TheTraveler
Line Up and Wait
Travel rant for anyone who is interested.
Recently had to go to Russia for business. Before the political jokes start, here is my full disclosure: Yes, I did go to Russia. Yes, I did talk to Russians. Glad that's over with, now nobody will come back next month and throw me out because I didn't specify that.
I had a fairly short notice in advance in which to book my travel, so I was stuck with price shopping this time. Settled on British Airways (who I don't normally travel with), ORD-LHR, LHR-DME. Great price, good departure times, good connection times, just a bad departure time on my return home (0530 flight from DME...ouch, that sucks).
ORD-LHR...get to the airport, everything is fantastic. My opinion, TSA has done a fantastic job of fixing up ORD. I haven't had more than a 5 minute wait since October, with the exception of protesters in my way when I'm trying to actually LEAVE the airport. I get to LHR and am a little surprised. Off the airplane, to the transfer desk. Passport check, VISA check, security screening, and then I'm at the gate. Call for boarding with another passport and VISA check, clear. Walk through and right in front of the jetway a British Airway's guy stops me for a passport and VISA check. Huh? I give him my stuff, and very politely commented it was odd they were checking again, I've had two in the past hour, and I've never cleared immigration in LHR as I'm just in transit. He says there isn't a problem, just checking. Whatever. Then he starts with these questions. How many people in my family back home? What is the origin of my last name? If I was born in the USA. I quickly became unhappy. I said "Sir, my passport, VISA, and ticket are all legit, and check out. Am I free to board?" He got very rude, told me to sit. I did not oblige "No thank you, I'll stand." He takes my passport and ticket, types some stuff into a computer, and just stands there for a few minutes. It is absolutely clear that he is just trying to delay me from boarding and **** me off. So I wait. In a few minutes he reluctantly hands over my stuff, I take it without a word, board, and muttered a few words to myself as I'm going down the jetway, but I let it go. No sense in letting it ruin my day.
LHR-ORD...now returning home, DME is simple. It's a great airport, especially for Russia. Get into LHR on time, all is fine. Have to take the transfer bus which I don't like, but that's life. I transfer from T5 over to T3, go in, and my LHR-ORD flight is operated by American Airlines (good news for me, as I prefer them over British Airways). In T3 I'm heading towards the gate, and if you are on AA87 LHR-ORD, you are shuffled into a transit desk even though you've already got a boarding pass. Whatever. Go up, she looks at my boarding pass, and starts to ask very personal questions. "Where do you work? Who is your boss? Why were you in Russia? What was the scope of your trip? Do you live in the US? How long have you been a US Citizen?" I am really surprised by this. Never in all of my travels have I ever been asked these questions, and they are so very strange to me. But there are other agents there asking other travelers the same things. So as calmly as I could I said "Ma'am, I am a born US citizen. I am returning to the US from a business trip. I have not, and will not clear immigration in the UK, I am simply a traveler in transit. If there is a problem, please tell me. If not, could you please return my documents so I can proceed to my gate?" Her scowl was unique to say the least, but after typing some stuff into her computer, she finally gave me my stuff back without a word. I go on to clear security screening, head to my gate, and once I get there I head over to the window and take a picture of the plane sitting at the gate. Those of you that see me on Facebook or Instragram know that I do this at nearly every single flight I take. A woman comes running over "Sir! Sir! Photos are not allowed at the gate!" Are you serious right now? You must be joking. I bit my tongue, but was certainly ready to let her have it. Even Iran let's people take pictures at the gate you crazy, insane witch with a plastic badge. GF!
It took about an hour for my bad mood to wear off, but it did. LHR has really ****ed me off. It is just a puzzle to me...passenger in transit, never clearing immigration and no need to, yet they interrogate passengers at LHR as if everyone is doing so. If I were clearing immigration that would be a completely different story. Never in my travels in any country, Europe, Middle East, Asia have I had such an experience. I'll be avoiding LHR for a while.
The good part is always coming home. Land at ORD 30 minutes early. Get through the passport control machine, head up to the CBP guy for my stamp, he looks at my shirt (sweatshirt from the fire department) and says "You're a firefighter?" I said "Yes, but only volunteer. I do work with departments every day. My full time position is with a company that manufactures firefighting equipment." He asks "Do you collect patches?" I said "I think everyone in the fire service collects patches." He said "Hold on one minute..." He goes over to the desk next to him, gets me three different CBP patches, shakes my hand, and says "Thank you for your service, you work a lot harder than we do. Stay safe, and welcome home." Now THAT made my trip right there. Grab my bag, head over to customs, and hand them my passport and receipt from the machine. I still have those patches in my hand. "Hey, you're a firefighter? And you got some of our patches?" I said "Yes! The officer over at passport control was nice enough to give me a few." She says "Welcome home, get out of here, be safe." Thank you CBP!
