Due to a lack of direct flights to my recent destination, I had the distinctly unpleasant experience of a forced transit through JFK (New York). Not only were we forced to recheck luggage which in itself wasn’t a bad thing having lost stuff in the states before, but we’re forced through immigration then back through customs and security again, apart from the massive inconvenience, where in international law is it written that travellers to none US destinations get to be finger printed and retina scanned? I’m surprised no more fuss is made of this, hell they have more data on me now than my own country, I’ve never been finger printed in my life and by now I must be on that NSA database.

Why isn’t anyone protesting at this? Which lame Government of ours acquiesed? Why are our airlines tolerating it?

Or am I being over sensitive?

Or am I being over sensitive?

yes. dont like it, don’t fly via the usa.

No such thing as “Transit” in the US and there hasn’t been for a long time. Their country, their rules.

Waaay oversensitive. The US finger print scan even on some internal flights and they will scan anyone coming in even in transit. I’m in the US all the time (at the moment actually) and I just get used to it. Nothing to hide nothing to worry about.

BTW. The US find our DNA databases and CCTV cameras / APNR cameras utility an infringement of freedom.

“hell they have more data on me now than my own country”

Goddamm shermans !!

Or am I being over sensitive?

yes. dont like it, don’t fly via the usa.[/quote]

This! Of course you are being over sensitive, what have you got to hide?

Not seeing why it is oversensitive, the shame is that our own Governments don’t dish out the same treatment to US citizens.

They treat us like animals and criminals, and we say yes sir how high.

Why isn’t anyone protesting at this?

Because it’s optional. You don’t HAVE to go there.

Well having had some of my US staff stuck at Heathrow for 3hrs at customs last year, we do treat visitors pretty badly at times. We also fingerprint and take images of them.
Any different to the US? I don’t think so.

Because it’s optional. You don’t HAVE to go there.

And it’s hardly a violation of your civil rights is it? If they were doing mandatory strip and body cavity searches you may have a point, but fingerprints… Seriously?

Uncle Sam now owns yo ass.

gonefishin – Member
No such thing as “Transit” in the US and there hasn’t been for a long time. Their country, their rules.

And now that you’ve been complaining, you’ve just shot up the suspicious persons listings. 😉

Hey I wasn’t the one complaining.

What’s that red dot on my chest…

Outrageous!

Write to your MP etc.

There should have been a +1 for your comment in there and the comment was aimed at the OP. Assuming of course that you haven’t been taken out.

It’s just a good job that the NSA isn’t reading anything posted online …….. Er wait a minute…… Damn….. Full body search for DerekFish next time!

Nothing to hide nothing to worry about.

It really boils my p*ss when people say this. As if that makes all privacy infringements ok. It’s just disgusting sycophancy. Daily police-station strip searches? Well what have you got to hide? Police helicopter hovering outside your window video-recording through your window? Yes please! I’m a good honest consumer, nothing to hide here Sir!

Do one ➡

I read it as being tounge-in-cheek for the very reasons you state…

Possibly, rant over 😳

I’ve made a concious decision to never return to the states for exactly the OPs reason. Not even my own government has that info on me, there’s no way I’m giving it to the Muricans. The rest of the world will keep me entertained.

Jambourgie really?? That’s as bad a drama queen over reaction as the OP. Getting fingerprinted at the airport is what I’m talking about not anything more.

As if that makes all privacy infringements ok.

I don’t understand why it’s a privacy infringement? They do the exact same thing with passports and have done for centuries – this is just more accurate that’s all.

It doens’t mean they are actually snooping on you. If they were, that’d be bad.

Well yes I am outraged, if I go there which I do now and again, on business and I have to put up with their shit that’s my choice, but when I’m going somewhere else and the frikken airline I booked does a stop over, because it’s bloody easter, I don’t expect to be swept up in their frikken homeland security every bloody time.

It’ll be DNA next, I can’t believe y’all are so pussy whipped, then again, lefties? State control, I guess wrong place to complain.

As to doing wrong, I haven’t yet, but there might come a time when enough is enough and I’ll feel the need to rebel and there, they have me already first print I leave.. and what if it’s not a benign state by then?

Wait til Nigel gets in, he’ll sort it, it’s probably the EU’s fault anyway.

So would you feel better sitting on an airplane where the security forces know the identity of the passengers or not?

Daily police-station strip searches? Well what have you got to hide? Police helicopter hovering outside your window video-recording through your window?

Wow, they must be improving the police resources! Last I heard their overtime was being cut!

Jambourgie really?? That’s as bad a drama queen over reaction as the OP. Getting fingerprinted at the airport is what I’m talking about not anything more.

The wedge has to start somewhere… 😉

It’ll be DNA next, I can’t believe y’all are so pussy whipped, then again, lefties? State control, I guess wrong place to complain.

I don’t know where the “lefties” comment comes from, America is an extreme right wing country. I definitely lean to the left politically and I am totally opposed to the surveillance state.

Really??

Not new. Either wait for a direct flight or stop whinging.

They get stuffed on border security because of long land borders. In the UK we don’t have that issue, and if our immigration was as efficient as theirs we could deal with issues sensibly and have more accurate numbers, and stop the UKIP and Tory bleating.

Of course the NSA monitor the internet so you are probably down for an intimate exam next time 😉

Just be thankful you don’t have visas & stamps for India, Russia, Hungary and Cuba in your passport. They love that. Oh and try getting let in once you’ve accidentally said:

“I’m here for work, I mean a meeting, with colleagues, not work. Well it is work, but I won’t be ‘working’. D’oh! Can I start again? What day is it? No, I don’t know my hotel’s address. Yes, I’ll wait here”. 😯

facebook probably have more information about you

always said the NSA or UK govt would get a more truthful or more representative load of statistics if they subpeonad facebook, rather than sent out census forms once a decade. Germany doubly so.

the $14 ESTA fee was s backdoor snoop too. cost is immaterial. it’s only there so they can tie a financial record to their fingerprint database.

Two hours being incessantly questioned aggressively by different plain clothed security personnel (to compare my answers to the same question) when trying to leave Tel Aviv gave me a different perspective on customs hassle.

and El Al have actually a track record of preventing a bomb getting onto a plane by their security measures.

Yep I can completely understand the Israeli levels of security. It just shows that we don’t actually get much hassle in comparison

So would you feel better sitting on an airplane where the security forces know the identity of the passengers or not?

The fingerprinting at the border doesn’t have much to do with on board security at all. You don’t have to show ID on domestic US flights and I don’t feel they’re any more or less safe.

I was held by US immigration at LAX once. Most distressing. (Air Iceland hadn’t checked me out properly on my last trip via NYC, so they had me down as an overstayer). A scary couple of hours, with my fancy brand new Principia road bike circling the luggage carousel. Yay for the nice BA lady who came and collected my bags and waited for me, although I imagine that is a requirement placed on the airlines for transit passangers.

I got my own back though – on another trip via LAX I really really needed to throw up and the mean lady wouldn’t let me out of the line. I had no choice…

It’s just a good job that the NSA isn’t reading anything posted online ….

At least they didn’t find all that crack cocaine that you always smuggle up your bum on these trips.

😉

(Deeeeeeeep up his bum, officer)

you don’t have to show ID on US domestic flights

Yes you do have to show ID. That was the OP’s initial complaint too.

facebook probably have more information about you

No they really don’t.

Tonyg: No, you don’t. You just get extra screening.

I did this morning.