IO questions upon return to USA

Hey, I wouldn't mind a joke, no matter how corny. But some of these stories of rude and / or ignorant IO's are outrageous!

I really can't wait for my first visit back to the US as a UK resident--but I am so not looking forward to being made to feel like a criminal by a rude IO; I hope that doesn't happen. 

It takes a special type of sadist to become an IO or Customs Officer...

Not to mention a dubious taste for irony when people waiting to have their passports examined are instructed to wait outside the building... 

At the airport in Rostov there are guards with sniper-fitted AK-47 rifles patrolling on catwalks above the immigration reception area.  They while away their time and boredom by drawing a bead on each passenger so that it gives a bright red laser dot on each person's forehead.  Charming.    

Our first time back as a family (husband UK, me + 2 kids US), the guy looked at our passports and said, "So, three citizens and one alien."

So. not. funny.

Shame.  My husband used to love singing loudly (when he was a green card holder) "I'm an alien, I'm a legal alien, I'm a legal alien in New York..."   

My daughter (6 at the time) had an unfortunate collision with a tree while playing tag at school, right before we went back to the US on holiday.  She had a banged up nose and a scrape on her chin.

In the past, all the American IO had ever asked our kids was their names.  This time he looked at my nine year old son seriously and asked "Why did you punch your sister?"  My son looked terrified and stuttered "Um...uh...I didn't."  Then the IO turned to my daughter and calling her by name said "What happened to you?"  She also looked terrified and just stared at him saying nothing at all.  I explained about the accident.  The IO then looked at my daughter and said "Is that right?"  She nodded.  We were sent on our way.

What was the point of that?  My husband thought maybe it was just the IO's rather poor joke way of getting the kids to identify themselves.  He didn't laugh or smile when he said it though. 

OMG!  That's terrible.  How awful and frightening for both of your children.  That shouldn't be allowed.  How would he feel if that happened to his children?  Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

My daughter (6 at the time) had an unfortunate collision with a tree while playing tag at school, right before we went back to the US on holiday.  She had a banged up nose and a scrape on her chin.

In the past, all the American IO had ever asked our kids was their names.  This time he looked at my nine year old son seriously and asked "Why did you punch your sister?"  My son looked terrified and stuttered "Um...uh...I didn't."  Then the IO turned to my daughter and calling her by name said "What happened to you?"  She also looked terrified and just stared at him saying nothing at all.  I explained about the accident.  The IO then looked at my daughter and said "Is that right?"  She nodded.  We were sent on our way.

What was the point of that?  My husband thought maybe it was just the IO's rather poor joke way of getting the kids to identify themselves.  He didn't laugh or smile when he said it though. 

Maybe he was checking for possible child abuse? Still -- rude.