When arriving back in the US, Americans and Canadians are permitted to use an automated kiosk to go through customs. These are scattered like airline e-ticket kiosks in an airport, and for all the world look like they're open for business.
The first set of customs kiosks we came to was empty, the Tens-a-Barrier had an opening like an entrance, and an officer sat in one of the booths at the end of the line. (We were last off the plane; the airline had misplaced our stroller and we had to wait a bit.)
But after scanning our passports, a Homeland Security officer (happened to be a woman) said that area was closed. I asked if she knew if the kiosks were all the same, since we'd just scanned all our passports.
She said brusquely, hands on hips, "I don't know. Take your things and leave." She meant to be fully understood, "this conversation is over." Unlike the woman in the picture, she was armed and wore a bulletproof vest.
And so we took our things and walked 50 feet or so to the next bay of kiosks and Tens-a-Barriers and started over.
c0
Unreasonable rudeness (is there ever reasonable rudeness?) sticks with me and I have a hard time letting go.
It had been a long flight, I'd been away for some time, was looking forward to being "home," but the first American I meet off the jetway tells me to shut up and move along.
I mean no disrespect to Homeland Security officers. In fact, the three who subsequently processed us were very kind.
Maybe she was just having a bad day, didn't like questions, my ponytail, my Chinese wife, my children, was late to go home, who knows.
I'd rather face milling Chinese soldiers with QBZ-95's. At least they smile. (They really do. Chinese in uniform try to be pleasant to foreigners.)
[2014-09-11]
c0
No comments:
Post a Comment