Customs....

[Canadian Dude]

Well your plane has landed, you did your best to beat the mob to the luggage pick up, found you bags among 200 other peopls who were on your flight, now you are really ready to start your trip...well kinda, you still have to get through The Customs Officials

Well all have to do, ( unless your secretly a diplomat, or have started a DIOMOC invasion ) you must pass through there little booth, counter, gate house, WHAT EVER!!!

These Goverment officials are pretty much there to make sure that their country stays safe. The can search any bag, or person with out cause, they can search any aircraft, boat or vehicle, some carry guns some do not, some are in uniform and some are undercover, they can hold you, arrest you under imagration laws, hold you gear for further inspection any ways you look at it these are the people you want to not get in the way of, they can make you trip not a very pleasent one, in alot of way their powers are greater than a police officer.

I had traveled from the Rep. of Ireland to Wales, I got off the ferry with my pack on my back and began to walk through the building where i thought the customs would be, it was along hall way with mirrors on either side. There was a man walking in front of me, just a regular guy, as we were about half way through the hallway, a door opened up, an man in uniform appeared, asked the guy in front of me to go with him, and they disappeared into another door on the other side of the hall...it was weird...but i just kept walking...and there i was, on UK soil with out so much as a "how ya doing", no questions, no contact, and no passport stamp. I jumped on a buds to the nearest train station and continued my adventure not giving it another thought.

a year and a half later i returned to England, Happy as can be, I made good time getting off the plane, go my bag ok and I was standing in line to get through customs, As i was next i thought to myself, wicked, i am almost there...as I stepped up to the counter and declared my citezenship, and handed my passport over, i was asked " Have you ever been to the UK before?" I said with a smile, yup about a year and a half ago...I was given a look by the officer and I just knew this was about to go bad..."Why is your passport not stamped then?" I was asked...I explained the story about the ferry terminal, but that was not quite good enough for him...35 minutes i was drilled for not having my passport staped that day a year and a half prior...this guy tore a strip off me up one side and down the other...I was in shock, but remained humble and answered his question honestly, this officer just could not get over the fact that little ol' me had entered the UK with out dealing with a customs official, it could not have happened ...I was finally aloud to enter the UK, but it was not a good way to start of my trip thats for sure...

From that meany in the UK, to paying a bribe to a Cuban Customs officals, to the Officer in the Dominican who did not look at me took my passport stamped it with out asking even my name, dealing with these officals is un avoidable, so be patient, and polite, no matter how bad it gets. Getting lippy or arresive will do nothing but make things worse, file a complaint after yor done dealing with them if you have to.

[Mocassin]

Yeah...Customs is not always a good experience! Hahah!

I was going to Greece from Bulgaria on a bus...A bulgarian girl that spoke french made me realise that our chauffeur had a few bags with pepsi, cigarettes, perfume and cosmetics in them and gave them to the officials so that we would pass the border faster...It only took us 3 hours!!!

They kept asking for our passports, and redistributing them to us, each time instead of saying my name (I guess it's just too complicated to pronounce!) they kept screaming: CANADA!!! They kept yelling at us and I didn't understand what was going on, get out the bus, get on the bus, get out the bus, get in line, show all the god damn bags on the bus (the only one they didn't check was mine!), but where the hell is my passport???!!! At one point we had to go to the restaurant and buy drinks (talk about making easy money!), and finally I got my passport back and we crossed the border...Five bulgarians were kicked out of the bus and they even beat one of them right next to our bus! Everyone had troubles but me...Probably because I'm canadian! They didn't even ask me questions (nobody seemed to speak english...)

What a confusing moment! Hahah!

[Diorama]

yeah Cd I when I took the ferry from Ireland into the U.K (for me it was liverpool) I didn't get a stamp either. I also didn't get one entering ireland. When are you supposed to get stamps? Is it only when you arrive by airplane? No other country in europe stamped my passport either. i only got a stamp at heathrow when I first entered the country.

Customs officers scare me. My heart always starts beating when i go thru customs. American custom officers are the worst. Gawd forbid I ever drive across the border with a middle eastern looking guy. Though I understand why they're doing it. But still they scare me!

[worldwidemike]

I've been lucky and had no customs horror stories. Well, except for the border crossing by bus from Lithuania to Poland. Oh my god, it was every bit as bad as Moc's experience. I think the border guards were drunk. It would have taken less time if everyone got off the bus, grabbed their luggage, and stood in a s-l-o-w line to be processed one by one.

No, instead, they gathered up all the passports, redistributing them and regathering them a couple times...it was a mess. My buddy is on an Eastern Europe Discussion group and said he read that particular crossing was the worst in Eastern Europe!

I much prefer crossing borders by airplane!

worldwidemike

[Sijuki]

My only customs horror was going into Canada. I had to pull to the side, have my car searched and re-searched. Then I had to wait in immigrations to have documents filled out to carry with me allowing me to enter the country. All this so I could swing through Toronto on my way to New York. It was a good 3 hour waste. I never had any type of a problem any other time, and don't know what caused such a stir that time. No one else was in the immigration. Just me and my buddy. I knew I should have lied and said I was going to the casino. But I haven't been back across the border since. Otherwise the rest of my drive across canada was pleasant. The people were nice (just not worth that initial 3 hour wait)

[Mocassin]

Borders guardes drunk!? Youhoooo! Party at the customs!!!

Yeah....We in Canada don't let everyone in Siju! Hehheh!

[Diorama]

Yeah sijuki, we do have some standards up here

and me and moc are sooooooo worth a three hour wait.

[Sijuki]

Yeah but I wasn't going to see Dio or Moc... I was just trying to get through the country pretty much.

[llemus7]

my custom crossing from prague to budapes was horrible. It was on the train before entering Hungary, the officer was a total ass! he asked me for my passport with an I don't give a fuck attitude towards me for having a U.S. passport, made me pay a fine of $20 dollars for no reason I just wanted to take a nice upper cut right on his jaw. I just stayed calmed, payed the fee and just shut up. He seemed to be a little drunk. When he was leaving he was smiling and laughing with this grin on his face. At that poing I wanted to deck him , but If I would do such a thing, I would be in very big trouble. So I let it go by, and not let it bother me. Plus it was only $20 dollars. that bastard!

[Mocassin]

Hehehe some people think they have all the authority...So llemus you were extorted huh?

[llemus7]

yes I was Moc. But next time he will get one of these! :greenguy: