Exactly what we do at work. A few other countries on that list too.When we used to travel all over the Middle East we had separate passports for our visits to Israel. Wouldn't have been allowed into Arab countries with Israeli stamps and vice versa. Things haven't changed much
I once found about 50 different passports in my Dad's bag. He used to visit the British embassies a lot. Would never tell me what he was up to
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Nick67GT
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When I reapplied for my ESTA to travel to the US under the visa waiver system, it was rejected on what I assumed was my declared visits to both Iran & Iraq, as well a few other ‘questionable’ countries. So I had no option but to apply for a (10 yr) US visa.
That meant a day out in London at the embassy, with lots of form filling, queues and detailed questions in roughly equal proportions. They wanted to know why I had travelled to certain places, who I had met with and for what purpose. In addition, why did I want to continue travelling to the US in the future? And with whom?
Most frustrating when you work for an American company, that take on government contracts in these countries and you’re the one who is assigned to them.
Anyway, visa approved all OK, but even now, each time I travel to the US I get pulled to one side and asked the same old questions, resulting in a delays of between 20 mins to nearly 2 hrs.
Worst types are at the Canadian border when returning back into the US.
The US Canadian border especially on the West Coast side is a joke. Maximum security. Takes hours. 2 miles down the road the border is a grass verge! That's it. Just step across or back in again. Like that for a few thousand miles. There is one little village with the library straddling the border. Front door in the USA back door in Canada. Or vice versa. Before 9/11 you could move freely. Considering Canada has less crime what is the problem?
Mick Annick
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When we used to travel all over the Middle East we had separate passports for our visits to Israel. Wouldn't have been allowed into Arab countries with Israeli stamps and vice versa. Things haven't changed much
I once found about 50 different passports in my Dad's bag. He used to visit the British embassies a lot. Would never tell me what he was up to
Only time I went to the Middle East they gave me the stamp on a piece of paper tucked into my passport so it could be removed if I needed to go Israel.
pedrobedro
Man at Matalan
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Long time since I went near an airport but I had a harmonica in my jacket pocket and the security man made me play it before he let me put it away.
LiftedDisco
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Similar tale - arriving in New York to see a purely platonic friend of the female variety….**
Question from a pretty substantial customs officer (whatever her title may have been), “do you have any gifts with you…”
“Yep, stockings and lip salve…”
Cue an instant smirk from the customs officer and “well, enjoy your stay in the US…!”
** her sister was a slightly different scenario…!
500e
Always buy fire insurance a flood is a hard start
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Used to go for work in USA occasionally not a problem, who do you work for what are you going to do how long etc OK.
Went for a holiday where are you staying "dont know hiring a car and traveling" you must have an address NO am hiring a car going to Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, California.
Lot of muttering, bloke behind me said do you know anyone in US just give them any address so I gave them an address in Reading Pennsylvania, happy bunnies, nowt so strange as customs
Bought a pair of Peters cowboy boots and wore them home customs man made comment nice boots mate
Went for a holiday where are you staying "dont know hiring a car and traveling" you must have an address NO am hiring a car going to Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, California.
Lot of muttering, bloke behind me said do you know anyone in US just give them any address so I gave them an address in Reading Pennsylvania, happy bunnies, nowt so strange as customs
Bought a pair of Peters cowboy boots and wore them home customs man made comment nice boots mate
KemppiFrog
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On dogs sniffing out money, I had that in DC. Handler apologised 'He's young'.
Some time ago I saw something about a woman in the US being stopped and relieved of her life savings, around $30K in cash. They said it tested positive for cocaine.
Apparently 80% of US dollars test positive....
Some time ago I saw something about a woman in the US being stopped and relieved of her life savings, around $30K in cash. They said it tested positive for cocaine.
