US passport control grief

Just wanted to share...

When I went to USA the end of Oct. I had to change planes in Chicago and of course clear customs, gather my bags and recheck them with my connecting airline. I flew Air India in and had to connect to American Airlines in Chicago. So I get to Chicago and take my place in a very short passport control line. The man looks at my passport, scans it and told me I had a nice picture and then sort of started to give me grief. "So youre a UK resident why are you visiting the USA?"
"Visiting family"
"Just for a week?"
"yes"
"Are you married? Why are you travelling alone?"
"Husband at home with my sons. Sons have expired passports"
"why is that"

blah blah blah.....

Finally went to gather my bags. And as I started to proceed to the AA counter I got stopped by a customs officer.... again, more of the same questions... AND

"Excuse me m'am..can I see your card and passport"
"Yes, Im just going to check in at AA"
"WE'LL discuss THAT after we're done"

(what the hell?)

"purpose visiting the USA?" same, same, same...
"Whats your occupation in the UK?"
"Stay at home mom at the moment"
"Well how do you support yourself then?"
"My husband takes care of us"
"Wish MY wife was like that" (rat ba$tard!!)
"Where does your husband work?"

I told him and he actually wrote down the name of my husbands company on my card. What a joke! I was traveling alone, I had an American passport and speak fluent English. I was standing in line with people with US passports that English wasnt even their first language and they chose to stop ME. I was really ticked off. I have never had a problem at all in any country before but if I anticipated any problems at all I would think it would be on entry to the UK not my own native country. Upon entry to the UK I was asked how I got my leave to stay stamp and I said marriage and they just said "welcome home" and stamped me in. No probs. 

Well I bet that made you wonder why you ever left the US in the first place! What were they worried about? That you might stay there?? Are you going to make a complaint? I think I would if I was in your shoes.

It's new policy to question Americans who have lived out of the country for a long time and don't fit standard profiles. All part of the new Ashcroft regime: any American outside of the US is vulnerable to becoming a terrorist.

I know the feeling..... I'm an US citizen and I never have had straight forward arrival into the US (I always go through the 20 questions game and most of the question are ridiculous, you want to laugh) even when I was living there.  It seems all IOs in the US are paranoid.

Never had any issues coming to the UK and showing my UK passport.

bvamin

I just re-read your note, Pebbles, and I think that you should complain. The way that you've transcribed it, you were asked the purpose of your visit and the length of your stay. That's kosher. Then they asked for your marital status. Not good. While I'm not a lawyer, thank goddess, I believe that that question wasn't a legitimate one. Your marital status should've been offbounds to the IO, especially since you're a US citizen.

You can file your complaint electronically, by clicking on the Customs and Border Protection Agency's web site. They use the "ask a question" page, but there's a drop-down bar to indicate a complaint.

Just because someone is a Federal employee, doesn't give them the right to be a jerk-off.

http://help.customs.gov/cgi-bin/customs.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php?p_sid=1eS6LGph&p_lva=175&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9ncmlkc29ydD0mcF9yb3dfY250PTI4JnBfc2VhcmNoX3RleHQ9JnBfcHJvZF9sdmwxPTExOCZwX3Byb2RfbHZsMj1_YW55fiZwX2NhdF9sdmwxPX5hbnl_JnBfY2F0X2x2bDI9fmFueX4mcF9wYWdlPTE*&p_li=

Thanks for the info Lightbulb! Im going to go to the link right now and complain!!

Enjoy a chilly Coventry bonfire night 

Maybe they're just jealous that a catch like you has been taken by a Brit!   

Geez, Pebs.  With everything else going on with your ex, that's the last thing you needed!