4 ms·

Or traveling to the US, for that matter. I still don't understand why border guards ask incoming US citizens where they are going and what is the purpose of the

by jwr 11y ago

Or traveling to the US, for that matter. I still don't understand why border guards ask incoming US citizens where they are going and what is the purpose of their travel.

rorykoehler 11y ago
I like to take things as I go (at least when planning seems like overkill, e.g. for non-critical things). This caught me by surprise the last time I flew into NYC from Europe. I had intended to get into the city and then call a friend I was staying with to meet up and go to their place from there. Naturally I didn't get the address before hand. They wouldn't let me into the country without an address on my dis-embarkment card. I had no signal so I couldn't call or look one up either. Absolutely ridiculous. Any address as long as it wasn't a fake one that they would notice to be fake once they entered it in the system would do. What an exercise in futility. It's unlikely that someone who intended to do something seriously criminal would give the correct address, therefore it is just a big waste of time and resources.
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
- haberman 11y ago
  The UK does the same thing when you fly there, in my experience.
  - rorykoehler 11y ago
    Yes it's not unique to the USA. Doesn't make it anymore reasonable/useful though.
  - yason 11y ago
    Flying to UK from where? When flying to the UK from Europe or USA nobody has ever asked me about the address where I would be spending the first night. USA does ask that.
    - haberman 11y ago
      Every time I've flown to the UK from the USA, the entry card has asked for an address in England. The first time (in 2005) I left it blank and they wouldn't let me pass immigration until I filled it out.
      - umanwizard 11y ago
        I got in to England without listing my friend's address, but the border guard seemed extremely suspicious and really grilled me about my travel plans, etc.
        molmalo 11y ago
        Something similar happened to me when I was about to take the train from Paris to London. I didn't have a reservation because I was planning my trip on the go. The agent was not pleased at all with that, but as the train made the last call to board, he just scolded me, told me that next time I really should make a reservation before visiting England... and then let me pass.
      - snori74 11y ago
        When I flew out of Chile recently they wanted to know the name and address of where I had stayed the previous night. Crazy that I may not have been able to leave if I couldn't remember that.
  - saryant 11y ago
    Japan as well.
- iyn 11y ago
  So what did you do on the airport? Did they let you in? Every time I traveled to the US I wondered how possible it is for them to not let me in.
- scintill76 11y ago
  You're a US citizen? Just asking because the parent comment talked about hassles entering US as a citizen, so I am wondering if they really make it that stringent yet simultaneously pointless, even for citizens.
  - rorykoehler 11y ago
    Yes

by jwr 11y ago

Or traveling to the US, for that matter. I still don't understand why border guards ask incoming US citizens where they are going and what is the purpose of their travel.

rorykoehler 11y ago

I like to take things as I go (at least when planning seems like overkill, e.g. for non-critical things). This caught me by surprise the last time I flew into NYC from Europe. I had intended to get into the city and then call a friend I was staying with to meet up and go to their place from there. Naturally I didn't get the address before hand. They wouldn't let me into the country without an address on my dis-embarkment card. I had no signal so I couldn't call or look one up either. Absolutely ridiculous. Any address as long as it wasn't a fake one that they would notice to be fake once they entered it in the system would do. What an exercise in futility. It's unlikely that someone who intended to do something seriously criminal would give the correct address, therefore it is just a big waste of time and resources.

deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
haberman 11y ago
The UK does the same thing when you fly there, in my experience.
- rorykoehler 11y ago
  Yes it's not unique to the USA. Doesn't make it anymore reasonable/useful though.
- yason 11y ago
  Flying to UK from where? When flying to the UK from Europe or USA nobody has ever asked me about the address where I would be spending the first night. USA does ask that.
  - haberman 11y ago
    Every time I've flown to the UK from the USA, the entry card has asked for an address in England. The first time (in 2005) I left it blank and they wouldn't let me pass immigration until I filled it out.
    - umanwizard 11y ago
      I got in to England without listing my friend's address, but the border guard seemed extremely suspicious and really grilled me about my travel plans, etc.
      - molmalo 11y ago
        Something similar happened to me when I was about to take the train from Paris to London. I didn't have a reservation because I was planning my trip on the go. The agent was not pleased at all with that, but as the train made the last call to board, he just scolded me, told me that next time I really should make a reservation before visiting England... and then let me pass.
    - snori74 11y ago
      When I flew out of Chile recently they wanted to know the name and address of where I had stayed the previous night. Crazy that I may not have been able to leave if I couldn't remember that.
- saryant 11y ago
  Japan as well.
iyn 11y ago
So what did you do on the airport? Did they let you in? Every time I traveled to the US I wondered how possible it is for them to not let me in.
scintill76 11y ago
You're a US citizen? Just asking because the parent comment talked about hassles entering US as a citizen, so I am wondering if they really make it that stringent yet simultaneously pointless, even for citizens.
- rorykoehler 11y ago
  Yes