Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Vulcan on August 10, 2002, 08:55:12 PM
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Just thought you guys might be interested, theres a few people taking the USA off their lists of places they'd like to see:
'I was treated like a common criminal'
11 August 2002
By PHIL TAYLOR
A former air hostess says she was treated like a "common criminal" by United States immigration officials for a minor visa infringement.
Maggie Anderson, 50, who is married to an American, was detained for 35 hours, handcuffed, fingerprinted, body-searched and sent back to New Zealand after arriving at Los Angeles airport on an annual visit to see family.
Anderson is among a growing number of of Kiwis complaining about heavy-handed treatment by US immigration. These include Queenstown's Darren Caulton, a location scout who found some of the sites used in The Lord of the Rings trilogy and journalist Fiona Smith.
Several years ago Anderson and Caulton overstayed the 90-day visa, routinely given to New Zealanders on arrival in the United States, because injury delayed their departure. They had visited the country several times since without problem.
Anderson, a former Air New Zealand hostess, has been to the US 400 times, four since she overstayed her visa by eight days due to a back injury in 1998.
They were caught in a crackdown on immigration breaches in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Caulton was detained for 26 hours. He was in transit in Los Angeles on his way home from his honeymoon in Europe, forcing his distraught wife Fleur to return to New Zealand without him.
He and Anderson said they were shocked at the lack of professionalism from officials who were rude, arrogant and continually shouted at detainees.
Caulton was also fingerprinted, photographed, searched and escorted through the public arrivals lounge with hands cuffed behind his back. His shoelaces were removed "so I wouldn't hang myself".
"I just couldn't believe the treatment we got. They weren't prepared to listen to anyone, didn't let you make a phone call, nothing," Caulton said.
"They were just out of control. It was like they were a law unto their own."
Officials made lewd comments to a young Russian woman who didn't speak English and a weeping Chinese woman, who also spoke no English, was repeatedly shouted at to stop crying, Caulton said.
A Korean priest was told "to go home and preach to your own people".
Anderson said she saw two men beaten to the ground by security guards during her detention.
Caulton said a knee injury which put him on crutches caused him to overstay his visa.
His employer at the time wrote to US immigration and he'd understood the matter was cleared up.
He said he'd raised it as he left the US in 1996 and was told it was not a problem and it hadn't been mentioned during several visits since - "then six years later this happens".
Caulton said he was told by an investigating officer of the immigration and Naturalisation Service there had been a mistake.
There was no apology and he was still escorted to his flight to New Zealand "like a criminal". He and Anderson were held overnight and refused access to their belongings. They were not given bedding or meals and were escorted by armed guards to the toilet.
"It was a shocking way to finish a great honeymoon. My wife was really upset because they wouldn't tell her anything," Caulton said.
He was allowed to speak to his wife only after threatening to "make a scene".
Anderson who, with husband Doug, has made an annual visit to the US for the past 25 years, wants to warn travellers of the treatment they face if they have even the most minor blot on their copybook.
If they had doubts they should sort it out with the US consulate before leaving New Zealand, she said.
She was asked by officials in Los Angeles for proof of the back injury which caused her to overstay. Those documents were in New Zealand.
Anderson is frustrated such a minor thing was dealt with in a heavy-handed way. "I feel they have gone into panic mode (as a result of September 11)."
The experience was distressing, embarrassing and an eye-opener. "I'm no prude. It takes a lot to embarrass me. Now I'm angry but I couldn't even talk about it a week ago.
"If this was done to an American in another country they would be outraged."
Anderson was searched by a woman wearing rubber gloves. "You are spreadeagled against a wall, like you see in the movies. It was humiliating and for someone younger it could have been devastating."
Fiona Smith was sent back to New Zealand while in Hawaii en route to Canada on a work assignment.
She had overstayed her visa seven years earlier. Though treated civilly, she was not allowed to speak to the person who made the decision to send her home.
"I was obviously not a threat to American society but they are so narrow minded and bureaucratic you can't reason with them."
The US tightened its approach to breaches of immigration regulations this year as part of the country's response to the New York terrorist attacks.
The US Embassy warned in April travellers who overstayed could be deported and barred from re-entering the country permanently.
Embassy spokesman Bill Millman said he was concerned by some of the alleged behaviour of officials.
"I would hope that if their experiences were as they described, that this is an aberration.
"Somebody or some people appeared to have a bad day and did things incorrectly."
Going by the number of complaints received by the United States consulate in Auckland this was very rare, he said.
