If you know anyone in the West of Ireland for maybe an overnight stay, the Dublin area too, you can do all the immigration formalities (and presumably discover early if there’s a problem) before you fly to New York from either Dublin or Shannon, and stroll off at the other end. Gatwick to Shannon by Ryanair is stupidly cheap. Shannon to New York is seven hours or so.
You can also clear US immigration at the bigger Canadian airports, I did it in Toronto and it was very quick.
One of the times I went to Vegas, our mate got questioned for nearly two hours as there had already been two other Paul Richardson's who arrived from England that day
One of the times I went to Vegas, our mate got questioned for nearly two hours as there had already been two other Paul Richardson's who arrived from England that day
Usually border officers just ask how long as you staying, check the landing card, take a photo and stamp your passport. In the states they ask you questions like where are you staying and what are you up to and make small talk. It so strange. At JFK I was asked how much money I was taking, I said $70 which he took as $70k! I had to take the money out of my wallet for him to get it. At Seattle I was asked if I would visit Kurt Cobain's grave?!
About 20 years ago a friend of a friend made the idiotic mistake of responding to a question about whether he has any dangerous objects in his case with a ‘joke’ along the lines of “oh, just a bomb but don’t worry about that”.
It was only a couple of years after 9/11. The bloke spent 24 hours being questioned by the authorities and was then refused entry into the country.
When travelling to Australia, it's common to be asked the question, "do you have any criminal convictions?". On no account whatsoever should you reply, "I didn't realise that was still a requirement".
declare all food/drink items if you're bringing any. Though its legal (and such a British thing to do) my dad packed tea for a trip to New York. Got to customs the other side and they gave him grief for not declaring it.
declare all food/drink items if you're bringing any. Though its legal (and such a British thing to do) my dad packed tea for a trip to New York. Got to customs the other side and they gave him grief for not declaring it.
Tbh I don't think I have ever been abroad for years without bringing my own tea bags and my own pillow (should explain the pillow thing. I broke my spine some years back so bring it with me when traveling) Remember getting to an air BnB in Barcelona and the woman who owned the place saw my pillow and said "you do realise that we have pillows and bedding here?!"
My son travels to Miami in march, they are involved in the Miami beach festival, it will be his first trip without us and is a working trip with some down time to relax, to say he can't wait is an understatement.
My son travels to Miami in march, they are involved in the Miami beach festival, it will be his first trip without us and is a working trip with some down time to relax, to say he can't wait is an understatement.
On our last trip in August we took tea bags (as we have on every trip), chocolate, biscuits and some other bits and pieces that I can't remember and had no problems. The only time I've been asked about food was the first time we went, in 2000, and they wanted to know if we had any oxo cubes or Marmite.
On our last trip in August we took tea bags (as we have on every trip), chocolate, biscuits and some other bits and pieces that I can't remember and had no problems. The only time I've been asked about food was the first time we went, in 2000, and they wanted to know if we had any oxo cubes or Marmite.
On our last trip in August we took tea bags (as we have on every trip), chocolate, biscuits and some other bits and pieces that I can't remember and had no problems. The only time I've been asked about food was the first time we went, in 2000, and they wanted to know if we had any oxo cubes or Marmite.
On our last trip in August we took tea bags (as we have on every trip), chocolate, biscuits and some other bits and pieces that I can't remember and had no problems. The only time I've been asked about food was the first time we went, in 2000, and they wanted to know if we had any oxo cubes or Marmite.
That's their stock question.
Come on - you can't expect more lols by posting it twice ;-)
I think the biggest food no-no is fresh produce. I've seen someone pounced on because they picked up a banana from the fruit bowl in business galley and took it off the plane
If you're not Irish, think yourself lucky that you don't have to go through that country's passport application process. It seems... a bit unfit.
Here's (apparently) a genuine letter of complaint from someone wanting to renew his Irish passport...
Dear Sirs,
I'm in the process of renewing my passport, and I am losing the will to live.
How is it that Sky Television has my address and telephone number and knows that I bought a fucking satellite dish from them back in 1995, and yet, the Government is still asking me where I was fucking born and on what date.
