A question I posted in the Israel forum and an amusing story by NYTim involving his experiences entering Israel in 1977 has prompted me to post this.

Have any of you ever had bad(or amusing!)experiences entering or leaving a country?

Can't say I have myself. I have always been treated well. Mu luggage has been searched a couple of times but the officials were always polite so I didn't really mind it.

John

You've just made my blood run cold at the recollection of what I did to my passport, on entering Yugoslavia in 1969!

It was my honeymoon and I hadn't had time to alter my passport before the wedding, to my married name.
I realised that we might have had problems, staying together, having different names. Times were very different then!

So- I changed my name, myself, on the passport!!

I still don't know what on earth got into me--a real, brainless moment!
The customs official perused said document closely, then asked who had altered the name. I admitted the crime and shuddered to think what was to become of me.
Other couples had been separated and thrown off the train at different borders,throughout the journey, as their papers were not in order!

He gave me a strict telling off and that was that!Phew.

You were very lucky Diana. Any problems re-entering the UK?

I travelled in Europe immediately after the 2006 security scare, when all cabin baggae was forbidden.

It was only a scary experience because the additional security check required was being done by the army in the country I visited. The officers had little English, and were very, very serious indeed about their job. I was ok (though the male officer was very unhappy about my forgotten paracetamol tablets in my pocket, and I thought for a while there might be trouble) and didn't mind the extremely thorough body search from a female officer. But other people weren't so lucky, and some had very unpleasant experiences (we could all see what was going on).

It all took so long we were held at the gate (no facilities, no toilets) for over two hours, and our flight had to be delayed.

My son had a much scarier experience on his return from somewhere else, when (after being questioned for 2 hours prior to being allowed to board) a security agent sat next to him all the way back and continued to question him. The agent did not get off the plane at Heathrow. The cameras belonging to my son's group taken to be 'checked' by security prior to 'sending on' to Heathrow were never returned.

Which two countries were involved? I would love to know!

Returning home to Israel from Australia and NZ I travelled via Bangkok.
After all security checks (flying El Al) and already in the boarding room, the gates were opened and people began to line up to go down the ramp to the plane.

I was almighty tired and didn't have the energy to pick up and carry my carry-on. I just kicked it along as the line slowly moved forward. I was 60 y.o at the time...

One of the El Al security men came up to me and asked to see my original ticket - not the boarding pass the original ticket. I had to go digging through all of my papers (in that cursed carry on bag). All I could find were the domestic flight tickets I had taken in OZ and NZ. I was mighty afraid that I had already packed it in my hold luggage! Picture it - and old lady bent in half digging through her bag on the floor, the line waiting and the security man checking out all of the tickets that I did find...

Finally found the first ticket that I had left Israel with 6 weeks previously.
Whew!

Only later realized that since this was Bangkok he was probably interested in drugs, not anything else...

And I am an Israeli!

Last year in Chile a drugs dog picked out my carry on bag from a lineup and the customs took both my bag and I away to be searched. I was travelling with Mum and she tried to follow me. They wouldn't let her and they kept us apart. When they were finished the search and found nothing (naturally) they sent me on my way. I couldn't find Mum anywhere. I was pretty worried for her as she can never remember the name of the hotel (sometoimes even the country) where we're staying. It took me forty five minutes to locate her and thankfully another couple we had met on our travels had taken her under their care.

I have been treated rudely at the Mexican and Canadian Boprders by US border officials. No idea why. Usually its polite. Had a good laugh with the guys in Jordan because I had shaved off the moustache in the photo. They could not uderstand why I would do that. Great guys. And the drug dog? Comming back into London from Isatnbul he made right for my rear end and seem positively curious. I was ill and though I might get searched. Wierd dog.

I wonder if, sometimes, the dogs just get bored? After all, they know that when they 'choose' someone they get a nice reward (maybe time carrying your special ball around the airport, drooling with pleasure ... I've seen a very happy drug dog doing that, having previously seen him pick out some poor lad with a rucksack).

