LeonardG Photography wrote:
try sailing through the panama canal in a sail boat and waiting in line for a pilot....

Did it once.  We were lucky, the wait time was only a 4 day wait in Colon.

Connor Photography wrote:
If you arrive Bermuda via cruise ship, they don''t even bother to stamp your passport.  how rude!!! 

That is rude!

I have stamps from cruises for Argentine, Falkland Islands, Chile and Peru. Some countries didn't bother though.

Way back when I was in high school I had a summer job on a cargo ship, and most of those places didn't stamp my passport... Morocco, Italy, Yugoslavia, etc... most places just gave us slips of paper that were like shore passes that we had to turn back in afterwards. I do have one Yugoslavia stamp though, from another time just bumming around by train on my own one year.

When I did a bicycle journey in the USSR (Russia, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania) I got nothing there either... had a big visa booklet that I had to get in advance, but they took it away when I finally left... which sucked.

Connor Photography wrote:
Between U.S. and Canada, there is no stamping at all.  I used to live in Buffalo not too far from Peace Bridge, We went to Canada for lunch every week.  No passport, no ID, and most of the agents know us......hahahha.

Nothing for Mexico either, at least not at the TJ border. I do have some from flying into Mexico City though.

Lightcraft Studio wrote:
That is rude!

I have stamps from cruises for Argentine, Falkland Islands, Chile and Peru. Some countries didn't bother though.

Way back when I was in high school I had a summer job on a cargo ship, and most of those places didn't stamp my passport... Morocco, Italy, Yugoslavia, etc... most places just gave us slips of paper that were like shore passes that we had to turn back in afterwards. I do have one Yugoslavia stamp though, from another time just bumming around by train on my own one year.

When I did a bicycle journey in the USSR (Russia, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania) I got nothing there either... had a big visa booklet that I had to get in advance, but they took it away when I finally left... which sucked.

Yes, it is their country,  their rules. 

I would love to sail to Peru and Chile on my our sailboat. My bucket list, but not too long from now. 

Connor Photography wrote:
I would love to sail to Peru and Chile on my our sailboat. My bucket list, but not too long from now.

Lots of beautiful places down there... going through Patagonia and the Chilean Fjords is breathtaking.
Northers Chile has some interesting places too... one town (Arica I think it was) has never had a drop of rain...ever...although Wikipedia claims they do get an average of about 1 millimeter of rain PER YEAR.

Connor Photography wrote:
Between U.S. and Canada, there is no stamping at all.  I used to live in Buffalo not too far from Peace Bridge, We went to Canada for lunch every week.  No passport, no ID, and most of the agents know us......hahahha.

Things changed after 911.  It is a bit unfair but I have noticed that.  It is easier for U.S. Citizens entering Canada. But I found U.S. often give hard time to Canadians when entering the U.S.  They ask more questions.   As such when crossing the border back to U.S. I don't follow cars with Canada plates.    ...LOL.

It is difficult for many people entering the US now.  Even when they have the proper documents.

Connor Photography wrote:
Between U.S. and Canada, there is no stamping at all.  I used to live in Buffalo not too far from Peace Bridge, We went to Canada for lunch every week.  No passport, no ID, and most of the agents know us......hahahha.

Things changed after 911.  It is a bit unfair but I have noticed that.  It is easier for U.S. Citizens entering Canada. But I found U.S. often give hard time to Canadians when entering the U.S.  They ask more questions.   As such when crossing the border back to U.S. I don't follow cars with Canada plates.    ...LOL.

I used to go to Canada every week also.

Connor Photography wrote:
But I found U.S. often give hard time to Canadians when entering the U.S.

For some reason I always get pulled over and get the third degree when coming back from Canada.

50 trips to Mexico and no problems.
Every reentry from Canada is a PIA.

Jerry Nemeth wrote:
It is difficult for many people entering the US now.  Even when they have the proper documents.

Fingerprints and get your picture taken.

Connor Photography wrote:
But I found U.S. often give hard time to Canadians when entering the U.S.

nwprophoto wrote:
For some reason I always get pulled over and get the third degree when coming back from Canada.

