BristolUK

Wait a moment...three a day would just about make a thousand and that's without any weekends and other time off.

But you say thousands, plural. So that must be at least half a dozen a day and each half a dozen to be new to rack up thousands of them each year.

Remarkable.

dormy

I am not saying everyone is new, many are repeat customers, I am not saying every one yells abuse at me, what I am saying is that I deal with thousands every year, dozens a day actually. I work in a customer service orientated business, that encounters over 80,000 people every year, 20% of my business is made up from government and local authorities, so yes I deal with thousands every year.

dormy

It is my job to kill them with kindness, its a job I have done for 30 years and have won many awards from. Outside of work, in general I treat everyone I encounter with respect and warmth, unless they have baited me then on occasion I can show frustration. In work I would lose my job in a heartbeat if I showed even a hint of frustration or confrontation.

Japonica

"I didn't know that was still a requirement to come here..."

Japonica

No. If the show is anything to go by, you need a suitcase full of meat, the contents of a fruit bowl in your backpack, and 40K stashed "just in case" in your coat pockets.

scrubbedexpat091

You have noticed that trend as well...lol... Sometimes the meat looks so gross, shoved into a plastic bag, no cooler, no ice, and off onto a 10-12 hour flight.

Sometimes I feel some of those folks genuinely may not have understood the question in English, but based on body language, seems most know its a no no and just try and sneak it in.

I saw a 2 part episode for Australia's version last week, there was a lady from Malaysia who was making frequent 1 to 3 day trips to Australia, couldn't answer questions directly. Seemed nervous, but jovial. At some points you could clearly see by body language she was hiding something.

Took 2 episodes, but finally discovered she was carrying heroin internally, and was 12 weeks pregnant, she was carted off to the hospital, and at the end said she faces 4 or 5 years in prison.

That episode also had them finding some sort of animal skin in the post coming from the US, based on the officers reactions, I think it smelled pretty bad. It had not been treated, and was turned inside out, literally looked like someone skinned an animal, then promptly mailed off the skin to Australia.

The Australia one also shows a fair amount of Americans arriving on a one way ticket with little money and being sent back, never really thought they would see so many...Australia is a long ways to be going with no money and a one way ticket...

Shirtback

The main thing that intrigues me about these shows is how/*why* people agree to be filmed/how they are persuaded to be filmed.

Several years ago, on landing, we were approached & asked if we'd agree to be be filmed going through border control by a TV crew; I hadn't finished saying "No", before person asking moved hastily on....

Stinkypup

Is your real name Tim Horton?

Japonica

I think sometimes they have a reverse consent thing going on. I recall signs in Auckland stating that they would be filming and to advise officers if you had an issue with that. I assume if you didn't run over and flip out, or put your coat over your head, they assume you're okay with it.

I transited through one time at 6am or something like that and was disappointed that there was no TV crew. :P

Shirtback

Ah, thanks, that sort of makes sense.

dormy

No, I run 2 very large hotels

Engineer_abroad

I found the UK immigration guys to be increasingly difficult and rude, even more so that some US officers. Example when travelling with my wife (a US citizen with Indefinite leave to remain in the UK) through either the UK or US we always use the citizens line and the other accompanies. The only place they have a go at us for this is in the UK (and usually because the officer forgot their stamp that day). Have had to bite my tongue on numerous occasions with them.

I also notice how no one is ever in the nothing to declare customs line at Heathrow, smuggling into the UK either isn't an issue or it never gets caught.

orly

I've found the UK ones to be the most disinterested on the occasions I even have to deal with them. Barely even looking up at you. Then again I have a British passport so I guess they don't really need to care about me.

The Irish ones are usually good enough. Again having any sort of EU passport just gets you waved through basically.

The Yanks are usually the most stern prancing around with their bullet proof vests and guns. They're like walking inferiority complexes so I just chuckle to myself and let them do what they need to do.

Canadian ones are basically only interested in whether I have any alcohol. It's pretty much the only real question I get asked. The PR card tends to lead to minimal fuss.

Dorothy

The only place I've ever been given a hard time was Heathrow. I was on an around the world trip and the immigration guy was grilling me about where I was staying, who was I meeting, wht was I only in England for 4 days, etc. Even the ones in the middle east are friendlier than the asshat at LHR.

Stinkypup

Yeah, and I wonder why - with an attitude like that.......

Ooooh.. get you.. world trip