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Comment by akie | Hacker News Reader

To be honest, my experience is that US border checks are very aggressive (like, passive aggression and suspicion is the default attitude). I've seen worse, but my last entrance into the US (in 2012) featured barking sniffer dogs and open distrust – and I'm a white middle class European traveling from a European country. Don't get this much in other places.

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The US border is awful for travellers. I'm Australian, so a very friendly nation, and it sucks every time. Much worse than borders in Europe or Asia.

I refuse to travel to the states these days whether for work or pleasure. The fact that it seems to be getting worse rather than better is very worrying.

I have Global Entry so I don't interact with US customs officers aside from waving a receipt at them on my way out of the immigration hall. So I don't have experience of them. But my personal worst stories of border crossings all involve either Canada or Germany, for what it's worth. Canada's CBSA in particular seem to revel in it, yelling at you for asking a question, yelling at you for doing what they told you to do, and just plain yelling at you.

well you just described the US borders for the rest of us.

Adding mine. I traveled to US three times, each time the border check was unpleasant.

I don't get it why they can't just do a passport check and be gone with it like the do in EU?

What's the point of the questions, last time they event wanted me to show them my return airline tickets (why? If I wanted to stay illegally I could have created those easily).

And the queues, after a long flight, the last thing you want it to stand in those long queues and waiting for hours to get to the hotel.

BTW. I'm white, but from Central Europe (Poland) - but why would I want to stay illegally in SF or Dallas when there are cheaper places with more Poles.

I would say there is no passivity at all. It is aggressive plain and simple. I’ve gone through a few times in 5 years and it’s getting worse and worse.

I won’t be returning.

I'm anglo-australian, I have had only good experiences with the staff, regular traveller over ten years. Some shocking queues and missed connections. US has a policy of putting you through customs even if you are doing an international transfer. But border personnel themselves consistently good.

While we're sharing anecdotes, I flew into JFK several times around 2013-2014 and experienced only quick and friendly border security agents.

The border agents themselves were friendly enough to put up with my cranky self and the screaming kid after a 10 hour flight. The rest of that airport is a complete disaster, compared to places like Schiphol. This especially concerns the rest of the menially-paid staff that are supposed to help you through the airport.

Every time I have flown to the US the border/passport guards have been polite and friendly. I'm a white, 40+ Brit with family. YMMV.

Staff have generally been friendly yes, with the process sometimes quick, sometimes slow, as anywhere. Customs and Immigration are not there as an alternative comedy store anywhere in the world.

But it's been friendly with bags searched nearly every damn time, and the clear implication that I am a threat.

I am a white middle class male with nothing against the US (and indeed a long time working for a US flagship company), but I am clearly unwelcome.

So I simply don't attempt to go any more.

> Customs and Immigration are not there as an alternative comedy store anywhere in the world.

I participated in a student exchange program that traveled to Russia the summer after the USSR became the CIS. At the end of that trip, we took a buss from St. Petersburg to Helsinki, which required a passing through customs on each side of the border back-to-back.

Exit customs on the Russian side were what you would expect. The group leaders carefully warned us to be quiet/polite/no-jokes, have your passport/visa in hand, etc. It was a polite but very strict situation that created a small but persistent nervousness.

After the very-brief drive to the Finnish side, the customs official that boarded our buss to take the group's passports noticed this nervousness, paused briefly with a laugh, and said to our buss full of students, "Don't worry! You're not in Russia anymore! You can laugh!"

In the spirit of balanced anecdata, I've flown to the US about 10 times in the last 2-3 years on business and pleasure. Multiple airports and it has always been efficient and friendly.

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