50 trips to Mexico and no problems.
Every reentry from Canada is a PIA.

That is odd.  Considering you are pretty local living in WA State next to Canada. For over a thousand crossing into Canada, I did have a few problems returning back to U.S.  This is before 911 when no passport is required before traveling between US/CA.  Since I did not  have my citizenship paper with me.  I got delayed at the Customs until they sorted things out.  The good news is the U.S. Customs can't deny my entry and send me back to Canada. 

For all the years that I have been dealing with and observing the U.S. Customs, if you are not the citizen of this country you have no human rights and they are the "God".  They can deny your entry to U.S. any time they see fit.  You have no recourse.  So play nice.  Yes Sir, No Sir and tell the truth.

I have witnessed so many of my professional colleagues and many of sail yacht owners from Europe or aboard entering U.S. Water having the hell of time at U.S. Customs.  As a citizen of U.S. I feel embarrassed by our government.   Protecting our border is important but at what cost.  Many scholars and researchers are shying away and so are hundreds of European yachts skipping the States all together.  Now we often ask, why we are not welcome in other counties. ....LOL

What goes around comes around, perhaps. 

rxz wrote:
I find it less of a hassle having my passport and reentering the country when passing through boarder patrol in New Mexico from Texas.

It is the standard of procedures having a valid Passport when crossing the border.  There should not be any exception.

Connor Photography wrote:

It is the standard of procedures having a valid Passport when crossing the border.  There should not be any exception.

True.

Peter Claver wrote:
I put my card in the machine, have either my irises or fingerprints scanned, tap on the screen to answer a few questions, grab a printout and I'm on my way.  Easy peasy.  When there are huge lineups at the airport or land crossing it takes a huge amount of stress off the crossing and saves me a ton of time.

They've put those machines in around here too... Fort Lauderdale and Miami that I've experienced. They seem to just be an extra step in the process though.  We do all this at the machine, get the slip of paper and then we still have to wait in line for a human at immigration checkpoint to run the passport, ask questions, etc... and then move along to the customs line.

Maybe the plan is to eliminate the immigration line at some point, but right now having to use the machines first and then go through the lines anyway seems like a step in the wrong direction.

Lightcraft Studio wrote:
They've put those machines in around here too... Fort Lauderdale and Miami that I've experienced. They seem to just be an extra step in the process though.  We do all this at the machine, get the slip of paper and then we still have to wait in line for a human at immigration checkpoint to run the passport, ask questions, etc... and then move along to the customs line.

Maybe the plan is to eliminate the immigration line at some point, but right now having to use the machines first and then go through the lines anyway seems like a step in the wrong direction.

The one's you're talking about are here too.. but they're not part of NEXUS (or Global Entry or other "pre-cleared" programs).  Those machines are just a reduction of what needs to be done when you get to the person at the desk -- ie. most people will spend less time in front of a human after they've visited the machine.  They're not what I'm talking about.

The system I'm talking about is something that I had to apply for, go through background checks and then sit for a couple hours of interviews with both Canadian and US Customs officers before I was accepted into the program.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NEXUS_(fr … r_program)

I can also use it when I book my flight so that I go through an expedited TSA security check at the airport (don't have to take off shoes, belt or jacket, don't have to go through body scanner.. just metal detector, etc).

It's  a fantastic programs for frequent travellers like myself who fit the criteria.

Frank Lewis Photography wrote:
My wife and I went to Niagara Falls for our 25th wedding anniversary. When we crossed into Canada, the border agent wouldn't stamp our passports. We asked really nice, but no stamp...

I stopped getting stamps a long time ago, they stamp your customs form now instead. Kind of a pain in the ass because I used to just find my last stamp in the book when they ask me how long I've been away, now I gotta look up my old plane tickets.

I also had to get a new book when I changed my last name, so now its empty, looks like I don't go anywhere. My plethora of stamps used to help me get by customs easier, showed I'd been in and out a billion times and nobody had a problem with me.

nwprophoto wrote:
For some reason I always get pulled over and get the third degree when coming back from Canada.

50 trips to Mexico and no problems.
Every reentry from Canada is a PIA.

