OFF: immigration trivia quiz

[Colin J Allen]

EFTA = European Free Trade Area.


Please note that this electronic mail system is not intended to form any
legal contract or binding agreement. This is for information purposes only.
Please also note that this message should not be interpreted as any form of
valid information. You use the information contained in this message at your
own risk.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Henderson Keith" <keith.henderson at PSI.CH>
To: <BOC-L at LISTSERV.ISPNETINC.NET>
Sent: Sunday, August 24, 2003 2:58 PM
Subject: Re: OFF: immigration trivia quiz


> An experienced voice says...
>
> >when i visited the uk from the netherlands in 1979 for a hawkwind gig the
> >costum officer asked me where i was going to.
> >i said enthusiastly ......to see hawkwind in london :)
> >
> >well then they started checking my bags,clothes everything.
> >
> >almost ever since then the customs check me when i try to enter the uk.
> >it doesn't matter if i travel by plane, boat or jetfoil !!!!
> >
> >so now i NEVER EVER tell them that i go to see hawkwind.
>
> Yeah, after enough shows in Toronto I learned the same (not specifically
> with Hawkwind, but any band).  Plus, if you're travelling alone,
> have long hair, and say you're just going to be there one evening,
> then it starts to get more suspicious.  And then you start answering
> detailed questions about what concert you're going to see ("Never
> heard of them") and what club it is ("Never heard of this place"),
> etc.  When I went to see Pink Floyd in the old Exhibition Stadium
> (which I think has been torn down now hasn't it, Eric?), I actually
> did come across 'straight'...since I thought there would be lots of
> Buffalo folx driving up for it.  And never ever take amphetamines
> in powder form!  :)
>
> But at Luton immigration, I said merely, "I'm going up to the Lake
> District for a camping trip with friends."  Which really was pretty
> much the truth, so...
>
> My only problem was that I had to wait a full hour to get up to the
> counter. During this time they waved through about a million people
> with UK, EU, Swiss, and other 'non-threatening' passports in another
> line, so I ended up behind just a small group of African, Canadian,
> and Middle Eastern folk, some of whom (guess who?) were getting
> serious looks.  And so there I was still waiting long after my bag
> stopped rotating around the claim carousel, and was put aside.
>
> Grakkl (FAA)
>
> P.S.  Still don't understand why the Canadians (and Aussies too?)
> didn't get to go through the 'express' line, but that the Swiss
> were able to, since I guess they are part of something called EFTA,
> I think it was (what the heck does this mean?).
>