No matter what you are planning to do.. "Tourism, I am here to see the country (see friends, relatives etc)" I almost made that mistake before but remembered to shut up just in time.
As a UK resident, I feel a pang of embarrassment and sadness and anger as I see how non-residents are treated when going through immigration control. Heathrow immigration is the worst. It's depressing, oppressive, cold and ugly. These are probably deliberate choices.<p>On several occasions, I've seen customs and immigration officials behave aggressively, usually fidgeting with night-sticks (truncheons) in a way that suggests that they are itching to beat someone.
Here's how it works.<p>There are two kinds of people in the world: people who crave power, and people who don't. The people who don't aren't the problem.<p>There are two kinds of power-craving people in the world: people who act on their craving, and people who don't. The people who don't aren't the problem.<p>There are two kinds of people acting on their power craving in the world: people who try to join the military or the police, and people who don't. The people who don't aren't the problem.<p>There are two types of power-craving military or police cadets in the world: the ones who stay there, and the ones who don't. The ones who stay there quickly get their antisocial tendencies beaten out of them by their instructors, in the vast majority of cases, so they're not the problem.<p>There are two kinds of power-craving academy dropouts in the world: the ones who realise that power trips aren't for them, and the ones who don't. The ones who realise aren't the problem.<p>The rest become airport security guards. THEY are the problem.
OTOH, this summer while crossing the canadian border in Madawaska (ME) to enter the US, I was "stopped".<p>For some reason the US immigration officier in Puerto Rico had forgotten to add a date to my entry stamp. I was stopped for this technicality, and while getting some paperwork for me in my car the custom officers found I had prescription drugs.<p>I was worried, but for no reason at all - they figured out the mistake that happened in PR, and checked the drugs official prescriptions matched (antibiotics and some pretty stong painkillers), and then I was cleared to go <i>with a smile</i>.<p>TL;DR : the US custom officer were friendly and efficient, and fixed a mistake.<p>I wouldn't dream of that happening in Europe, or (god help me) the UK.
Very interesting read. My girlfriend is American and I am from Ireland, we have had a few close calls.Luckily nothing has happened yet!Heathrow is notoriously bad for deporting people. Just wondering, how did you get bumped up to premium? I have a long flight coming up and trying to see if there are any tricks to getting bumped up for free.
How could she be so dim? She's a <i>singer</i> and she's going to <i>sing</i> while she's here. Of course they are going to prick up their ears when they hear that.