Customs Officials Doing Their Job

[brock]

Elderly passengers on board a luxury cruise have criticised US immigration officials after they endured a seven-hour security check. a group of 2,000 elderly British cruise ship passengers docked at Los Angeles for a short stop-off during a five-star cruise around America it was, in the words of one of them, more like arriving at Guantanamo Bay.During their £10,000, two-and-a-half month “Alaska Adventure” tour from the Arctic to the Caribbean, the passengers on the luxury P&O liner Arcadia had become more than accustomed to passing US immigration with little formality.By the time they docked at Los Angeles on May 26, for a one-day visit it was their 10th stop on US soil.Although they had already been given advance clearance for multiple entries to the country during their trip, all 2,000 passengers were made to go through full security checks in a process which took seven hours to complete.The fingerprints of both hands were taken as well as retina scans and a detailed check of the passport as well as questioning as to their background.Passengers claim that the extra checks were carried out in “revenge” for what had been a minor spat over allegedly overzealous security.They complain that they were “herded like animals” and made to stand for hours in temperatures up to 80F with no food or water or access to lavatories.Some are said to have passed out in the heat while others were left confused and bewildered.When one lady asked in desperation whether she could use a bathroom, one immigration official is said to have replied: “Do it over the side, we won’t mind.”To compound the situation, the officials' computer broke down and further delays resulted.The immigration delays forced P&O to extend the stay in LA by a day forcing it to cancel a later stop-off at Roatan, Honduras, scheduled for this week.Setting off from Southampton on April 12, the cruise has taken in stops in Europe, the Caribbean, Central America, crossing the Panama Canal to travel up the west coast of the United States to Alaska.They were en route back to the canal before stops in Florida and New York when the ship stopped at LA last week and the immigration problems ensued.With a total of 15 stops scheduled at US ports during the 72-night cruise, the passengers had all completed standard US immigration (ESTA) forms designed for multiple-entry trips."A couple of passengers got a bit stroppy about having to go through all the rigmarole again and these petulant officials decided to take revenge,” said John Randall, 60, a retired dentist from Wigan, who bought the cruise as a retirement gift to his wife."There were about 2,000 people on the quayside with only eight immigration people.“They were just doing basic checks to begin with but after the argument we had to do full finger prints on left and right hands and all the biometric stuff."Then their computer system broke down but no one was bothered about helping us.“A couple of people struggled to control their bladders and someone said they'd suffered a prolapsed disc.”He emphasized that he did not blame the liner for difficulties, but in a letter to the captain he vented his feelings about the immigration procedures adding: “We are holiday makers, here to try and enjoy ourselves - we are not potential inmates of Guantalamo Bay, and should not be treated as such.”A spokeswoman for the company insisted that passengers were kept on the vessel to prevent them queuing for more than about an hour.She added: “The delay in immigration procedures was largely to blame on issues with the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) computer systems, not aided by the verbal approach that a minority of our passengers, clearly frustrated by this delay, took with the local immigration officers.“The US has a record for the most stringent and thorough security and entry requirements in the world, and they felt the need to enhance their security checks further, which they have the power to do.”

[Old55]

More about TSA thugs on Drudge Report every day. The States of Texas and Arizona have warned "them" if they go too far they could face arrest and charges. Thugs nothing more.

[Papa Carl]

