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> The last few times I've returned to the states I haven't even had to talk to a customs agent - but signing up for Global Entry might be too much of a violati

> The last few times I've returned to the states I haven't even had to talk to a customs agent - but signing up for Global Entry might be too much of a violation of privacy by some standards. You have to hand your receipt from the machines to an agent who may or may not decide to question you at that point. After baggage claim, you may or may not get stopped by a CBP agent who decides to question you based on their "discretion". (At some airports, these two checks are consolidated and done once, after baggage claim). Some people are stopped for these checks more frequently than others.

DuskStar 7y ago
Fair enough. I (20s white guy, mostly asleep) probably don't fit the 'needs to be questioned' profile all that much. (And I'm not certain I'd have remembered answering a basic question like 'why were you travelling' anyways...)
- vinay427 7y ago
  A 20s male is probably pretty high on the list of people to question. I would guess that if you're a US citizen, as they're only concerned with what you're bringing in rather than what you're planning to do or how long you're staying, not looking like a stereotypical foreign terrorist probably doesn't help much. As a 20s non-white guy I'm never bothered, so maybe I'm just off-base here.
  - JohnFen 7y ago
    When I was a 20-something white guy (this was pre-9/11), I could count on getting pulled out of line, questioned, and swabbed down in certain airports. I always wrote it off to the fact that I had very long hair and dressed like I was poor, but carried a high-end briefcase. That stopped happening when I reached my 40s.
  - DuskStar 7y ago
    I think the 'mostly asleep' might have a good bit to do with it, too - what kind of smuggler isn't at least slightly nervous when crossing customs?
    - vinay427 7y ago
      That applies to intentional smuggling, but I'm sure a lot more CBP seizures (by number, if not quantity) are from enforcing agricultural and IP laws that travelers unknowingly or carelessly attempted to violate. Bringing a citrus fruit from most countries, various other fresh foods, counterfeit goods, etc.

DuskStar 7y ago

Fair enough. I (20s white guy, mostly asleep) probably don't fit the 'needs to be questioned' profile all that much. (And I'm not certain I'd have remembered answering a basic question like 'why were you travelling' anyways...)

vinay427 7y ago
A 20s male is probably pretty high on the list of people to question. I would guess that if you're a US citizen, as they're only concerned with what you're bringing in rather than what you're planning to do or how long you're staying, not looking like a stereotypical foreign terrorist probably doesn't help much. As a 20s non-white guy I'm never bothered, so maybe I'm just off-base here.
- JohnFen 7y ago
  When I was a 20-something white guy (this was pre-9/11), I could count on getting pulled out of line, questioned, and swabbed down in certain airports. I always wrote it off to the fact that I had very long hair and dressed like I was poor, but carried a high-end briefcase. That stopped happening when I reached my 40s.
- DuskStar 7y ago
  I think the 'mostly asleep' might have a good bit to do with it, too - what kind of smuggler isn't at least slightly nervous when crossing customs?
  - vinay427 7y ago
    That applies to intentional smuggling, but I'm sure a lot more CBP seizures (by number, if not quantity) are from enforcing agricultural and IP laws that travelers unknowingly or carelessly attempted to violate. Bringing a citrus fruit from most countries, various other fresh foods, counterfeit goods, etc.