Ive found the US customs to give me roughly the same amount of shit as the Canadians. They sort of come at me with this "why would you leave your country!?" tone, like Im not allowed to vacation or something, and it's all a bit silly because they puff up and talk harsh and then 20 minutes later they still gotta let me in so I get this short "ok go" like I wasted THEIR time and they waive me on. It serves absolutely no purpose and they just like fucking with you.

Clearing american customs in Puerto Rico was my worst customs experience, even compared to the several times I've been sent to secondary questioning at the airport in Toronto.

I was coming back from a weekend in the dominican republic, and Im pretty sure they thought I was either a prostitute or a drug mule. My flight had maybe 12 people on it, all businessmen, and then me. They took my suitcase, unzipped it, and just flipped it over on the table and shook it out, then rifled through every single piece of clothing (asking me if I actually wear it), turned my purse out the same way, counted my money down to the pennies, checked that all my bank cards and gift cards had the same name on them, asked me over and over what I did that weekend (it was fucking october, I sat on a beach like anyone else would do if it were about to snow back home. And what else did I do? I sat on a different spot on the beach. And what else? Napped. On the beach.) They were the biggest dicks about everything and I almost missed my flight home.

US customs don't discriminate, they treat everyone like shit.

Peter Claver wrote:
The one's you're talking about are here too.. but they're not part of NEXUS (or Global Entry or other "pre-cleared" programs).  Those machines are just a reduction of what needs to be done when you get to the person at the desk -- ie. most people will spend less time in front of a human after they've visited the machine.  They're not what I'm talking about.

The system I'm talking about is something that I had to apply for, go through background checks and then sit for a couple hours of interviews with both Canadian and US Customs officers before I was accepted into the program.
It's  a fantastic programs for frequent travellers like myself who fit the criteria.

Yes, I know about the Global Entry program... have thought about doing that but haven't gotten around to doing it because of having to go do the interview deal. I generally get the TSA-PRE designation anyway so I already don't have to do the belt/shoes routine. I only go overseas 3 or 4 times per year, so it's not really worth doing the Global Entry thing for that.

Lightcraft Studio wrote:

Yes, I know about the Global Entry program... have thought about doing that but haven't gotten around to doing it because of having to go do the interview deal. I generally get the TSA-PRE designation anyway so I already don't have to do the belt/shoes routine. I only go overseas 3 or 4 times per year, so it's not really worth doing the Global Entry thing for that.

Yeah.. it all depends on how much you travel.  I'm in and out of the USA sometimes multiple times a month for business meetings and family.  Not having to deal with the uncertainty of customs and security delays is worth alot to me.  I just breeze through.  I have gotten randomly selected to talk with someone but in the last 3.5 years since I've had the card it's only happened two or three times I think.

Lightcraft Studio wrote:

They've put those machines in around here too... Fort Lauderdale and Miami that I've experienced. They seem to just be an extra step in the process though.  We do all this at the machine, get the slip of paper and then we still have to wait in line for a human at immigration checkpoint to run the passport, ask questions, etc... and then move along to the customs line.

Maybe the plan is to eliminate the immigration line at some point, but right now having to use the machines first and then go through the lines anyway seems like a step in the wrong direction.

Since putting the customs kiosks in our airport the lines have (on most occasions) been significantly cut. And I just really like not having to fill out the forms anymore. If something with the flights gets royally fucked up no amount of machines will cut down a line of a few thousand people so they still get busy sometimes, but I find on a normal day theres maybe a 15 minute wait, as opposed to the previous hour or more I used to get. They also tend to ask me less questions than they used to. Once in a while I'll still have to tell my lifes story but for the most part all I hear now is one or two along the lines of "how long have you been here and why" and then they let me through. They started out only being used when you were going "home" but they've been implemented both ways now and I fucking love it.

Eventually I'll apply for my nexus card, Im just really not looking forward to the interrogation they're going to put me through. It would be a big help for when Peter and I travel together though, since he's no longer allowed to use the normal lines, they yell at him when he does, so he's gotta go through and then just wait for me on the other side and if Im stuck in a 3 hour line up...too bad.

