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Happened to a female friend flying from Toronto to visit me in Mexico. Because she had a connecting flight in US, a US agent went through her phone. (Classic mi

Happened to a female friend flying from Toronto to visit me in Mexico. Because she had a connecting flight in US, a US agent went through her phone. (Classic mistake of entering the US unless absolutely neccessary) Guy was reading her Tinder messages and accusing her of being a prostitute. He brought up some saucy messages and would say things like “girls don’t do this kind of stuff for free...” Finally handed her back her phone with a comment like “well, maybe you are a good girl ;)” He was fixated on some message where she commented how much a meal might cost at some restaurant and used that as an excuse to ask personal questions about sex and prostitution.

komali2 8y ago
These are the same agents that I watch scream in "special person talk" (think Trump mocking the reporter) at confused Chinese tourists. I see it every time I fly international here. Great first impression our border agents are giving people.
MaxBarraclough 8y ago
Their unprofessionalism is almost as disturbing as the policy.
- cultus 8y ago
  It's the rule rather than the exception with border guards these days, both US and Canadian. It's a job where bullies get to bully. It attracts a certain kind of person.
Eridrus 8y ago
That's both disturbing and pretty much the level of professionalism I expect from CBP. I wish someone were to cataloging these sorts of incidents, rather than just reading about them in HN threads.
DoreenMichele 8y ago
Sadly, the motive there was probably he found her hot, would hit that, was aggravated at reading her Tinder messages and finding her even more hot because of it and was pissed off that there was no way in hell he would ever get a shot at being with her, so he felt some need to piss all over her, blame her for making him hot and bothered with no immediate means to get relief, yadda. This is an essential element of situational crap that I am referring to when I complain about sexism in the world. Meanwhile, other people seem to think I mean "Men who firmly believe women should be barefoot and pregnant and who have some conscious intent to prevent them from having real careers." or some nonsense along those lines.
- nojvek 8y ago
  That’s sexual harassment. But then who’s gonna police the police?
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
  - bufferoverflow 8y ago
    The courts? The problem is that she likely has no evidence of this happening.
  - davidkuhta 8y ago
    Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
  - geoffmunn 8y ago
    I dunno, the coastguard? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tk4yyqXi8Xc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tk4yyqXi8Xc
  - bigiain 8y ago
    The Supreme Court judges? Oh, no. Hang on...
  - Cerium 8y ago
    Police police police police. [1] [1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_linguistic_example_sentences https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_linguistic_example_sen...
newscracker 8y ago
This is so disgusting, and is a personal violation! I can't imagine going through such a horrific experience. This is exactly the behavior that such laws bring forth. See an attractive woman and stop her for questioning, knowing fully well that you're in the position of power between the two of you and can get away with almost anything.
- lostlogin 8y ago
  It’s grim. For some reason this reminds me of the current Supreme Court hearings, where Ford was referred to as ‘attractive’, as though that had some kind of relevance. It’s right the way though the US system it seems and it appears from this new law that NZ is headed that way too. https://www.google.co.nz/amp/amp.timeinc.net/time/5408721/christine-blasey-ford-orrin-hatch-attractive-witness https://www.google.co.nz/amp/amp.timeinc.net/time/5408721/ch...
  - zo1 8y ago
    Oh come on. I'd call it "Fake news", but the article you posted as proof actually explains things rather than leaving it the way you did: implying that you have Senators running around calling abuse victims "attractive" as if its relevant. Read the rest of your own posted article: “Hatch uses “attractive” to describe personalities, not appearances,” Matt Whitlock, deputy chief of staff and communications director to Hatch, said in response to reporters tweeting about Hatch’s comments. “If you search his past quotes you’ll see he’s used it consistently for years for men and women he believed has compelling personalities.”
pastor_elm 8y ago
> would say things like “girls don’t do this kind of stuff for free... Should have replied, "Maybe Stateside, they don't!"
- angry_octet 8y ago
  How about "How much do you pay?"
Mizza 8y ago
Please ask your friend to write publicly about her experience. It's horrifying.
hippich 8y ago
Perhaps on the rise of #metoo it is time to bring up such stories in the media and let these generally unknown bullies at the border face same consequences as famous people as well?

komali2 8y ago

These are the same agents that I watch scream in "special person talk" (think Trump mocking the reporter) at confused Chinese tourists. I see it every time I fly international here. Great first impression our border agents are giving people.

MaxBarraclough 8y ago

Their unprofessionalism is almost as disturbing as the policy.

cultus 8y ago
It's the rule rather than the exception with border guards these days, both US and Canadian. It's a job where bullies get to bully. It attracts a certain kind of person.

Eridrus 8y ago

That's both disturbing and pretty much the level of professionalism I expect from CBP. I wish someone were to cataloging these sorts of incidents, rather than just reading about them in HN threads.

DoreenMichele 8y ago

Sadly, the motive there was probably he found her hot, would hit that, was aggravated at reading her Tinder messages and finding her even more hot because of it and was pissed off that there was no way in hell he would ever get a shot at being with her, so he felt some need to piss all over her, blame her for making him hot and bothered with no immediate means to get relief, yadda. This is an essential element of situational crap that I am referring to when I complain about sexism in the world. Meanwhile, other people seem to think I mean "Men who firmly believe women should be barefoot and pregnant and who have some conscious intent to prevent them from having real careers." or some nonsense along those lines.

nojvek 8y ago
That’s sexual harassment. But then who’s gonna police the police?
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- bufferoverflow 8y ago
  The courts? The problem is that she likely has no evidence of this happening.
- davidkuhta 8y ago
  Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
- geoffmunn 8y ago
  I dunno, the coastguard? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tk4yyqXi8Xc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tk4yyqXi8Xc
- bigiain 8y ago
  The Supreme Court judges? Oh, no. Hang on...
- Cerium 8y ago
  Police police police police. [1] [1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_linguistic_example_sentences https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_linguistic_example_sen...

newscracker 8y ago

This is so disgusting, and is a personal violation! I can't imagine going through such a horrific experience. This is exactly the behavior that such laws bring forth. See an attractive woman and stop her for questioning, knowing fully well that you're in the position of power between the two of you and can get away with almost anything.

lostlogin 8y ago
It’s grim. For some reason this reminds me of the current Supreme Court hearings, where Ford was referred to as ‘attractive’, as though that had some kind of relevance. It’s right the way though the US system it seems and it appears from this new law that NZ is headed that way too. https://www.google.co.nz/amp/amp.timeinc.net/time/5408721/christine-blasey-ford-orrin-hatch-attractive-witness https://www.google.co.nz/amp/amp.timeinc.net/time/5408721/ch...
- zo1 8y ago
  Oh come on. I'd call it "Fake news", but the article you posted as proof actually explains things rather than leaving it the way you did: implying that you have Senators running around calling abuse victims "attractive" as if its relevant. Read the rest of your own posted article: “Hatch uses “attractive” to describe personalities, not appearances,” Matt Whitlock, deputy chief of staff and communications director to Hatch, said in response to reporters tweeting about Hatch’s comments. “If you search his past quotes you’ll see he’s used it consistently for years for men and women he believed has compelling personalities.”

pastor_elm 8y ago

> would say things like “girls don’t do this kind of stuff for free... Should have replied, "Maybe Stateside, they don't!"

angry_octet 8y ago
How about "How much do you pay?"

Mizza 8y ago

Please ask your friend to write publicly about her experience. It's horrifying.

hippich 8y ago

Perhaps on the rise of #metoo it is time to bring up such stories in the media and let these generally unknown bullies at the border face same consequences as famous people as well?