Why I Will Never, Ever, Go Back to the United States
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/niels-gerson-lohman/us-border-crossing_b_4098130.html

Niels Gerson Lohman, a Dutch writer, is denied entry into the US while on a train from Canada. He is taken off the train because he has too many stamps in his passport from apparently unsavory countries (such as Singapore!!!), briefly detained, interrogated by stupidly ignorant border agents, and then denied entry into the US.

Quote :

"The officer flipped on, seemingly satisfied. Secondly, he found my stamps from Singapore and Malaysia. "What were you doing over there? Singapore and Malaysia? Aren't those countries Islamic?""

Singapore, an Islamic country? And even if so, the border guard's words imply that people shouldn't go to Islamic countries. How can such racist people be in positions of power? Imagine someone saying "Aren't those countries black?" or "Aren't those countries Jewish?".

Quote :

"During the second round of questioning, we talked about religion. I told them my mother was raised a Catholic, and that my dad had an atheist mother and a Jewish dad. "We don't understand. Why would a Jew go to Yemen?" "But... I'm not Jewish." "Yeah, well. We just don't understand why would a Jew go to Yemen.""

Could these guards be any more ignorant and thick-skulled? He said he is not Jewish, but they insist on calling him that, not to mention, he already explained before that exchange why he went to Yemen, so that was doubly stupid.

The final verdict (the reason why they wouldn't let him in) takes the cake.

Quote :

""We are under the impression you have more ties with more countries we are not on friendly terms with than your own. We decided to bring you back to the Canadian border.""

Seriously? Going to a country means you have ties to that country? And he is a writer, designer, and a musician, so of course he is going to travel to various exotic places for stories and inspiration. In fact, he was traveling for his second novel.

Quote :

"I have been cursed at a Chinese border. In Dubai, my passport was studied by three veiled women for over an hour and my suitcase completely dismembered. In the Philippines I had to bribe someone in order to get my visa extended for a few days. Borders, they can be tough, especially in countries known for corruption. But never, ever, will I return to the United States of America."

Is this the norm, or was he unlucky to get stupid guards?

[Edited on October 18, 2013 at 7:59 PM. Reason : Worth a full read.]

10/18/2013 7:59:07 PM

10/18/2013 8:28:09 PM

Yeah I shared this on FB a few days ago.

Motherfuckers. Embarrassing.

10/18/2013 8:51:15 PM

Obviously we're only hearing one side of the story here.

10/18/2013 10:32:28 PM

no surprise. usa is a paranoid, ignorant nation that cannot stay out of its own way.

10/19/2013 12:10:10 AM

i have been severely fucked with @ the canadian border trying to get back into amurica too. fucking clowns. laughing at my playboy college girls, and large bottle of lotion as my ONLY other item in my duffel. i was 18 god damn. better than spraying cumdumpsters and ending up with fucking brats.

10/19/2013 12:44:48 AM

People who apply for guard positions are normally scrapping the barrel.

10/19/2013 9:08:18 AM

LOL

"I mean yeah, I've had to bribe my way through other places, but this shit is just too much"

oh - so if the US border guards had only made you pay them under the table, you'd be cool with the entire country right now?

fuck this guy. yeah, that's a shitty situation and the boarder guards were jackasses, but he's a self-righteous megalomaniac prick who is letting a couple dipshits control his view of an entire country

fuck him right in the ear hole

[Edited on October 19, 2013 at 11:03 AM. Reason : .]

10/19/2013 11:01:21 AM

Quote :

"fuck this guy. yeah, that's a shitty situation and the boarder guards were jackasses, but he's a self-righteous megalomaniac prick who is letting a couple dipshits control his view of an entire country fuck him right in the ear hole"

+1

10/19/2013 11:53:50 AM

You guys are missing the worst part. jcgolden has left the country and we let his ass back in

[Edited on October 19, 2013 at 1:04 PM. Reason : can't spell]

10/19/2013 1:04:41 PM

It's almost like government employees aren't the best and the brightest.

10/19/2013 7:21:03 PM

http://m.vice.com/de/read/america-knows-everything

Similar story.

10/21/2013 9:46:17 AM

10/21/2013 1:02:47 PM

Quote :

"i have been severely fucked with @ the canadian border trying to get back into amurica too. fucking clowns. laughing at my playboy college girls, and large bottle of lotion as my ONLY other item in my duffel. i was 18 god damn. better than spraying cumdumpsters and ending up with fucking brats."

I thought border agents were trained not to let trolls into the US?

10/21/2013 2:31:01 PM

Is there any kind of recourse if some Homeland douche is having a bad day and arbitrarily denies entry to someone because he doesn't like the way the person looks or because the person in questions has what the guard believes are stamps to "undesirable" countries (even if they were for legitimate reasons).

This kid probably had to pay $texas to get a new flight back home and lost money on existing reservations.

10/22/2013 1:56:03 PM

Probably the best way is to complain through your Congressmen and send a complaint to DHS & CBP. I doubt the latter will be of much help, but if you can catch the eyes of your representatives, they know how to make a squawk to get DHS and CBP to pay attention.

10/22/2013 3:30:55 PM

^ I was referring more to a foreigner coming to the country.

10/23/2013 10:47:07 AM

foreigners have the entire US Judiciary branch of government at their disposal.

10/29/2013 2:39:46 AM