And some dogs are pretty clever. :-)

When I lived in Scotland, a whole bunch of us girls decided to go to Spain for a holiday. They did a last-minute cheapie, but I couln't go as I didn't have time to get a visa.
So another girl & I decided to go to Amsterdam for a week. We had so much fun! But upon returning & landing in Glasgow (or whatever the airport was called) we were detained and they completely tore our bags to pieces. It was very unpleasant and we felt like criminals. They just couldn't understand why anyone would want to go to Amsterdam for a holiday. They were so sure that we were bringing back drugs. That really spoiled the end of a great trip.

I had another almost amusing experience coming back from Mexico. I had been there for 9 days and was very deeply tanned. It was 32 degrees when I was leaving Mexico so I refused to wear a coat or jacket. I knew it was well below freezing in Newark (where we were picking up our connection to Dublin) but I insisted that the airport would be warm and I would be fine.

Little did I realise that Immigration would also find it very odd that I was travelling without a coat in the middle of a freezing New York February. They pulled me out of the crowd, searched me, searched my handbag, fingerprinted me, cross questioned me on my Nationality, profession, place of work etc.

It seems that because I wasn't wearing a jacket and looked so tanned they thought I had taken a quick opportunity and jumped on a waiting plane and so I was a suspicious character.

Got half heartedly searched in Italy in 1978 by a very apologetic customs man - very strange.

2 years ago coming back from New York a "very important" business woman was complaining about having to remove her coat and shoes. They made her take out her laptop and she put it in a plastic tray and it promptly flipped over and the laptop hit the floor. Then she really kicked off. As I say she was an "important" business woman. They made her stand to one side like a naughty child while the rest of us filed through - I laughed. Don't mess with the US airport security people.

Have seen similar at Stansted....naughty 'important' man got stroppy. Was very, very thoroughly told off for being rude and warned that they'd 'phoned the gate' and it was entirely up to the staff there whether he was allowed to fly or not. He was very grovelly and apologetic by then, but they stood their ground (I was most impressed by their calm yet teacher-like voices).

I managed to stifle my sniggers. More or less. What goes around......

He he I like that one!

I did as well. Made my day! :-)

Last time I went through Stansted a security guard casually remarked as I walked through security that we were alike in that we both wear our watches on our right wrists even though we are right handed. I don't know how he knew I was right handed but I said "oh, you're gooood!". He said "I have to be, its my job" and he wasn't smiling.

I haven't met him yet (I do the same thing)!

I've observed that if you are courteous and pleasant to airport security in the UK (although I've only flown from Heathrow/Gatwick a couple of times) then they will be courteous to you (even if very serious and deadpan). This does not necessarily apply elsewhere, in my experience.

I usually confine my comments to security staff to one word. "Thanks", when they hand me back my bag. No point in attracting attention I feel!

I've only had a bad experience once with Customs, and that was many years ago, re-entering the US from Canada. My husband had long hair then, so I guess they thought we looked like hippies and might be carrying drugs. They took our luggage apart and seemed disappointed when they didn't find anything.

Most of the time, the Customs people look bored and wave you through.

Old enough to know better I still overstayed my visa. I mistakenly assumed that an American was allowed 6 months in an European country. Never dawned on me that we are allowed only so many months for all European countries. Regardless, I blew it on all accounts. I stayed for 18 months. When I left Portugal for England and they kept my passport I said 'I was sailing in international waters' and I was honestly! The Portugese authorities who had the right to impose a massive fine said 'fine, let England deal with you stupid Americans - they like you'. England actually gave me a slightly harder time. I had a long period of extreme stress, a terribly offensive lecture from a greasy haired, overworked, frustrated customs 'officer', and a 'bad stamp' on my passport that made any other immigration passing quite lengthy and unpleasant.
I now have a resident visa for GB and have little difficulty crossing borders. Just keep the faith yeah?! I am thankful they appreciated me for the dissorganized happy travellor I am. Live and learn...

I've never had any serious problems, but I do remember in 2002 when flying home from Spain, I had packed a manicure/makeup-brush set (which had two pairs of scissors) in my carry-on without thinking, and when I went through security, the officers saw them on the x-ray of my backpack and made me go back and put the bag in the checked luggage. I was not happy about that - I've heard stories of how luggage is handled and I had put all my breakable items (such as a perfume bottle) in my carry-on to avoid that. Anyway, thankfully nothing was damaged/broken.

LOL - that reminded me of the time I was flying from Melbourne to Tasmania and forgot to pack all of my matches (I had just bought a package of 10 boxes!) into my checked luggage.

