Travel to US

[luckyman2002]

Well today I'm at the Vancouver airport waiting to board my plane, missed my first plane as I was detained by Homeland security and told that my kind was not welcome in the United States. I was told that I visited the US and someone my age was not welcome into the US and after almost an hour I was admitted under a B-2 visa and must leave the US by Mar 7th. I was given a form to fill out and when I asked if I could borrow a pen I was belittled because I did not have a pen. The officer begrudgingly loaned me a pen and when I handed it back he looks at me and says your welcome. I'm hoping some of my friends may be able to help me as to how I go about not having these problems. It is really hard when all your friends are in the US and I may not be allowed entry to visit. I have done nothing wrong my only crime seems to be that I am on long term disability, and therefore I can't prove I have employment. Well it's 4 hours later sitting at SeaTac airport...still shaking wondering what future travel I can make to the US. I'm not sure if I will be allowed back into the US in the future to go on our trips or to go to car shows.

[SWEDEN 1]

Perhaps we can explore Canada instead.

HAPPY NEW YEAR ANYWAY.

LEIF

[bigdaddy]

Brian

Big Daddy here

I am not sure who to speak to but I will start with my state senators. I think this is outrageous that we treat our friends like this. I will forward the content of your email to my senators and PM you what I find out.

[NTMAREMACH]

Brian, so sorry to hear about the problems you're having and hope things get straightned out. I wish there was some way to get you on a good guy list. bigdaddy has the right idea and I'll do the same. Remember you have a friend in Massachusetts and if I can do anything you let me know.

Happy New Year to all :party:

[Mustang 3]

Brian,

i'll also send of an enquiry via Cali reps. Via pm could you send me a bit more detail of events, your original flight info etc. How does immigration have a clue whom you work for--I've never been asked that in my trips to Canada, UK & Italy (well over a dozen for UK).

[luckyman2002]

Thank's gang any thing will help....David will forward the information you requested in the next couple of days...suffering from lack of sleep we went to see BB King last night at The Birchmere and it is a nice small venue. After the show went and shook his hand...hard to believe he his 85 and going strong.

[luckyman2002]

Yes anyone that knows anyone in a position of power that might be able to figure out how to smooth things out so I can just enjoy my trips to visit my friends and go to all the car shows I like without having to worry that I stayed too many days and get threatened with deportation. I don't know if you all know this but every year the US Government has a greencard lottery Canadians have never been eligible but you might be interested to see the countries where you can get a free shot at working in the U.S.A.
http://www.americangreencard.com/




Brian, so sorry to hear about the problems you're having and hope things get straightned out. I wish there was some way to get you on a good guy list. bigdaddy has the right idea and I'll do the same. Remember you have a friend in Massachusetts and if I can do anything you let me know.

Happy New Year to all :party:

[Mustang 3]

went to see BB King last night at The Birchmere and it is a nice small venue. After the show went and shook his hand...hard to believe he his 85 and going strong.

Meeting BB King--way cool!!!!

[caverlizzie]

Brian, I have to believe something can be done so you don't wind up barred from re-entry. From the details you've given me, it sounds like the Homeland Security guy was a total jackass. In this country, we love retired Canadians (or retirees from any place, really) who want to come spend their money here. You'd have to be a complete idiot to NOT want tourist dollars spent in the U.S. What's the big deal if you're retired at 54 instead of 64??? What a shame that this fellow should be the front-line face of the U.S. in Canada.

I've been asked some of the questions Brian was asked at different border crossings - where am I employed, where do I live, why am I visiting X-country, who do I know there, etc. Border guards are supposed to ask those questions; and if they catch you in something that seems to be an obvious lie or contradicts what you said earlier - then they're supposed to question you further and may go thru your stuff. I've been searched and have had all my stuff searched more than once - professionally, firmly, but politely. I've had good dealings w/Homeland Security before and have only once observed a person from that agency abuse their power. And that's what this guy did - harassment and intimidation of someone because he has the power and thinks he can get away with it. I understand your fear in not wanting to make waves when someone says they have the power to keep you out of the country. But I hope you will fight it. You have the right to visit this country; Canadians and Americans cross the border all the time for a million different reasons and your reasons are legitimate. You're not engaging in crimes that would keep you out. Just because this guy got a burr up his ass that you were "too young to be retired" is not a good enough reason to keep you from traveling here. Being too young to be retired (in someone's subjective opinion) is not a crime. It might be a pain in the wallet for you; but it's not a crime.