Recently had to go to Russia for business. Before the political jokes start, here is my full disclosure: Yes, I did go to Russia. Yes, I did talk to Russians. Glad that's over with, now nobody will come back next month and throw me out because I didn't specify that.
I had a fairly short notice in advance in which to book my travel, so I was stuck with price shopping this time. Settled on British Airways (who I don't normally travel with), ORD-LHR, LHR-DME. Great price, good departure times, good connection times, just a bad departure time on my return home (0530 flight from DME...ouch, that sucks).
ORD-LHR...get to the airport, everything is fantastic. My opinion, TSA has done a fantastic job of fixing up ORD. I haven't had more than a 5 minute wait since October, with the exception of protesters in my way when I'm trying to actually LEAVE the airport. I get to LHR and am a little surprised. Off the airplane, to the transfer desk. Passport check, VISA check, security screening, and then I'm at the gate. Call for boarding with another passport and VISA check, clear. Walk through and right in front of the jetway a British Airway's guy stops me for a passport and VISA check. Huh? I give him my stuff, and very politely commented it was odd they were checking again, I've had two in the past hour, and I've never cleared immigration in LHR as I'm just in transit. He says there isn't a problem, just checking. Whatever. Then he starts with these questions. How many people in my family back home? What is the origin of my last name? If I was born in the USA. I quickly became unhappy. I said "Sir, my passport, VISA, and ticket are all legit, and check out. Am I free to board?" He got very rude, told me to sit. I did not oblige "No thank you, I'll stand." He takes my passport and ticket, types some stuff into a computer, and just stands there for a few minutes. It is absolutely clear that he is just trying to delay me from boarding and **** me off. So I wait. In a few minutes he reluctantly hands over my stuff, I take it without a word, board, and muttered a few words to myself as I'm going down the jetway, but I let it go. No sense in letting it ruin my day.
LHR-ORD...now returning home, DME is simple. It's a great airport, especially for Russia. Get into LHR on time, all is fine. Have to take the transfer bus which I don't like, but that's life. I transfer from T5 over to T3, go in, and my LHR-ORD flight is operated by American Airlines (good news for me, as I prefer them over British Airways). In T3 I'm heading towards the gate, and if you are on AA87 LHR-ORD, you are shuffled into a transit desk even though you've already got a boarding pass. Whatever. Go up, she looks at my boarding pass, and starts to ask very personal questions. "Where do you work? Who is your boss? Why were you in Russia? What was the scope of your trip? Do you live in the US? How long have you been a US Citizen?" I am really surprised by this. Never in all of my travels have I ever been asked these questions, and they are so very strange to me. But there are other agents there asking other travelers the same things. So as calmly as I could I said "Ma'am, I am a born US citizen. I am returning to the US from a business trip. I have not, and will not clear immigration in the UK, I am simply a traveler in transit. If there is a problem, please tell me. If not, could you please return my documents so I can proceed to my gate?" Her scowl was unique to say the least, but after typing some stuff into her computer, she finally gave me my stuff back without a word. I go on to clear security screening, head to my gate, and once I get there I head over to the window and take a picture of the plane sitting at the gate. Those of you that see me on Facebook or Instragram know that I do this at nearly every single flight I take. A woman comes running over "Sir! Sir! Photos are not allowed at the gate!" Are you serious right now? You must be joking. I bit my tongue, but was certainly ready to let her have it. Even Iran let's people take pictures at the gate you crazy, insane witch with a plastic badge. GF!
It took about an hour for my bad mood to wear off, but it did. LHR has really ****ed me off. It is just a puzzle to me...passenger in transit, never clearing immigration and no need to, yet they interrogate passengers at LHR as if everyone is doing so. If I were clearing immigration that would be a completely different story. Never in my travels in any country, Europe, Middle East, Asia have I had such an experience. I'll be avoiding LHR for a while.
The good part is always coming home. Land at ORD 30 minutes early. Get through the passport control machine, head up to the CBP guy for my stamp, he looks at my shirt (sweatshirt from the fire department) and says "You're a firefighter?" I said "Yes, but only volunteer. I do work with departments every day. My full time position is with a company that manufactures firefighting equipment." He asks "Do you collect patches?" I said "I think everyone in the fire service collects patches." He said "Hold on one minute..." He goes over to the desk next to him, gets me three different CBP patches, shakes my hand, and says "Thank you for your service, you work a lot harder than we do. Stay safe, and welcome home." Now THAT made my trip right there. Grab my bag, head over to customs, and hand them my passport and receipt from the machine. I still have those patches in my hand. "Hey, you're a firefighter? And you got some of our patches?" I said "Yes! The officer over at passport control was nice enough to give me a few." She says "Welcome home, get out of here, be safe." Thank you CBP!