There I was waiting on line to present my ticket and get a boarding pass and I'm hurriedly trying to stuff all of the matches into the checked luggage before my turn came ;~0

Coming back to the US from Australia many years ago, I was wearing one costume-jewelry ring that has a nice gold setting with an oval stone of smokey quartz. I was hauled over by Customs who accused me of not declaring the purchase of "this opal ring from Australia." I'd had the ring for years; it's not an opal; and it is from Geneva. I tried to explain, but I was taken into a supervisor's office where they first tore apart all my luggage, then re-inspected the ring and agreed it wasn't an opal. However, they put something in my record about "she fits a jewelry smuggler's profile," and for years when returning home, I was hauled over for close inspection. Thank heavens, they seem to have forgotten about it now.

I would have to agree that you look exactly like a jewellery smuggler!! LOL!

Ha ha! I suppose it's better than looking like a dope smuggler!

Well, yea. Jewellery smugglers are probably rich and look elegant and distinguished!

Gee, I'd love to fit that profile!

Used to be a security guy at Stanstead Airport called Barry White and my sister was always yanking his chain. Poor guy must have got the same jokes ALL the time. He transferred eventually and I always said it was because of her lol.

Worst experience I ever had was coming back from India having just been released from hospital after the worst case of gastroenteritis ever. Probably will sound a bit over dramatic but I was just tired and upset.

Staff back at Heathrow wouldn't let me check in to fly back to Belfast City Airport....though I was more just exhausted and looking forward to a shower by then. I can honestly say I have never been treated more appallingly by a member of staff as this little-miss-frosty-gusset and a go at me loudly in public for several minutes. I guess partly from being so tired and also unfamiliar with the place I was fighting a panic attack by then.

Told me I had to get a doctor's letter to say I was fit to fly.
Sent me in a taxi, which cost me 32 pounds to a hospital.
It was a walk in community hospital and no doctors were employed there!
They gave me a basic check over and lots of sympathy as I was sure I was going to miss my flight by then. Told me the airline often made the mistake of sending people to them and that this airline had a reputation for having snarky staff.

Anyway I felt a million times better just for getting away from the Airport to a quite place for a while and when I got back I was able to be more assertive.
I still had a few minutes to check in so got my flight after all. Phew! :o)

On my big trip 5 years ago Perth/Sydney/Los Angeles/Orlando/New York/Honolulu/Sydney/Perth security in the US was on "High Alert" due to the happenings of Sept 11 I was taken aside at the 4 US airports and thoroughly searched yet my girlfriend whom I was travelling with was not. They seemed to take one look at my surname and call me aside!. We nearly missed our flight from LA to Orlando and I have to say that the staff at LA airport were the rudest I have ever encountered. They let my friend through but wouldn't let me through and I was so anxious telling them I was going going to miss my connecting flight and all I got was "Not my problem Maaaam". When I finally got through I reckon my friend and I must have ran a hundred miles and hour way up the end of the terminal to catch the flight, when we got on the plane we were nearly having a heart attack as we were so out of breath and then everyone on the plane started clapping. The hostesses on the plane were great and even offered us a free drink of anything we wanted. The Bourban & coke went down very well I must admit.


Trish

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No problems on our return, John. Customs officers didn't even glance at my passport!
I remember- many years ago, some friends were returning from a camping holiday in France. They were tired and filthy and the customs man asked if they had anything to declare in their beaten up old 2CV.The chap said- 2Yes- we have a bootful of drugs and bnooze...ha, ha, ha.!"
They were ordered out of the car and it was taken away and stripped down!3 hours later they were allowed to continue their journey!

We returned, to UK, from a camping holiday in Yugoslavia- in the days ( about 1972?) when we could take only £25 out of the country! We came back with nothing at all- having made our £25 last for 2 weeks, with nothing left over for drink or cigs.
We were asked if we had anything- I replied that we had nothing at all- (to the questions.."Any alcohol","Any cigarettes", "anything else that should be declared?")--not even cash!
I was pulled over and my rucksack was stripped out! All the smelly stuff, from 2 weeks camping, was strewn all over the table and, of course, nothing untoward was found.
They told me to carry on and left me to re-pack the rucksack!