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When was the last time you had to wait in one crowded room for 3 hours without being allowed to use your phone, and without a seat? The last time I was in a si

When was the last time you had to wait in one crowded room for 3 hours without being allowed to use your phone, and without a seat? The last time I was in a situation anywhere close to this was when I accompanied my girlfriend to get her visa renewed in London. We had to wait for about 5 hours in a fairly crowded hot room with pretty uncomfortable seats. But we had each other's company and while there was a sign saying we weren't allowed to use electronic devices, most people seemed to be ignoring it, so it wasn't so bad. But still worse than anything I ever have to experience in my normal travel as a white British man.

aneth4 14y ago
This is not a competition for the worst experience one can have. I've had plenty of horrible ones. Ever been detained for several days in a crowded third world jail for no legitimate reason and extorted a large sum of money to be released? Ever been stabbed by thugs too powerful for the police to do anything other than write a lie-filled police report? This is what happens every day in the actual world away from privileged white developers with US green cards. This is a privileged person, someone who travels internationally, writes a blog, was able to get a US green card (something tens of millions aspire to,) is in one of the most lucrative careers on the planet, and is the founder of a free enterprise despite being young and (presumably based on his caption) gay. In the grand scheme of things, this experience doesn't even measure on the pity scale, and to bitch and moan about such things reveals a major lack appreciation for what one has and a sad sense of entitlement. Sorry, no go.
- adekok 14y ago
  > This is a privileged person, someone who travels internationally, ... ... and who has gone through extensive scrutiny to get a green card. Exactly the kind of person who should hit red flags at the border, right?
  - aneth4 14y ago
    What's your point? Nobody is arguing whether this was a mistake, not even DHS officer when asked. Nobody is saying the DHS is the most competent organization on the planet or that it can't be better. In the vast majority of cases, people enter the country without issue and in a tiny minority there is some inconvenience. Clearly many of the people in that room were there for a reason, as some was arrested and some were denied entry. The guy had to stand in a room for 3 hours before entering the country because he tripped a false positive. We can hope that this won't happen every time - if it does, he might have something to complain about, though still not justification for the exasperation shown in this forum.

aneth4 14y ago

This is not a competition for the worst experience one can have. I've had plenty of horrible ones. Ever been detained for several days in a crowded third world jail for no legitimate reason and extorted a large sum of money to be released? Ever been stabbed by thugs too powerful for the police to do anything other than write a lie-filled police report? This is what happens every day in the actual world away from privileged white developers with US green cards. This is a privileged person, someone who travels internationally, writes a blog, was able to get a US green card (something tens of millions aspire to,) is in one of the most lucrative careers on the planet, and is the founder of a free enterprise despite being young and (presumably based on his caption) gay. In the grand scheme of things, this experience doesn't even measure on the pity scale, and to bitch and moan about such things reveals a major lack appreciation for what one has and a sad sense of entitlement. Sorry, no go.

adekok 14y ago
> This is a privileged person, someone who travels internationally, ... ... and who has gone through extensive scrutiny to get a green card. Exactly the kind of person who should hit red flags at the border, right?
- aneth4 14y ago
  What's your point? Nobody is arguing whether this was a mistake, not even DHS officer when asked. Nobody is saying the DHS is the most competent organization on the planet or that it can't be better. In the vast majority of cases, people enter the country without issue and in a tiny minority there is some inconvenience. Clearly many of the people in that room were there for a reason, as some was arrested and some were denied entry. The guy had to stand in a room for 3 hours before entering the country because he tripped a false positive. We can hope that this won't happen every time - if it does, he might have something to complain about, though still not justification for the exasperation shown in this forum.