Border Control
Discussion
Why are border controls seemingly unable to properly staff their desks? They must have access to accurate data that'll show numbers of humans, arrival times, and nationalities (thus natives/non-natives)????
Having a layover at Atlanta (schoolboy error) meant 1h30m stood queueing with what I would estimate as ~2,000 people. 3 desks of the 30 or so, staffed. Then when arriving in Cancun, 2 hours stood in a queue with an overflowing arrivals hall, 2 desks staffed.
This is not an isolated incident. Had this experience all over the world, Orlando (with the added bonus of a sniffer dog handler screaming at young kids looking at his dog), JFK, Zurich, Sydney, Bangkok etc.
Having a layover at Atlanta (schoolboy error) meant 1h30m stood queueing with what I would estimate as ~2,000 people. 3 desks of the 30 or so, staffed. Then when arriving in Cancun, 2 hours stood in a queue with an overflowing arrivals hall, 2 desks staffed.
This is not an isolated incident. Had this experience all over the world, Orlando (with the added bonus of a sniffer dog handler screaming at young kids looking at his dog), JFK, Zurich, Sydney, Bangkok etc.
Origin Unknown said:
Why are border controls seemingly unable to properly staff their desks? They must have access to accurate data that'll show numbers of humans, arrival times, and nationalities (thus natives/non-natives)????
Having a layover at Atlanta (schoolboy error) meant 1h30m stood queueing with what I would estimate as ~2,000 people. 3 desks of the 30 or so, staffed. Then when arriving in Cancun, 2 hours stood in a queue with an overflowing arrivals hall, 2 desks staffed.
This is not an isolated incident. Had this experience all over the world, Orlando (with the added bonus of a sniffer dog handler screaming at young kids looking at his dog), JFK, Zurich, Sydney, Bangkok etc.
I hate having a short layover at any US international airport, had far too many close shaves because of ridiculous queues with immigration. Often been through Houston with about 4 out of 50 desks manned, and several international flight loads of people waiting. A lot of the facilities are just the same without being upgraded to handle an increasingly mobile global population. Always nice to try and arrive on an international flight at a less-major airport when possible!Having a layover at Atlanta (schoolboy error) meant 1h30m stood queueing with what I would estimate as ~2,000 people. 3 desks of the 30 or so, staffed. Then when arriving in Cancun, 2 hours stood in a queue with an overflowing arrivals hall, 2 desks staffed.
This is not an isolated incident. Had this experience all over the world, Orlando (with the added bonus of a sniffer dog handler screaming at young kids looking at his dog), JFK, Zurich, Sydney, Bangkok etc.
Theraveda said:
Because they don't care. You have no choice but to stand there, there's no (short term) recourse, no-one to complain to, and even if there was, why would they GAS?
Here is your answer - and remember, this isn't only a US phenomenon. My daughter is a USC and had to go to UK for a family funeral. She was in-line for UK immigration for nearly 3 hours at LHR.On a recent trip to Warsaw with some European colleagues, we (British passport holders) had a 2 hour wait at the "all other passports" queue whilst they used the passport scanners. I do wonder why EU countries don't allow us to use their passport scanners like we do? I wonder why that could be.
Jamescrs said:
Same at Paris CDG last weekend when I passed through, I bet I spent as long in the queue for passport check as I did on the actual flight. Like others have said though, they don't care about how long you stand there.
Thankfully coming back into Manchester was much easier
CDG is the only big European airport I have always whizzed through, oddly. A lot of it is just luck of the draw ultimately. Thankfully coming back into Manchester was much easier
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