For fuck sake, do you guys do this by hand?
My birth date you have on my pension book, and it is on all the income tax forms I've filed
for the past 30 years. It is on my PPS card, my driving license, my car insurance, on the last eight fucking passports I've had, before being allowed off the plane over the last 50 years, and all those insufferable census forms.
Would somebody please take note, once and for all, that my mother's name is Mary Anne, my father's name is Robert and I'd be absolutely fucking astounded if that ever changed between now and when I die!
I apologise, because I'm really pissed off this morning. Between you an' me, I've had enough of this shit! You send back the application form to my house, then you ask me for my fucking address!
What the fuck is going on? Do you have a bunch of neanderthal arseholes working there?
Look at my fucking picture. Do I look like Bin Laden?
I just want to go and park my arse on some nice sandy beach somewhere and would someone please tell me, why would you give a shit whether I plan on visiting a farm in the next 15 days?
Well, I have to sign off now, because I have to go to the other end of the fucking country to get another fucking copy of my birth certificate, to the tune of €30. Would it be so complicated to have all the services in the
same spot to assist in the issuance of a new passport the same day??
Nooooooooooooo, that'd be too fucking easy and maybe make sense. You'd rather have us running all over the fuckin' place like chickens with our heads cut off, then have to find some arsehole to confirm that it's really me on the damn picture - you know, the one where we're not allowed to smile?! (bureaucratic fuckin' morons)
Hey, do you know why we couldn't smile if we wanted to? Because we're totally hacked off!
On our last trip in August we took tea bags (as we have on every trip), chocolate, biscuits and some other bits and pieces that I can't remember and had no problems. The only time I've been asked about food was the first time we went, in 2000, and they wanted to know if we had any oxo cubes or Marmite.
That's their stock question.
Come on - you can't expect more lols by posting it twice ;-)
Comments
Actually, maybe they're not too bad.
Remember getting to an air BnB in Barcelona and the woman who owned the place saw my pillow and said "you do realise that we have pillows and bedding here?!"
The only time I've been asked about food was the first time we went, in 2000, and they wanted to know if we had any oxo cubes or Marmite.
Come on - you can't expect more lols by posting it twice ;-)
Here's (apparently) a genuine letter of complaint from someone wanting to renew his Irish passport...
I'm in the process of renewing my passport, and I am losing the will to live.
How is it that Sky Television has my address and telephone number and knows that I bought a fucking satellite dish from them back in 1995, and yet, the Government is still asking me where I was fucking born and on what date. For fuck sake, do you guys do this by hand?
My birth date you have on my pension book, and it is on all the income tax forms I've filed for the past 30 years. It is on my PPS card, my driving license, my car insurance, on the last eight fucking passports I've had, before being allowed off the plane over the last 50 years, and all those insufferable census forms.
Would somebody please take note, once and for all, that my mother's name is Mary Anne, my father's name is Robert and I'd be absolutely fucking astounded if that ever changed between now and when I die!
I apologise, because I'm really pissed off this morning. Between you an' me, I've had enough of this shit! You send back the application form to my house, then you ask me for my fucking address! What the fuck is going on? Do you have a bunch of neanderthal arseholes working there?
Look at my fucking picture. Do I look like Bin Laden?
I just want to go and park my arse on some nice sandy beach somewhere and would someone please tell me, why would you give a shit whether I plan on visiting a farm in the next 15 days?
Well, I have to sign off now, because I have to go to the other end of the fucking country to get another fucking copy of my birth certificate, to the tune of €30. Would it be so complicated to have all the services in the same spot to assist in the issuance of a new passport the same day?? Nooooooooooooo, that'd be too fucking easy and maybe make sense. You'd rather have us running all over the fuckin' place like chickens with our heads cut off, then have to find some arsehole to confirm that it's really me on the damn picture - you know, the one where we're not allowed to smile?! (bureaucratic fuckin' morons)
Hey, do you know why we couldn't smile if we wanted to? Because we're totally hacked off!
Signed An Irate Citizen.