I just picked the shortest one. But as my turn came nearer I realized the worker for my line was a young attractive woman. I then wondered "Maybe I picked the wrong line. Given that she is an American woman, maybe she will do something to antagonize me."

My turn came and she asked me about my purpose for the trip. I said "tourism". From this point on she had an angry expression on her face. She ridiculed me for not having any friends or family I was visiting. Then glared at me and asked me if I have anything in my bag that "the dogs" are going to pick up on. I said no. Then she took my picture and let me go.

I went on my way and this black guy in plain clothes showed me his police badge and pulled me aside. I am fairly certain that he must have shown up in response to that bitch passport worker flagging me somehow. The plainclothes officer then started interrogating me, questioning me about what I did in Colombia. This made me extremely nervous and I began to panic and he started asking me why I was so nervous, which just made me even more nervous. He asked me why I wasn't looking him in the eye when speaking to him. He dumped everything out of my bag and searched it.

Then he asked me if I was going to visit a girlfriend, and then I explained to him that I was messaging Colombian women online who I tried to meet. After that he became cool and he told me "we don't care about that, we just want to make sure you aren't bringing anything you're not supposed to be bringing". On a sticky note he wrote down my name, passport number and had me write down my workplace on it, presumably to enter my info into some kind of database, and then he let me go and I was able to make my connecting flight.

But seriously? You really can't be a lonely male and just travel to a new country for the hell of it? I guess you have to have some "designated reason", like "visiting my uncle" or "going on vacation with my girlfriend", or else you must be some kind of criminal. I enjoyed my trip to Colombia even though I didn't meet any girls in person, and I think it was a much more effective use of my vacation days than having a "staycation". But I guess US customs thinks it is impossible that a lonely male would rather travel the world than sit at home and do nothing. Well I would rather travel. If not just for the hell of it, then to get away from American women like the bitch passport worker who flagged me because she is a man-hater who wants to do harm to men she is not attracted to.

American jails and prisons are commercialized. They are a major source of income for state and Federal government. Every time a person gets locked up, the government makes money. Before you know it, leaving the USA for any reason will get you arrested and charged with treason and also theft! Before you know it, you leave the USA, and the authorities will arrest you not only for treason, but also theft, and they will say that you are stealing money from the Federal government by 1, revealing Federal laws against socializing, 2, violating Federal law by going to a country where dating is still legal, and 3, stealing yourself from America's penal system by going abroad to mingle with foreign women in countries that don't throw guys in jail for asking a woman out on a date.

After all this time, haven't you got laid yet?

[MrMan]

I was waiting in line for US passport control. There were several lines and a different worker/kiosk handling each one of them. I didn't put much thought into which line I picked - I just picked the shortest one. But as my turn came nearer I realized the worker for my line was a young attractive woman. I then wondered "Maybe I picked the wrong line. Given that she is an American woman, maybe she will do something to antagonize me."

My turn came and she asked me about my purpose for the trip. I said "tourism". From this point on she had an angry expression on her face. She ridiculed me for not having any friends or family I was visiting. Then glared at me and asked me if I have anything in my bag that "the dogs" are going to pick up on. I said no. Then she took my picture and let me go.

I went on my way and this black guy in plain clothes showed me his police badge and pulled me aside. I am fairly certain that he must have shown up in response to that bitch passport worker flagging me somehow. The plainclothes officer then started interrogating me, questioning me about what I did in Colombia. This made me extremely nervous and I began to panic and he started asking me why I was so nervous, which just made me even more nervous. He asked me why I wasn't looking him in the eye when speaking to him. He dumped everything out of my bag and searched it.

Then he asked me if I was going to visit a girlfriend, and then I explained to him that I was messaging Colombian women online who I tried to meet. After that he became cool and he told me "we don't care about that, we just want to make sure you aren't bringing anything you're not supposed to be bringing". On a sticky note he wrote down my name, passport number and had me write down my workplace on it, presumably to enter my info into some kind of database, and then he let me go and I was able to make my connecting flight.

But seriously? You really can't be a lonely male and just travel to a new country for the hell of it? I guess you have to have some "designated reason", like "visiting my uncle" or "going on vacation with my girlfriend", or else you must be some kind of criminal. I enjoyed my trip to Colombia even though I didn't meet any girls in person, and I think it was a much more effective use of my vacation days than having a "staycation". But I guess US customs thinks it is impossible that a lonely male would rather travel the world than sit at home and do nothing. Well I would rather travel. If not just for the hell of it, then to get away from American women like the bitch passport worker who flagged me because she is a man-hater who wants to do harm to men she is not attracted to.

It may have little to do with the attractive woman being a woman or being attractive. It is possible that you fit the profile of a drug smuggler for age, etc. They shouldn't be able to detain you for not telling her your personal business.