Laura UnBound wrote:
Ive found the US customs to give me roughly the same amount of shit as the Canadians. They sort of come at me with this "why would you leave your country!?" tone, like Im not allowed to vacation or something, and it's all a bit silly because they puff up and talk harsh and then 20 minutes later they still gotta let me in so I get this short "ok go" like I wasted THEIR time and they waive me on. It serves absolutely no purpose and they just like fucking with you.

Clearing american customs in Puerto Rico was my worst customs experience, even compared to the several times I've been sent to secondary questioning at the airport in Toronto.

I was coming back from a weekend in the dominican republic, and Im pretty sure they thought I was either a prostitute or a drug mule. My flight had maybe 12 people on it, all businessmen, and then me. They took my suitcase, unzipped it, and just flipped it over on the table and shook it out, then rifled through every single piece of clothing (asking me if I actually wear it), turned my purse out the same way, counted my money down to the pennies, checked that all my bank cards and gift cards had the same name on them, asked me over and over what I did that weekend (it was fucking october, I sat on a beach like anyone else would do if it were about to snow back home. And what else did I do? I sat on a different spot on the beach. And what else? Napped. On the beach.) They were the biggest dicks about everything and I almost missed my flight home.

US customs don't discriminate, they treat everyone like shit.

I agree.  I know someone who came here from Mexico with all the necessary documents.  They delayed him for 2 hours.  I even called Customs to support him.

Laura UnBound wrote:
Eventually I'll apply for my nexus card, Im just really not looking forward to the interrogation they're going to put me through. It would be a big help for when Peter and I travel together though, since he's no longer allowed to use the normal lines, they yell at him when he does, so he's gotta go through and then just wait for me on the other side and if Im stuck in a 3 hour line up...too bad.

That's because he's a terrorist.

Laura UnBound wrote:

Ive found the US customs to give me roughly the same amount of shit as the Canadians. They sort of come at me with this "why would you leave your country!?" tone, like Im not allowed to vacation or something, and it's all a bit silly because they puff up and talk harsh and then 20 minutes later they still gotta let me in so I get this short "ok go" like I wasted THEIR time and they waive me on. It serves absolutely no purpose and they just like fucking with you.

Clearing american customs in Puerto Rico was my worst customs experience, even compared to the several times I've been sent to secondary questioning at the airport in Toronto.

I was coming back from a weekend in the dominican republic, and Im pretty sure they thought I was either a prostitute or a drug mule. My flight had maybe 12 people on it, all businessmen, and then me. They took my suitcase, unzipped it, and just flipped it over on the table and shook it out, then rifled through every single piece of clothing (asking me if I actually wear it), turned my purse out the same way, counted my money down to the pennies, checked that all my bank cards and gift cards had the same name on them, asked me over and over what I did that weekend (it was fucking october, I sat on a beach like anyone else would do if it were about to snow back home. And what else did I do? I sat on a different spot on the beach. And what else? Napped. On the beach.) They were the biggest dicks about everything and I almost missed my flight home.

US customs don't discriminate, they treat everyone like shit.

+100000000000

American customs are THE WORST. I get treated the EXACT same way when I enter my own fucking country. I go to visit my friends in B.C. and they are all; "what do you do for a living? where did you go? How much money do you have? How do you pay for things? Why were you in Toronto two years ago? What is this? Drugs?" I basically respond with one word answers and treat them like they have a mental disorder. "I went to Victoria to visit friends? I met them the old fashioned way, online. I don't carry cash on me. I use my card. I was in Toronto to view Niagra Falls because my special needs son loves water falls. Made a day trip to Toronto. No those aren't drugs that ibuprofen. It says so on the bottle."

I do not travel internationally anymore because of these assholes.

Connor Photography wrote:
Depending on what is your objective in life is or more specifically what is your objective in your travel.  When crossing the border, I play nice and be respectful even they aren't to me.  It is their turd, their work place, their office, and it is their call.  There is no need to fight for who is the boss.  I answer their questions the best way I know how, I am not going to be an smart ass, I am not try to be humor with them.  When they see that they are NOT getting what they hope to find,  they will treat you politely and let you go.  And I go about my own business and am fulfilling my objective of my travel.   

