In message , tim.....
writes

"Paul Corfield" wrote in message
.. .
On Sat, 15 Sep 2007 10:53:19 +0100, Edward Cowling London UK
wrote:


I had my first experience of the new "Uk Border" style of immigration at
Heathrow last night.

I had no idea it was changing. It was already the worst form of
immigration "service" I've encountered anywhere in the world. Oh well,
one further reason not to leave the country.

You've never flown to the US then! It's the pits, makes the
UK controls look trivial.

I remember arriving in Philadelphia on a Sunday and telling the guy in
immigration I was coming over for business meeting on the Monday in
Wilmington, Delaware.

"Who's worth seeing in Wilmington ?" he asked. Without any trace of a
smile or humour.

Talk about promoting trade & industry :-) USA immigration officers
usually look and sound like ex night club bouncers who were sacked for
brutality !


--
Edward Cowling "Must Go - Politician to Heckle !!"

"Edward Cowling London UK" wrote in message
...
In message , tim.....
writes

"Paul Corfield" wrote in message
. ..
On Sat, 15 Sep 2007 10:53:19 +0100, Edward Cowling London UK
wrote:


I had my first experience of the new "Uk Border" style of immigration at
Heathrow last night.

I had no idea it was changing. It was already the worst form of
immigration "service" I've encountered anywhere in the world. Oh well,
one further reason not to leave the country.

You've never flown to the US then! It's the pits, makes the
UK controls look trivial.

I remember arriving in Philadelphia on a Sunday and telling the guy in
immigration I was coming over for business meeting on the Monday in
Wilmington, Delaware.

"Who's worth seeing in Wilmington ?" he asked. Without any trace of a
smile or humour.

Talk about promoting trade & industry :-) USA immigration officers usually
look and sound like ex night club bouncers who were sacked for brutality !

Yep, that's it.

Whatever the problems with the organisation (and the
US has that too) at least the Brits attitude is pleasant
and they give the impression that they are making an
objective decision as to whether you are a bad'n or not.

The American's attitude is rude and if you are foreign they
have already decided (that you are).

tim

"tim.." wrote in message

Whatever the problems with the organisation (and the
US has that too) at least the Brits attitude is pleasant
and they give the impression that they are making an
objective decision as to whether you are a bad'n or not.

The American's attitude is rude and if you are foreign they
have already decided (that you are).

Actually, I find that the US immigration people have got friendlier
since the new thumbprint/mugshot rules came in. Basically, they can
trust the computers to spot the wrong 'uns, and can afford to be less
suspicious than before. I've been travelling to the US at least once a
year for almost 30 years now, I don't think it's any more tedious now
than in the past. Of course, you do need to remmeber to provide all
sorts of extra info before leaving, including where you're staying (how
can they check?).

If you can get off the plane early and don't arrive just after a far
eastern 747 where hardly anyone speaks English, you won't usually have a
long wait at immigration (I once arrived in SFO just after a Cathay
flight packed with masked pax during the SARs scare). On my last flight
to the US a couple of months ago, I was the first off the plane
(something you don't often manage on a packed 747) and whizzed through
SFO immigration and customs.

I'm off to Canada on Tuesday, and in my experience they are particularly
friendly. My next US trips isn't till October, so fingers crossed that
they both stay friendly and efficient. Unfortunately, my next US trips
is to Orlando, and that's an airport that has really been messed up by
the new security rules (you have to queue security on the way *in*,
because they mix incoming and outgoing pax on the satellite shuttles).

On Sat, 15 Sep 2007, Recliner wrote:

I'm off to Canada on Tuesday, and in my experience they are particularly
friendly.

Immigration at Calgary was by far the most unfriendly i've ever
experienced. They were probably just having a bad day!

tom

--
Sapere aude!

"Tom Anderson" wrote in message
h.li...
On Sat, 15 Sep 2007, Recliner wrote:

I'm off to Canada on Tuesday, and in my experience they are particularly
friendly.

Immigration at Calgary was by far the most unfriendly i've ever
experienced. They were probably just having a bad day!

The one at Montreal was equally unfriendly.

Having ticked the "holiday" box on the form and told
him that I was on a "fly-drive" he actually asked
"why would you want to holiday here".

Are they trying to turn tourists away.

tim

"tim.." wrote in message

"Tom Anderson" wrote in message
h.li...
On Sat, 15 Sep 2007, Recliner wrote:

I'm off to Canada on Tuesday, and in my experience they are
particularly friendly.

Immigration at Calgary was by far the most unfriendly i've ever
experienced. They were probably just having a bad day!

The one at Montreal was equally unfriendly.

Having ticked the "holiday" box on the form and told
him that I was on a "fly-drive" he actually asked
"why would you want to holiday here".

Are they trying to turn tourists away.

I was in Montreal on business a few months ago and the (female)
immigration officer couldn't have been nicer. And that was despite not
being a French speaker.

On Sat, 15 Sep 2007 12:39:04 +0100, Edward Cowling London UK
wrote:

In message , tim.....
writes

"Paul Corfield" wrote in message
. ..
On Sat, 15 Sep 2007 10:53:19 +0100, Edward Cowling London UK
wrote:


I had my first experience of the new "Uk Border" style of immigration at
Heathrow last night.

I had no idea it was changing. It was already the worst form of
immigration "service" I've encountered anywhere in the world. Oh well,
one further reason not to leave the country.

You've never flown to the US then! It's the pits, makes the
UK controls look trivial.

I remember arriving in Philadelphia on a Sunday and telling the guy in
immigration I was coming over for business meeting on the Monday in
Wilmington, Delaware.

"Who's worth seeing in Wilmington ?" he asked. Without any trace of a
smile or humour.

Talk about promoting trade & industry :-) USA immigration officers
usually look and sound like ex night club bouncers who were sacked for
brutality !

It doesn't just happen there. Before I was naturalised here, I had indefinite
leave to remain. I came into Heathrow one evening and presented my US passport
to an immigration officer who was Scottish. He didn't see the indefinite leave
to remain stamp immediately and asked me, "How long will you be staying here?"
I said, "I live here!" He immediately replied, "For your sins?"

I know this is off-topic. I'll get my coat.
--
Chris Hansen | chrishansenhome at btinternet dot com