Planet-Love.com Searchable Archives
February 10, 2025, 03:57:06 PM *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
News: This board is a BROWSE and SEARCH only board. Please IGNORE the Registration - no registration necessary. No new posts allowed. It contains the archived posts from the Planet-Love.com website from approximately 2001 through 2005.
 
   Home   Help Search Login Register  
Pages: [1] 2   Go Down
« previous next »
  Print  
Author Topic: X-ray of passengers. Precaution or business?  (Read 9162 times)
Calipro
Guest
« on: June 03, 2003, 04:00:00 AM »
The El Pais has an article today taking about how passengers going to the U.S. are singled out and taken to a hospital to have X-rays of them abdomins an hour before their flight leaves and they have to foot the bill. Also they don't get to keep the x-rays and they won't give them a reciept.  Link: http://elpais-cali.terra.com.co/paisonline/notas/Junio032003/B303N1.html
Logged
jim c
Guest
« Reply #1 on: June 03, 2003, 04:00:00 AM »
... in response to X-ray of passengers. Precaution or busin..., posted by Calipro on Jun 3, 2003

Actually I think its a little bit of revenge I have posted on this in the past  I was at the Colombian embassey a few years ago and talked with a council. She suggested it was das and the governments way of getting even for the way Colombians are treated in Miami by customs and immigration. Since that time I have watched the CPO'S be rude and treat the passengers like a cattle drive. They dont meet the passengers from mexico or Jamica that way. Ten or twelve agents acting arrogant, screening anyone who is not a gringo. Pointing and saying come here--why are you here. Its embarassing.
Logged
Aaron
Guest
« Reply #2 on: June 04, 2003, 04:00:00 AM »
... in response to Re: X-ray of passengers. Precaution or b..., posted by jim c on Jun 3, 2003

[This message has been edited by Aaron]

before my flight.

It also happened to Hoda. As I recall, he paid for the x-rays. I think he mentioned the police tried to bribe him.

When it happened to me, they picked me out of a crowd, started asking me questions, then called me upstairs to their office to go get chest x-rays at the hospital. Their x-ray machine at the time was broken.

When they did that, I felt totally uncomfortable. It's not that they do this that I have a problem with, but it is how they do it. It felt like pursecution. All kinds of people were being x-rayed, Colombians, Peruvians, other Latinos; and they caught allot of smugglers actually. So, I think it is a good thing if they would go about it more professionally.

Well, in my experience, I was just uncomfortable, and at first I told them I didn't want to take it. They said I had to. Then, I told them ok, that if I have to take the x-rays then I want to call the US Embassy in Bogota because I feel uncomfortable about this, I was affraid of missing my flight, and I was not sure about my rights.

When I told the police that, they backed off, then let me go. When I went through the check point, they put double the amount of guards as usual when I went through.

They searched me from head to toe, and one of the police officers actually accused me of being Colombian with a fake USA passport. He said that once I get to the USA, I'll be lost because my papers are fake.

After I passed through the next to the last check point, I just walked on by those guys, and they were kind of pissed.

I called the Colombian Embassy in Washington about this, he said this is normal for everyone. The next time it happens, just take the x-rays to avoid any other problems. I'm going to follow his advice because my gut feeling is that the situation could have been worse.

Aaron
Logged
Cali vet
Guest
« Reply #3 on: June 04, 2003, 04:00:00 AM »
... in response to This is exactly what happened to me........, posted by Aaron on Jun 4, 2003

Aaron interesting post but if they gave you a chest x-ray they must have thought you were holding your breath with a lungfull of marijuana. On the other hand if the cop thought you were a Colombian faking your way you should be damned proud! With my Spanish I'd never be able to fake it. Congrats on finding your media naranja by the way. All the best.
Logged
Aaron
Guest
« Reply #4 on: June 05, 2003, 04:00:00 AM »
... in response to Chest X-Ray?, posted by Cali vet on Jun 4, 2003

On the day of my incident for the chest x-ray with the police, I found out that 40 people were caught trying to smuggle as mules that day; all leaving from Cali.

After I got back, I called some friends back in Colombia and told them what happened, then they told me the news of the number of people caught in the act.

It's a good procedure by the police, but they need to do it more professionally.

Aaron
Logged
Aaron
Guest
« Reply #5 on: June 05, 2003, 04:00:00 AM »
... in response to Chest X-Ray?, posted by Cali vet on Jun 4, 2003

I was just stolling along, minding my own business, not to mention....

I was wearing $150.00 tennis shoes, 6 or 7 gold chains, 2 beepers, a cell phone, and ........

Let me stop, LOL !!!  

She's a good girl. She's always at home when I call on the dot. Doesn't go out much, and doesn't have many girl friends. Spends most of her time with her family. She's pretty, but she isn't stuck up about her looks. I'm sending her to English classes next week. It's a good program and cheap, about $75.00 a month with books included.

She's paisa, not Calena, from a rural area. She and her family do not like Cali !!!!!!!!!!

They say it's a city of perdition !!!!!!!!!! LOL !!!!!!!!!

I thought I was careful, but she has me beat by a kilometer.