Even so, it stinks that probable cause for police harassment seems to go out the window when it comes to border patrol. I suppose you could ask if you are being detained, ask him to arrest you. For the sake of civil rights, fighting the battle might be good for society in a way, but personally, after a long flight with no sleep and 30 hours in the same pair of underwear, I'd rather just diffuse the situation with a conversation if I were you, which is what it sounds like you did.

If I put over $5000 in the bank, I tell them where I got it from. I took a bank training once and if the money you deposit is over a certain limit, banks encourage them to take notes on stuff like this. I want it in my notes that I sold a car or whatever I did so if the government looks into me it seems reasonable. I don't like this 'police state' stuff, but I don't want to be singled out for a bogus investigation either.

As far as the state goes, they don't care if you have an online girlfriend or sell a car. Sacrificing a bit of personal information to prevent harassment after a flight seems like a reasonable trade off... for the individual, maybe not good to be in a society like that.

If the girl is attractive, btw, you could tell her about a date with someone you met online that didn't go well, or say you went to Colombia to meet friends, if you were wanting to chat her up.

[kangarunner]

If I put over $5000 in the bank, I tell them where I got it from. I took a bank training once and if the money you deposit is over a certain limit, banks encourage them to take notes on stuff like this.

One time in Memphis (my worthless hometown), I deposited a $2000 check into my account and this black lady teller looked at me with the "evil eye". She couldn't stand that a white man in his 20s was depositing a check like that. I could literally feel the hate in her eyes when she looked at me.

[Natural_Born_Cynic]

If I put over $5000 in the bank, I tell them where I got it from. I took a bank training once and if the money you deposit is over a certain limit, banks encourage them to take notes on stuff like this.

One time in Memphis (my worthless hometown), I deposited a $2000 check into my account and this black lady teller looked at me with the "evil eye". She couldn't stand that a white man in his 20s was depositing a check like that. I could literally feel the hate in her eyes when she looked at me.

I know there are lot of blacks in the South, but damn, is it that bad to be a white man down there? Sounds like if your white, it is a death sentence.

[kangarunner]

I know there are lot of blacks in the South, but damn, is it that bad to be a white man down there? Sounds like if your white, it is a death sentence.

Are you serious? No, it's not. There's tons of normies and country white boys who fit in. But in general, it's a boring place to live. There's not a lot of energy or edginess or vibrant culture like there is in NYC or LA or SF or Miami. In the South, you wake up, go to some shit job, go home, go work out, go to some stupid bar/restaurant, and that's all there is to do. There's no happy energy around at all. Here in Vietnam I can walk around and people smile at me and say hello and I can talk to different people. You can walk around one day in the city and see thousands of people and in my eyes almost all the local Vietnamese look happy.

To sum it up, I hate Mexicans. I hate blacks. I hate em all. And I never wanna go back to that miserable shithole where every waking day is feeling the seconds of your life waste away. That's no way to go through life.

[kangarunner]

@Natural_Born_Cynic Let me tell you a story. One time this dumb country white boy came up to me randomly at a shitty factory job I was unlucky to work at, and said "HEY, do you need me to take YOU HOME and JERK YOU OFF TOO?" That was 14 years ago. I still want to kill him. I have his name and photo and facebook page. I'm thinking about knifeing him.

[Natural_Born_Cynic]

I know there are lot of blacks in the South, but damn, is it that bad to be a white man down there? Sounds like if your white, it is a death sentence.

Are you serious? No, it's not. There's tons of normies and country white boys who fit in. But in general, it's a boring place to live. There's not a lot of energy or edginess or vibrant culture like there is in NYC or LA or SF or Miami. In the South, you wake up, go to some shit job, go home, go work out, go to some stupid bar/restaurant, and that's all there is to do. There's no happy energy around at all. Here in Vietnam I can walk around and people smile at me and say hello and I can talk to different people. You can walk around one day in the city and see thousands of people and in my eyes almost all the local Vietnamese look happy.

To sum it up, I hate Mexicans. I hate blacks. I hate em all. And I never wanna go back to that miserable shithole where every waking day is feeling the seconds of your life waste away. That's no way to go through life.

Well forgive me, I'm a Northerner from New Jersey. We Northerners think Southerners have the "Southern Hospitality" and people are more laid back and sh*t. I guess not. I hear yeah. Vietnam must've been an eye opening experience for you. So as Colombia.

Same here up North and New York City. New York City is sh*t now because the city accepted too many illegal immigrants and third worlders.
New Yorkers are total assholes at the subway and at the streets and they don't give a sh*t about you.

short videos from 2006, demonstrating the famous New York City Welcome. Still same today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WggbJDMD-QM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMb56Rrt99g