Let's write some letters and see what can be done. - L.:toetap05:

[caverlizzie]

Meeting BB King--way cool!!!!

I'm impressed that Brian knew the words to so many of the songs from both BB King and the opening act. And it was totally cool. Great show.

[Doug Gompertz]

Brian . . . I have to believe that you just got someone who thought he was important because he had a badge and a minimal amount of authority. Did you have enough presence of mind to note his name (I would think he had a name tag on) and his badge number (again, I am sure he wore a badge and it had a number). Those two pieces of information are most important if one were to file a complaint . . . which one should.

Perhaps, in your usually "hail fellow well met' way, you did or said something that this guy took the wrong way. We all know you and understand where you are coming from most of the time, but to a strainger (I know, you've never met a stranger . . . well you did that day!) perhaps your usually "happy go lucky" attitude struck Mr protector of our Homeland Security (what a f---ing joke) the wrong way.

Sometimes when dealing with these people, we must remember that they are in a position of authority, and act/react accordingly. Not what we might like to do, but sometime necessary. It's like taking on or having words with the cop - who has a gun - and before you know it, he is arresting you and/or shoting you because you said something, or looked at him the wrong way. (and once you're dead, your dead!)

Hate to have to have you kiss someones ass in order to get into our country, but if thats what it takes, then kiss his ass and wipe your mouth clean afterward, once you have passed his checkpoint.

After all, old buddy . . . it is what it is.

[luckyman2002]

Doug I really wish I got his name but every time I ever looked at him he would just start cutting me down and explaining that my kind are not welcome in the US...and he never got close enough for me to see his name. I was extremely polite and quiet and to be honest I think it was my health issues and how I was dressed that bothered him. I am now scared to make future plans only to get to the border and be refused entry. It's actually a bit funny because when I lived in Camilla Georgia I would get e-mails in my hotmail account from Homeland Security offering me a job.




Brian . . . I have to believe that you just got someone who thought he was important because he had a badge and a minimal amount of authority. Did you have enough presence of mind to note his name (I would think he had a name tag on) and his badge number (again, I am sure he wore a badge and it had a number). Those two pieces of information are most important if one were to file a complaint . . . which one should.

Perhaps, in your usually "hail fellow well met' way, you did or said something that this guy took the wrong way. We all know you and understand where you are coming from most of the time, but to a strainger (I know, you've never met a stranger . . . well you did that day!) perhaps your usually "happy go lucky" attitude struck Mr protector of our Homeland Security (what a f---ing joke) the wrong way.

Sometimes when dealing with these people, we must remember that they are in a position of authority, and act/react accordingly. Not what we might like to do, but sometime necessary. It's like taking on or having words with the cop - who has a gun - and before you know it, he is arresting you and/or shoting you because you said something, or looked at him the wrong way. (and once you're dead, your dead!)

Hate to have to have you kiss someones ass in order to get into our country, but if thats what it takes, then kiss his ass and wipe your mouth clean afterward, once you have passed his checkpoint.

After all, old buddy . . . it is what it is.

[drtdncn]

Brian, are you still having issues coming into the US? That just torque's my jaw! Not sure if it'll help, but I'll be glad to email my local congressman who was just recently made a chairman of the subcommittee for immigration, citizenship and other related issues. I would consider unwarranted rudeness by a border patrol employee as "other related issues" and I think my congressman ought to know how some people are being treated.... I email his office when some of our patients are having issues with either Medicare eligibility or the local Social Security office -- the workers just aren't friendly sometimes, and have frequently not done their job to update data timely... I figure they're are on "my payroll", and they'd better work as hard as I do. I always sign my emails with "Concerned Voter" after my name ;) Lemme know...