Elderly passengers on board a luxury cruise have criticised US immigration officials after they endured a seven-hour security check. a group of 2,000 elderly British cruise ship passengers docked at Los Angeles for a short stop-off during a five-star cruise around America it was, in the words of one of them, more like arriving at Guantanamo Bay.During their £10,000, two-and-a-half month “Alaska Adventure” tour from the Arctic to the Caribbean, the passengers on the luxury P&O liner Arcadia had become more than accustomed to passing US immigration with little formality.By the time they docked at Los Angeles on May 26, for a one-day visit it was their 10th stop on US soil.Although they had already been given advance clearance for multiple entries to the country during their trip, all 2,000 passengers were made to go through full security checks in a process which took seven hours to complete.The fingerprints of both hands were taken as well as retina scans and a detailed check of the passport as well as questioning as to their background.Passengers claim that the extra checks were carried out in “revenge” for what had been a minor spat over allegedly overzealous security.They complain that they were “herded like animals” and made to stand for hours in temperatures up to 80F with no food or water or access to lavatories.Some are said to have passed out in the heat while others were left confused and bewildered.When one lady asked in desperation whether she could use a bathroom, one immigration official is said to have replied: “Do it over the side, we won’t mind.”To compound the situation, the officials' computer broke down and further delays resulted.The immigration delays forced P&O to extend the stay in LA by a day forcing it to cancel a later stop-off at Roatan, Honduras, scheduled for this week.Setting off from Southampton on April 12, the cruise has taken in stops in Europe, the Caribbean, Central America, crossing the Panama Canal to travel up the west coast of the United States to Alaska.They were en route back to the canal before stops in Florida and New York when the ship stopped at LA last week and the immigration problems ensued.With a total of 15 stops scheduled at US ports during the 72-night cruise, the passengers had all completed standard US immigration (ESTA) forms designed for multiple-entry trips."A couple of passengers got a bit stroppy about having to go through all the rigmarole again and these petulant officials decided to take revenge,” said John Randall, 60, a retired dentist from Wigan, who bought the cruise as a retirement gift to his wife."There were about 2,000 people on the quayside with only eight immigration people.“They were just doing basic checks to begin with but after the argument we had to do full finger prints on left and right hands and all the biometric stuff."Then their computer system broke down but no one was bothered about helping us.“A couple of people struggled to control their bladders and someone said they'd suffered a prolapsed disc.”He emphasized that he did not blame the liner for difficulties, but in a letter to the captain he vented his feelings about the immigration procedures adding: “We are holiday makers, here to try and enjoy ourselves - we are not potential inmates of Guantalamo Bay, and should not be treated as such.”A spokeswoman for the company insisted that passengers were kept on the vessel to prevent them queuing for more than about an hour.She added: “The delay in immigration procedures was largely to blame on issues with the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) computer systems, not aided by the verbal approach that a minority of our passengers, clearly frustrated by this delay, took with the local immigration officers.“The US has a record for the most stringent and thorough security and entry requirements in the world, and they felt the need to enhance their security checks further, which they have the power to do.”

Ha this is nothing new! “The US has a record for the most stringent and thorough security and entry requirements in the world, and they felt the need to enhance their security checks further, which they have the power to do.”As I said in a previous thread, I too went through a third degree questioning from a Pious, self righteous, costumes officer on a cruise in the Caribbean, so much so that I eventually just stayed on the ship and didn't bother getting off. This was in the US Virgin Islands, not even on the mainland! So what did he accomplish? Less visitors, less money spent and a stiffening of a resolve to never want to visit the USA even more!The worst experience I have ever had, and that was before the Twin Towers! They can disrupt and inconvenience a large group of elderly British Holiday passengers on a ship. But they can't stop terrorists from entering, training at flight schools in the US, travelling around the US etc etc etc.I understand the need to protect that which you believe in, and I will admit there are a great number of people out there who want to harm the USA compared to say Canada, or Australia etc. but remember it was primarily Australians killed in Bali! It was primarily Brits who were killed on the subways and buses in London! It is not only the Americans who are at risk, so treating your supposed allies with this type of disrespect is not going to help you.Get your priorities right and maybe you will have fewer problems! If you continue to treat everyone as a potential enemy, eventually you will make everyone an enemy!:SugarwareZ-034:Papa Carl

[Art2ro]

Plain and simple, since 9/11! Terrorism knows no boundaries! So, the stringent security inspection will continue no matter who is being inspected or body searched! We all now have to live with it! Hey! Most of us are retired, we're in no hurry! Just give me a comfortable chair to sit on and let me go to the bath room whenever I need to and get fed during the long process of the inspection! Is that too much to ask for? If I ever get maltreated verbally, physically and treated with disrespect, they will hear from my attorney due to human rights violations! Prisoners in Guantalamo Bay probably get treated better!

[Mr Lee]

I have found during my life that when you give a badge to some who do not know how to handle having the power, then some individuals get power hungry and go way over the top. Most security guards are examples of what I mean. Seems like that may have been the situation, or they may have gotten a security alert that terrorists were going to enter via a cruise ship, so thus the extra screening, but still no excuse for the terrible behavior (as reported). Terrorists do their best to disrupt countries and hurt their economy, so often they send out disinformation and sit back and watch and enjoy the trouble they have caused. If they cause enough trouble, then people will no longer come and spend money, mission accomplished without having to set off another bomb.

[Call me bubba]

when I read this , HOT DA,,,, , this sure doesnt make me FEEL PROUD to an american. like the previous poster said, when a person has a badge they go power hungry. I bet what we havent read yet is how the LA news is covering this. I bet they are getting "wet" in their .....ties. :unsure:

[Gary]

I have found during my life that when you give a badge to some who do not know how to handle having the power, then some individuals get power hungry and go way over the top. Most security guards are examples of what I mean. Seems like that may have been the situation, or they may have gotten a security alert that terrorists were going to enter via a cruise ship, so thus the extra screening, but still no excuse for the terrible behavior (as reported). Terrorists do their best to disrupt countries and hurt their economy, so often they send out disinformation and sit back and watch and enjoy the trouble they have caused. If they cause enough trouble, then people will no longer come and spend money, mission accomplished without having to set off another bomb.

Very well said Kuya Lee, I agree 100% with you here