Thanks,
Aaron
Logged
lswote
Guest
« Reply #6 on: June 04, 2003, 04:00:00 AM »
... in response to Chest X-Ray?, posted by Cali vet on Jun 4, 2003

Media naranja = half orange?  What is the significance of this phrase?
Logged
Cali vet
Guest
« Reply #7 on: June 04, 2003, 04:00:00 AM »
... in response to Media naranja?, posted by lswote on Jun 4, 2003

It's the equivalent to "your other half".
Logged
lswote
Guest
« Reply #8 on: June 04, 2003, 04:00:00 AM »
... in response to Re: X-ray of passengers. Precaution or b..., posted by jim c on Jun 3, 2003

I have flown into Miami numerous times from Colombia and have never seen the behavior you talk about.  Customs is a long walk from the airplane and by the time you get there the flight is mingled with a dozen other flights so there is no way they know where you are from until you get to the customs officer.  At the gate I have never observed customs officers, just people with the airlines and they are always polite and courteous.  Maybe I don't understand what you are saying, can you explain it more?
Logged
wizard
Guest
« Reply #9 on: June 04, 2003, 04:00:00 AM »
... in response to Re: Re: X-ray of passengers. Precaution ..., posted by lswote on Jun 4, 2003

I think these guys are talking about Cali in particular...

I have seen people pulled out of line at the security check point in Bogota though... Never happened to me (knock wood), but I've seen it done...

They probably don't bother too many people in Bogota becasue of the volume of travelers...
Logged
cancunhound
Guest
« Reply #10 on: June 04, 2003, 04:00:00 AM »
... in response to Re: Re: Re: X-ray of passengers. Precaut..., posted by wizard on Jun 4, 2003

no hastle of going to hospital it appears
Logged
jim c
Guest
« Reply #11 on: June 04, 2003, 04:00:00 AM »
... in response to Re: Re: X-ray of passengers. Precaution ..., posted by lswote on Jun 4, 2003

My experience has been exactly the same as in Beenthere's response. In the jetway there are usually a minimum of six CPO's Those are uniformed customs officers who look like cops. There are also plain clothes agents who may be task force or DEA agents. Their demeanor is rude and selective and I have never witnessed this except returning from Colombia. I am not anti government. Hell I was one of the founding agents of the Detroit Metro Airport DEA Office.  But these guys are rude and the process is intrusive. Not a way to welcome visitors to our country. My novia came to see me in the hospital three years ago and was detained for two hours because her ticket was only for a week. I understand profiling.  Paul Marconi was my partner at the airport detail.  He created profiling. It seems to me that an injection of public relations training could not hurt at Miami International. The counsular officer at the Miami Colombian Embassy would agree with me totally. JIM
Logged
beenthere
Guest
« Reply #12 on: June 04, 2003, 04:00:00 AM »
... in response to Re: Re: X-ray of passengers. Precaution ..., posted by lswote on Jun 4, 2003

Iswote,
In my travels, immigration officers, frequently, but not always, are at the gate to randomly speak with (interrogate) arriving passengers.
Usually from Cali to Miami (American Airlines) they more or less only hassle Colombians.
However if you fly Avianca or Aces from Colombia, they will sometimes ask to see the passport of every passenger, and also question every passenger.  This happened in February when I arrived from Cartagena.  In a corridor after disembarking, there were 2 lines with immigration offers.  They viewed everyone's passports and asked everyone questions.  The officer asked me where I traveled, for what purpose, what I did for a living, etc., etc.  Passengers who they thought were suspicious were pulled aside and were interrogated further.  I have experienced this 4 or 5 times, but always when arriving on Colombian airliners.
Logged
cancunhound
Guest
« Reply #13 on: June 03, 2003, 04:00:00 AM »
... in response to X-ray of passengers. Precaution or busin..., posted by Calipro on Jun 3, 2003

Interesting article about one of our recent topics - maybe El Pais is following our board.  Of 4,000 x-rays only 12 had drugs?  What a friggin waste of time - of course not money!  What's interesting is they say they average 8 exams per day; given there's only 2 flights to the USA odds are pretty good to get caught up in this if you're a frequent traveller.  At least they cleared up who payed for a missed flight if necessary - the police.  Since you are "invited" to take the exam, I would most certainly refuse it (probably easier said than done) and take my chances with the DEA back in the US.  Sounds like some are challenging the legallity of this so maybe it'll go away, and I guess you could always use Bogota as your point of international departure to avoid this hastle.  What a clusterf*)k!
Logged
genode
Guest
« Reply #14 on: June 03, 2003, 04:00:00 AM »
... in response to Re: X-ray of passengers. Precaution or b..., posted by cancunhound on Jun 3, 2003

Last time I was down to Cali in April, I swear the police had singled me out while waiting in line at the checkpoint to the gate entrance.  

The police went through every single thing in my carry-on.  I had to turn on my camera to show it was a "real" camera and they looked at my toothbrush funny because of the dried toothpaste on.  Of course they had to check the toothpaste and my shaving cream...funny stuff at first.
I had to take my shoes off so they could stab a sharp point into the soles to check them.  

I couldn't understand what he was asking me until someone who could translate for me said they wanted to x-ray me. I didn't refuse but said I would miss my flight.  I rolled my eyes at the policeman and gave him the look of "this-is-a-joke...I'm not carrying drugs!"  

Well he knew there was no time to make the trip into town and back I guess.  So, he wrote down all of the information from my passport and said he would phone ahead to the DEA in Miami.  FINE WITH ME!!!  I'll gladly let them x-ray me in Miami...just get me back to U.S. soil.  hahaha

I was irritated by the whole deal and a little scared, too.  Not that it matters...I broke up with my novia anyway.  

geno
Logged
Pages: [1] 2   Go Up
  Print  
« previous next »
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1 RC2 | SMF © 2001-2005, Lewis Media Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!