It is their job.  It is their job to be bossy, authoritative and likely exert fear onto others.  They poke and poke everywhere they see fit. And they watch you reactions.  That is what they were trained to do.  If you don't like it, I guess your can stay home, or you can run for President and fire these assholes whom have mistreated you.

I am certainly would not stop my traveling because of a few unpleasant incidents at the customs office.   I was born without freedom - of religion, of association, of speech and of traveling.  Now, there is no hell on earth I would want to give up my freedom to travel because of the increase security of the border and the problem that comes along. 

It is all relative depending your perspectives.  Just like here in America and on MM, we often hear I don't eat this and that.  You would never hear that from the starving people of the war-torn Syria being so picky.

When you get suspected of being a prostitute or a drug mule EVERY time you cross the border INTO your OWN country and it stresses you out to no end simply because you are a pretty girl traveling alone? Fuck that. It isn't a "few" it's EVERY SINGLE TIME. International travel is not worth the headache of American customs anymore. They are nothing more than people who either bullied others in school or the person bullied. It's psychology 101. They get to take out their anger under the guise of authority for what? Entertainment. Nothing more nothing less. We're not in a war torn Syria. I'm traveling to see friends not avoid death. There's a huge difference. Silly analogy.

BlueMoonPics wrote:
I'm really sorry to hear about all these problems with customs, especially US.
I don't travel much at all but when I do it's mostly in the US.
It irks me to no end to have take my shoes off and get scanned in those booths.
And the people working there are not the brightest bulbs either.
That's why you have to treat them with kid gloves.

It's SO frustrating. You can't go on vacation, see friends nothing anymore without being interrogated or wanting the blood of my first born more like it. Europe isn't like this it is literally JUST American customs in my experience. They interrogate you asking you the DUMBEST questions. Like I mentioned earlier, one lady accused me of having pills in my bottle of ibuprofen and asked why I carried it. When I told her it is for a possible headache I might get she didn't like that answer. Why the hell else would I have it? "I'm clearly trying to purposely kill my liver."

Model Sarah wrote:

+100000000000

American customs are THE WORST. I get treated the EXACT same way when I enter my own fucking country. I go to visit my friends in B.C. and they are all; "what do you do for a living? where did you go? How much money do you have? How do you pay for things? Why were you in Toronto two years ago? What is this? Drugs?" I basically respond with one word answers and treat them like they have a mental disorder. "I went to Victoria to visit friends? I met them the old fashioned way, online. I don't carry cash on me. I use my card. I was in Toronto to view Niagra Falls because my special needs son loves water falls. Made a day trip to Toronto. No those aren't drugs that ibuprofen. It says so on the bottle."

I do not travel internationally anymore because of these assholes.

I know a model from Prague who is no longer traveling to the US because of this.

Lightcraft Studio wrote:
Way back when I was in high school I had a summer job on a cargo ship, and most of those places didn't stamp my passport... Morocco, Italy, Yugoslavia, etc... most places just gave us slips of paper that were like shore passes that we had to turn back in afterwards. I do have one Yugoslavia stamp though, from another time just bumming around by train on my own one year.

There had been and there are special regulations for commercial ship (and airplane) crews in many countries of the world. Usually they do not need visas even when their ships (or plane) enter a country which they would need a visa for entering when travelling not as a crew member.

When I did a bicycle journey in the USSR (Russia, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania) I got nothing there either... had a big visa booklet that I had to get in advance, but they took it away when I finally left... which sucked.

You would not get any stamps either when travelling through several states of the US.... ;-)

Model Sarah wrote:
+100000000000

American customs are THE WORST.

I travelled several times to the US in the last ~30 years and I cannot consent.
Quite the contrary: all my encounters with US immigration, customs or airport security personal had been extremely professional and polite.