If mistakes were made the people affected deserved an apology and should take it up with the managers of the regions where they were detained, Millman said.
But officials had the difficult task of trying to make it easy for millions of law-abiding travellers to enter the US while making it difficult for terrorists and criminals.
"We want to treat everyone fairly and if they are bad people they should be arrested."
Overstaying a visa by just one day made a person liable for a criminal offence, Millman said. "In many United States jurisdictions you can be handcuffed and fingerprinted for any criminal offence. This is not just something being done to foreigners."
New Zealanders are generally allowed 90 days in the US without a visa. However, people who have criminal convictions or who have overstayed in the past may have to seek a visa from the consulate.
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Well it depends. At 80-->mph yes. Definately. <--80mph or less, no in some parts. Thats why its good to have a fast car in the US.
:D
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All Clintons fault
You see, if he didn't get those blowjobs, we wouldn't be acting like this....
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About 500,000 Mexicans per year don't realize how tough our immigration folks are.
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>>About 500,000 Mexicans per year don't realize how tough our immigration folks are<<
who else is gonna pick your tomatoes?
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By all means; take us off the list.
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Originally posted by Vulcan
Just thought you guys might be interested, theres a few people taking the USA off their lists of places they'd like to see:
Their loss then. There are plenty of great places to see and alot of great things to do here in the US.
Just as there are across the Globe.
And just as isolated incidences happen across immigration counters all over the Globe as well.
Ever been to Heathrow....yikes! :eek:
Cobra
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Originally posted by 10Bears
All Clintons fault
You see, if he didn't get those blowjobs, we wouldn't be acting like this....
10Bears....take your meds man.......
Cobra
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That makes sense IMHO, it was of course a bunch of New Zealanders who attacked us on 911 and before. Not young middle eastern men.
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New Zealand isn't considered an american ally . Something to do with our navy not being welcome in their water .
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You think our immigration people are tough...try going through an Israeli immigration checkpoint. Sheesh!
After a month in Egypt (1992) I was as brown as any Arab. My head had been shaved nearly bald by my wife before I left the states, and I had lost nearly 20 pounds. So I didn't look anything like my passport photograph. I was the last person cleared in my group at every checkpoint. Once I am pretty sure they suspected I had a weapon because I kept setting off the alarm when going through the metal detector. Turns out the cause was the metal eyes in my hiking shoes. Our guide later told me I was one step away from a strip search.
There have undoubtedly been abuses of authority by the airport and immigration personnel since 9/11 but I'm certain that they are the exception rather than the rule. Fire the guilty ones and the problem will largely disappear.
Otherwise, security should come first, convenience second.
Regards, Shuckins
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Originally posted by Samm
New Zealand isn't considered an american ally . Something to do with our navy not being welcome in their water .
Exactly Samm, New Zealand is listed as an antagonistic nation to the United States of America ever since they cheated us out of the America's Cup. Kiwis? I got your kiwis right here in your body cavity search. What, just because Australians and New Zealanders think because they're white and speak pidgen English they're entitled to special treatment?? I hope we send military aid to Samoa and they conquer New Zealand and Australia and send those Aussie criminals back to London to serve out the remainder of their sentances.
Hey Maggie Anderson, fifty-something Kiwi beeotch who had to undergo a full body cavity search- c'mon, admit it lady- it was the best sex you EVER had. I don't know if you're bragging or complaining but please, SHUT UP because every time you talk about what the Customs Boys did to you five thousand sexually frustrated Australian and New Zealand women empty their bank accounts to buy a one way ticket to any Port of Entry point in the USA in the hopes of getting groped.
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Actually your ships are quite welcome except those with nuclear weapons/propulsion :) . But I'm not one of those commie greenies so I actually liked seeing US ships in port (got to see some real big toys!).
As for an ally? Hmmmm... ever heard of Echelon?
Originally posted by Samm
New Zealand isn't considered an american ally . Something to do with our navy not being welcome in their water .
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Vulcan your service aboard the Enterprise in well noted. Not to worry.
:D
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Yeah, when we get finished STOMPIN" Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Iran, New Zealand is next chum!!
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tell her to go through mexico or canada.
she can slip through the fence in texas. Hot desert but doable. I hear some liberals want set up water holes so the illegal immmigrants dont die of thirst while they voiolate our borders so maybe it wont be so bad.
or during the right season she can have a nice woodland trek anywhere along our canadian border.
May save her some hassel..
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Originally posted by Vulcan
Actually your ships are quite welcome except those with nuclear weapons/propulsion :) . But I'm not one of those commie greenies so I actually liked seeing US ships in port (got to see some real big toys!).
