The land of the free....

where have you found theses "stories" ???????????

I have absolutely no criticism of the average US citizen and I am glad you have all had such good experiences. However, I am puzzled, because I have found story after story of people who have met rude, aggressive and unreasonable immigration officials. Are they all lies? Or perhaps these officials were the proverbial rotten apples in the barrel, like all the police officers in the UK who have been found to be racist, homophobic or corrupt.

Never, ever any problems over the years we have visited the USA. Courteous, efficient officials and friendly people. Love it!

at not as

Better not forget a [thistle]

Yeah, well, Europe has a long history of snooty buggers looking down their noses as plebs. I expect that makes a difference. Though I have to say that in Scotland people are usually very pleasant about 'service'. [saltire] [lionrampant]

I think on the whole American officials are more polite than English. They still accept that serving the public well isn't an expression of servility. The man who set up EuroDisney was interviewed on radio recently and said that he had a real problem with a rapid turnover of (European) staff who just couldn't accept the 'service with a smile' ethos.

bags. So true. I fly to the USA 2-3 times a year to see my children and I've been asked to produce my return ticket on a number of occasions. One occasion I was asked how many dollars I had on me and how did I expect that amount to get me through my stay. I said my daughter will keep me, it's her turn! And the lines are so long especially at Dallas airport and I suspect at others. The customs officials are not the most friendliest I agree but they have a job to do.

Like many of the others who have posted, have been to the States many times never had any problems, yes they do want to know when you are leaving and ask you to give an address where you are staying perfectly acceptable questions. Did find security was very lax on internal flights before 9/11, understandably quite different now which frankly is reassuring.

Oh, everyone wants to know when you're leaving! I was asked that in the US. It's a normal question and not rude.

I wasn't made to feel welcome when I visited your country by customs.I wasn't even looked in the face when spoken to and was ask how long I was staying and where is my ticket showing when I was leaving.

Doesn"t the Huffington post buy stuff for publication ?

if that ^ IS ^ the case surely things have to be "sexed up " to quote Teflon"s advisor Campbell

One should not always believe "what one hears".

I watch the Australian Immigration programme & they can be pretty tough at times . Mind you usually with good reason .

Spot on Sel

probably won"t be able to use it much as it will be removed .

The USA has the dubious distinction of being the only G7 country to execute its own citizens. It comes fifth after China, Iran, North Korea and Yemen. Illustrious company.
13% of American citizens are black. 35% of those executed are black.

Texas was prepared to execute Duane Buck on September 15, 2011. Mr. Buck was condemned to death by a jury that had been told by an expert psychologist that he was more likely to be dangerous because he was African American. The Supreme Court stayed the case, but Mr. Buck has not yet received the new sentencing hearing justice requires.

In common with several posters, I've travelled many times to various parts of the US and never experienced anything like this. All officials have been unfailingly polite and pleasant. I'd say the same for people there generally in hotels and restaurants. Great service rendered with a smile.

Perhaps she is lying in her teeth, but if not I don't see any way in which she was being haughty. I am glad you all had such pleasant experiences, but this is not the first time I have heard of American border officials being unnecessarily officious.
I was very surprised at the threatening attitude of the woman who found an apple, which I had forgotten, in my back pack at Auckland. Luckily, her supervisor accepted that it was a simple mistake and let me off the $400 fine. He agreed that it was stupid of Singapore Airlines to give us the apples an hour before we landed. On my next trip, I told the stewardess and she made an announcement.

Spot on Lily .

I have noticed though that people who get haughty at US immigration or try to have a laugh at the officer's expense to amuse their travelling companions do tend to get a more thorough going over. And not just the US either.

Always been treated with total courtesy at US immigration, landing at various different airports over the years. Now immigration in Soviet Russia in the 1960s was a different matter!

My sister and I chatted to a customs official at Logan airport, Boston. He had our passports in front of him, open. 'Don't tell me, I know that accent - you're Italian!' We're Mancunians

Given the sheer number of bags containing sexy knickers and condoms that go through American customs, I find this article hard to believe without a large bucket of salt. I suspect the author has embroidered the truth. If not, then she has a legitimate complaint and should write to the customs top nobs.

When I first went to the US in 1995, a customs official nearly took exception to my (correct) pronunciation of San Pedro (a district of Los Angeles to which I was heading). He was a Spanish speaker himself and thought I was taking the piss, though I didn't realise this until later when I heard my friends pronounce the name San Peedro!

But after the sharp look, he said: "You're English, aren't you?"

This was said to me again in a large supermarket when I asked for full fat, full cholesterol, thick cream (there was none on the shelves). I weighed about seven and a half stone at the time and the guy I asked was more than double that at a guess.

They're funny, these English

I did read the post. I have been to America very many times over the past 20 years, sometimes on my own and sometimes with DH. We have always been treated politely.
I agree with Butty, Australia is much more rigorous that USA, also, like her, I too would jump through hoops to see our grandchildren.
I am happy that immigration is strict, doesn't worry me in the slightest.
One can't always believe what one reads in the press.

The huffington Post can sometimes get a bit zealous .

The Washington post , USA today , No.

Ihave been to the USA 20 times and Canada 6/8 times and never encountered any problems . The Immigration officals are efficient ,courteous and even sometimes have a gentle joke . Okay you have to wait a long time to be seen , but maybe that is because they are being thorough .

Sometimes ours could copy [trouble is , no money].

I do think though filling in ESTA helps a lot as they have already profiled one .

Well said, when! We're just back from Florida, and were treated with courtesy and respect everywhere we went. Terrible story though...