(When I was visiting the JFK Space Center in Florida in 2008 a NASA security guy almost drove me crazy. I was carrying my ~50 compartments Domke bag with me and was wearing a vest with another estimated 15 little pockets... I think he asked some 20 times "May I open this, Sir?", "May I have a look into this, Sir?" I tried to tell him "Feel free to look into whatever you want to look into, I have no objections!" but no chance... ;-] )

Yes - they can be fussy. But they have to execute some fussy laws. And you are told in advance. I travel a lot. Almost nowhere you can acquire such thorough information about entry or customs or visa regulations than for the USA. Do a lengthy trip through Africa, or the Middle East, or some former USSR republics now being independent states. I think you will yearn for the US customs.*

At least they do not expect to be bribed. ;-)

get treated the EXACT same way when I enter my own fucking country.

The reason might be that EXACT the same customs regulations apply for US citizens and foreigners. Just a guess...

_________________________________________
*) When I travelled to Mali (Western Africa) in 1987 I encountered a weird problem one never would expect...

At that time you needed a permit to take any photographs in Mali as a foreigner. It was not just the usal "you must not take photographs of military installations, government buildings, harbours, bridges, policemen..." You needed a permit to take photographs in that country at all...

These permits where issued by the Tourism Administration for a moderate payment. Okay. You can never have enough stamped papers, especially in Africa where stamped papers are some kind of fetish. So I went to the Tourism Administration to buy this permit.

Sorry. We just have abolished this policy. You may take photographs without any permits...

Don't celebrate just yet. DO NOT CELEBRATE TOO EARLY!

Because: what the Tourism Administration knows other authorities don't even know rudimentally. So for the next two weeks I spend a lot of time explaining Mali policemen the new laws of their own country... And as a foreigner on a short trip you never know whether it's a clever idea to solve problems with a little bribe. Because you do not know whether they have some "anti corruption campaign" running right now...

Jirrupin wrote:
i hate that so few border crossings stamp your passport these days, makes it a real pain if you have to fill out a stupid security clearance form that wants to know every country you've been through in the last ten years with dates!

I always have two passports at least. (This is possible in Germany.)

One for the axis of evil countries (Middle East, Africa, Cuba...) and one for the anti axis of evil countries (US, Israel...).

I do not want to scare a US immigration officer with all these visas and entry stamps from Lebanon, Jordan, Morocco, Egypt, Afghanistan etc. (Recently I collected ten ! entry and exit stamps of the Kingdom of Morocco in just five days because I was hopping between Spain and the spanish exclaves Ceuta and Melilla and Morocco while shooting a photo reportage about the refugee crisis. I don't want to know at all what an immigrations officer - in the US or in Western Europe - would think when looking at these stamps. I preventively chose to display my ID card instead of my passport when travelling back to Germany... No stamps, no visas - no silly questions...)
As I do not want to be rejected at the border of some Middle East country because of an Israeli entry stamp... I also have an appropriate visa for the US (journalist's visa) so nobody will feel a need to ask me whether I'm going to work in the US because the question is already answered by that visa. (And the immigration form I filled out.)

In the end it's so simple... I have the right to enter my own country whenever I want to do so. If I want to enter a foreign country it's a matter of courtesy whether they let me enter or not. I come as a guest without an invitation. There are some clubs which do not let you in. (As a German national I am really privileged. I have the right to enter any member country of the European Union at my discretion and to settle there and to work there temporarely or permanently...)

Connor Photography wrote:
er for U.S. Citizens entering Canada. But I found U.S. often give hard time to Canadians when entering the U.S.  They ask more questions.   As such when crossing the border back to U.S. I don't follow cars with Canada plates.    ...LOL.

I grew up in Michigan.  I was married in Canada because I had a friend with a restaurant in Windsor.  Crossing was routine and effortless.  Indeed, when I returned to the US, I had completely overlooked the fact that I had a trunk full of wedding presents.  I realized it when it came time to declare.  I fessed up that the trunk was loaded.  I suggested that we unwrap them and I would be happy to pay the duty.  The customs officer interrupted me and asked where the guests were from.  I told him all but two were from the US.  He congratulated me on the wedding and then waived me through.

We had boats all my life.  We typically purchased our gasoline in Canada since it was cheaper.  Quite literally, Canadian Customs allowed us to enter with a phone call to let them know we had arrived.  No port of entry, no inspection, indeed, nothing at all.

It isn't like that anymore.  I simply don't go to Canada now, nor do I drive to Mexico anymore.