GeoffM

Family and I turn up at ORD (Chicago):
Immigration: Where are you staying?
Me: Fort Wayne, Indiana
Immigration: Ah, I like Fort Wor... what? Fort Wayne? Why?
Me: Visiting some friends there

Minutes later at customs:
Customs: Where are you going?
Me: Fort Wayne, Indiana
Customs: Er... ok (blinks, confused look), have a nice vacation

At baggage transfer:
Handler: Where are you heading?
Me: (thinking it's written on the baggage tag) Fort Wayne
Handler: What for?
Me: Friends live there
Handler (to another handler): They're going to Fort Wayne!
Other handler: (Chuckles)

Clearly not many British tourists head to Fort Wayne!

robin1234

We drive back & forth to Canada frequently (trips to the supermarket, going out for dinner, looking around IKEA .. also to the airport to fly overseas.)

Arriving back in the US, we always hand the guy our two US Passports. He always looks at them, then asks, "What is your citizenship?" My wife (who always drives, therefore is the primary interlocutor) always ignores the question. So the guy asks again more rudely, at which point I lean over and answer...

I've noticed at other ports they never ask this, but it's universal at Ogdensburg.. bloody stupid.

Jerseygirl

I find the Canadian IOs always ask that as they look at the US PPs.

chartreuse

There's a few of us on here for whom answering those questions would take quite a long time...

Last time I came back I wrote "Groceries (non-meat, non-dairy)" on the form. The customs lady read it aloud, chuckled and waved me through.

Tarkak9

...Nobody suspects the Canadian Inquisition...

I remember a while back coming through immigration with my dad, he presented his British passport, I had my US one... the IO was confused about the situation and started to give us a right grilling and grief for some reason and my dad was getting annoyed over some pettiness. We were there a while because the IO got a bee up his butt and eventually threatened my father with "...I can have you detained, Sir". Not to be outdone, my dad rebutted with "Well, I can call the State Department with your name, Sir" while producing his UN passport. Apparently, IOs don't like to apologize.

Zoe Bell

Just curious ( bored at work and nipped over from the Canadian boards )

If you are a US citizen ( and therefore entitled to enter the country) could you refuse to answer any questions such as where you have been and why?

I realise in practice such an approach is just asking for the old rubber gloves to come out to play but once they have established you are a US citizen what power do they have to compel you to answer?

fatbrit

When you are convinced that an applicant for admission is a citizen of the United States, the examination is terminated. This is not to say that your role as an inspector is always completed at that time. Listing of the subject in a lookout system may dictate further action, such as notifying Customs
or another agency of the person’s entry.

It must be emphasized that the grounds of inadmissibility contained in 212(a) of the INA are applicable only to aliens. Consequently, the examination of a person claiming to be a United States citizen is
limited to matters required to establish present citizenship. Once you are satisfied the person being examined is a U.S. citizen and any required lookout query has been completed, the examination is over.

Temporary detention of a U.S. citizen for extensive questioning generally requires reasonable suspicion that the person is involved in illegal activity. Inspectors cross-designated to perform Customs inspections may, of course, continue questioning for Customs purposes. If probable cause to arrest the U.S. citizen cannot be developed within a reasonable period of time, the person must be released.

Source: http://www.ilw.com/immigrationdaily/...8,0513-cbp.pdf

robin1234

Of course, that is one difference to the experience at the airport versus driving in to the United States. At the airport, you have two interviews; first for immigration, then later for customs (after you've picked up your bags.) When you are driving in, the interview is both immigration and customs, which is why they are entitled to ask you what you bought at the supermarket, etc. etc. You could have shopped at Walmart in Canada, and bought a pack of underwear that is made in Cuba (for instance.) That would be a problem.

anuny

1. Pre 9/11 they had just one tool - Customs. Post 9/11 One and a half tool, outbound TSA secondary - Quadruple Ss

2. No

There are anecdotal accounts of some frequent flyers getting fed up and irritated only to be searched by Customs. Single male in his 50s coming from certain countries are definitely searched by customs.
Once I had a full Mac/CD/DVD check

MsElui

when we activated our L visas they officer was asking about the kids and did we plan any more. We were so stressed we didnt know what to say - ie was there a wrong answer. i cant remember what we mumbled but it must have been okay as we got in.

Master_Bulldog

Back in 2005 I flew to Reno from the UK but the 1st flight landed at Fort Worth/Dallas. After already going through some 3 security checks, we had to go through yet another security check for the connecting flight. This one huge security guy was bellowing orders at travellers and generally talking to them like they were cattle...and I was very tired...and bad combination. I scowled at the guy and suddenly I just lost my cool. I asked the guy if we all looked like cattle. He replied with something like "WHAT DID YOU SAY!?" I retorted back "We ain't F***ing cattle so quit treating us like we are!" I couldn't beleive what happened next...and I swear this is true! The giant ape guy pulled his gun and aimed it square at my chest! Well, I really lost it and I challenged him to shoot. I admit I was in the wrong somewhat to say what I did but OMFG! I take that treatment from nobody! Well, the apemans superviser quickly showed up (Ironically a short woman...just looked weird!) and she told him to holster up and told me to move along...I was still shouting stuff as I made my way to the plane. What a cock!

I am happy to say though that my last experience of getting through customs/IC was much more relaxed. My conversation this time went fine until he asked "How did you meet your girlfriend?" When I said on the internet he just sighed, gave a look like he didn't know what to think but sent me through no worries