As for an ally? Hmmmm... ever heard of Echelon?
Vulcan, "those without nuclear weapons or propulpition" means basically we can't send ANY warships within your waters without compromising the abilities of said ship to the enemy. LOL get real:) We've been covering the dregs of the British Empire ever since England inbred itself into retardation in 1933. If it weren't for us the Samoans would have conquered you years ago.
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"They were just out of control. It was like they were a law unto their own."
If Chimpy and his thug Ashcroft say it's Ok to strip search tourists to give them body cavity searchs then they need to shut up, strip, bend over and spread their cheeks. :rolleyes:
quote:
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Originally posted by 10Bears
All Clintons fault
You see, if he didn't get those blowjobs, we wouldn't be acting like this....
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10Bears....take your meds man.......
Cobra
Lol 10Bears, quit stirring up the rednecks.
You know thats my job...yours is to come in afterwards with the facts to demonstrate how ignorant their "conservative" philosophy really is. :D
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"I hear some liberals want set up water holes so the illegal immmigrants dont die of thirst while they voiolate our borders so maybe it wont be so bad. "
I put steps under all my windows.(don't want no lawsuit). And put cookies and milk by all the doors. No bergler braking into my house is going to starve.
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ROFL, welcome to the 'land of the free'.... is that Ironic ;)
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Elfenwolf - the British Empire died on the battlefields of WW1 and more importantly WW2. What was it? 6 years of war.
Oh yeah and in Fort Knox too. :D
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Originally posted by Samm
New Zealand isn't considered an american ally . Something to do with our navy not being welcome in their water .
Back in the 80's US naval vessles were quite welcome in NZ, they just had to declare whether they were carrying Nuclear weapons or not, which the US navy would'nt...so no more US naval visits.
If I remember correctly NZ SAS were in afghanistan....
Tronsky
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Originally posted by -tronski-
If I remember correctly NZ SAS were in afghanistan....
Tronsky
As were the rest of us "Inbred" Colonials.
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Originally posted by SC-Sp00k
As were the rest of us "Inbred" Colonials.
Actually I think "Convict" inbred colonials in this case...
Tronsky
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Where could I send my CV if I would like to work as a immigration official in a airport in U.S?
Sounds like a cool job for a a-hole like me :)
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Yes, do not spend your tourist dollars in the US. You may be gang raped by the customer officers. Instead, spend them in pictureque Canada. Where the gropeing is kept to a minimum. :)
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Heh +)
I was not allowed to board a plane for the US the second last time i tried to visit about 3 years ago.
Some friends I met online, invited me down to calif for a clan get together (Quake TeamFortress clan). At the time I was a dishwasher in a fine dining restaurant making minimum wage, so these friends even covered my expenses including the plane ticket.
I went to the airport with $50 in my pocket and no credit card, and a normal amount of luggage...
I guess the US people felt i was actually going on a one way trip with no intention of returning to Canada, so they said no way. I was told I had to prove I had a 'sponsor' for my visit, had a residence in canada with a lease I had to return to, and a job.
So I went home, typed up a letter from my landlord, had a friend sign it. Then had my friends in the US fax me a letter of invitation. And typed another letter from my job and 'faked' another signature.
The next day I hopped on the plane and enjoyed my first ever visit to california!! woohoo!! It was November when I went, was soo nice to enjoy the warm tropical weather. +) Nevermind the 24 yr old woman, who had talked her husband into paying for my trip +)
SKurj
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Originally posted by Elfenwolf
We've been covering the dregs of the British Empire ever since England inbred itself into retardation in 1933.
LOL...America was populated initially by the dregs of the British Empire according to my history books.
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the "dregs" are what remained.
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The US immigration sux arse IMHO
I mean what these dudes think?
THat all the tourist wanna stay in the US forever and workl the illegal ?
Even if they come from a country that is not suffering ?
Every time i have to go through the US immigration or canadien i feel like criminal person that isnt welcome. And they only asking absolut stupid questions.
But i have to forgive them it must be the sutipiest work ever.
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Golly... first we criticize ourselves because we weren't stringent enough to catch the hijackers coming into the country before 9/11, and now we are too harsh. Guys, you can't have it both ways.
We have an immigration problem, no denying that. If you overstay your visa, you are breaking the law. Sorry, that's how it is.
And to a few of our people that are concerned with how humane we treat lawbreakers, I get pretty damned tired of how concerned you are for the rights of people that aren't even citizens of this country, therefore do not have rights of citizenship.