Apparently 80% of US dollars test positive....
addjunkie
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A Polish collegue of mine had bough a bottle of spirts in Luanda Airport. We used to fly through Lisbon back then, and had to go through security for the other side of the terminal. They wanted to confiscate his bottle of spirts…100ml in a plastic bag rubbish. He decided no you cant have it, and proceeded to stand there and try to drink it. Off to the London flight. He missed his flight to Poland, as they wouldn't let him on sozzled!A colleague for some reason tried to bring 2 ltrs of wine back from that well known wine loving nation, Denmark, in hand luggage - was most upset when they wouldn't let him take it on the plane
Vegemite is Australian. Proper Kiwis eat (NZ made) Marmite. My German wife can't stand the stuff and leaves the kitchen when I open the jar. Not my fault she wasn't brought up properly, not to mention it is pretty rich from someone who loves pickled herrings and sauerkraut.
Morrisman
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‘Loose leaf passport stamp’. I had a few of them over the years.
We always had to have two passports anyway, so we could still travel for work while one passport was off being processing for work visas or similar. At one time I had 3 valid U.K. passports, stapled together, as all 3 had valid visas in.
One annoying thing with the US is they don’t have a ‘transit’ system in airports. You always have to pass through customs and immigration and check into the country at your first airport. Thus you have to have some sort of US visa or waiver.
When working in Mexico we had to fly through US to get there, and first time I did that was dragged off to one side and shoved in a room for nearly two hours and eventually told I have to enter on my US work visa, not my ESTA as a tourist.
I explained I was not working in the US, but the mighty TSA obviously seem to feel Mexico is part of the USA….
Considering how much trouble drunken passengers cause why do they continue to serve alcohol on planes
Morrisman
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I remember having an 8 hour wait in Houston airport, having got off my ship early. Being a Brit I decide to go on an airport pub crawl. There are quite a few nice little bars in George Bush airport.Considering how much trouble drunken passengers cause why do they continue to serve alcohol on planes
Time to board the plane, and I’m feeling decidedly wobbly on my feet. 5 weeks with no beer, then drinking half a dozen in an afternoon……
As I get to the gate an official steps out and leads me off to one side. I was convinced I was going to be arrested, bumped off the flight, then deported…losing my job in the process……
But no, they just wanted to promote me to business class.
I didn’t go on any airport pub crawls after that.
Nomad
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This is a welding forum so I'm sure I'm not the only person here who has put a mig set into a suitcase when I was getting on a flight. Right??I am surprised @Nomad doesn't attract more attention when he flies. He carries a lot of strange bits and pieces
Other recent fun :
Getting stopped in Charles de Gaul trying to smuggle illegal liquids onto the plane (I couldn't get a direct flight to the Med so transferred in CDG - got off the plane and didn't think about my bottle of water when I had to walk through security to get my connecting flight.
Visiting folk in Denmark to find they had been buying up joblots of Hazet, Snap-off etc to make up their sets.When you get asked "Do you want a bag full of random top quality tools?" there's only 1 answer. It's the first time I've had to add a 2nd 20kg suitcase when I booked my flight home Getting stopped for smuggling illegal liquids when leaving Morrocco (lady I was travelling with had bought a jar of picked limes and was planning to drain the liquid before we got on the plane - she put them in my suitcase and forgot about them). Customs opened the bag, saw the bottle of limes, laughed and told me to move along... Buying a couple of liters of "Export" Smirnoff vodka in duty free at a too-good-not-to "2 for £20" offer, took them to the cashdesk and paid, then asked what my allowance was thinking I might get another couple of bottle, nice lass that was serving me explained the limit was 1 litre but "just say you didn't know if you get stopped" 
It was so good I asked somebody to get me a couple more bottles when they flew out a month later (many thanks of you're reading this!)The good news is I'm getting better at judging weights, "Max 20kg allowed" suitcases on my last 2 flights weighted 19.9kg and 20.0 kg - waste not want not
DAPPH
as dyslexik as I'm daft
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Or even sell it in airport shops ... profits £+ $ etc etc . no doubt .Considering how much trouble drunken passengers cause why do they continue to serve alcohol on planes
addjunkie
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Im inclined to agree, Ive never understood the tourst pint at 5 am when they are off on their holibobs! Having said that Ive left the business lounge in Heathrow a bit wobbly a few times on my way home!
