Was this a Profiling at the Airport?

[STOIC]

This past week I went to the airport to pick up my nephew’s wife who was coming from Nairobi via Zurich and Chicago. I was accompanied by my nephew and his sister in-law. There was miscommunication on arrival time. We thought she was arriving at 5:00 pm Eastern time, but her flight was actually arriving at 9:00pm.We went to the United Airline counter to confirm her flight time. The airport was packed with people traveling. Everywhere you could feel the piercing warm of family members embracing and saying “goodbye” or “welcome home”.

 

While we were deciding whether to go home and come back later a plain clothed policeman approached me politely in a slither manner. At first I thought he was a traveler asking for a direction. I thought why not be of help to this traveler? After all any one can get lost in this world’s busiest Airport. Soon I was going to learn that he was not a lost traveler. He identified himself as an Atlanta plain clothed policeman doing a random search. I believed his words. I didn’t ask for his badge. He asked me If I was traveling. I politely answered that we were waiting for someone who was flying inn, but we had a miscommunication on the arrival time. He asked again whether we were going to wait or comeback later. I again politely responded that we were still thinking about what to do. He never said anything else. As he was about to leave he asked me whether I was a cab driver. Did I Looked like a cabbie to him? I again responded politely that I was not a cab driver. He wished me a good day and left.

 

All this time my nephew’s In-law was watching us from the sideline. She was asking me in Swahili and Somali who the hell these stranger was. She partially heard our conversation as she was busy using her laptop in a telephone boot. She started fuming at me how polite I was to the guy. She couldn’t get past her head why I never questioned the credibility of the guy. I thought I handled the incident civil without taking things to the next level. She wasn’t happy how I let a policeman profile me just because we looked Muslims (she had Hijab on). As I was about to redeem myself by walking up to the guy and ask for his credential just to hush her I saw him talking to two policemen facing our side. This made me give up my curiosity. She started forming a conspiracy on her mind that they the white policemen have sent him to us just so that they don’t look racist. The damage was done. Now I was to become the talk of the family for the next few days. I remembered guys whose books I have read like Moazzam Begg who were imprisoned by the Bush administration without any evidence. I might have chickened out by not demanding a right to question searches that are unwarranted. But the guy never asked for my identification papers. Yes I know as an American citizen I had the right to question the police officer, but sometimes my gut tells me it is not good to take things to the next level if you can avoid it. Was I Stuupid for being polite to the guy? Is my In-law overreacting? Or am I plainly a polite person?

[Legend of Zu]

Sxb you did well...Remember when "Keeping it Real Goes Wrong!"

 

Cheers

[LayZie G.]

Was I St*pid for being polite to the guy? Is my In-law overreacting? Or am I plainly a polite person?

No, you were not being st*pid, you're just not the "asking questions" type. I wouldn't say your in-law was overreacting, but at the same time I understand where she is coming from, she had questions that u didn't think of that needed answering and sometimes, pple think of questions at a moments notice, and some like yourself might not even think of it, because u might not think much of the situation u are presented with.

 

I had similar incident myself 2 1/2 yrs ago at Heathrow Airport, I landed at heathrow, went through the immigration process, had my aunt's address, phone# all writen down for them, because I was told whenever u come to immigration in london, they will ask the contact information , which is reasonable enough.

 

I had a canadian passport, once I approached the immigration officer at the booth, after waiting in line for what it seemed like hrs, the officer asked me several questions then at the end asked if I was staying with anyone in particular while I was visiting the country and I politely handed him my pre-planned hand written contact information I was told to have handy incase I was asked to give them a copy.

 

He briefly skipped it through and handed it back to me and said welcome to London, enjoy your stay or something to that like.

 

I put my document back into my purse and went to find my luggage, claimed it and as I was pushing the luggage and maybe what it seemed like 30steps away off the sliding doors to the other side where my family waited, I was stopped by unidentified white man, who asked to see my passport. (mind u, he did not identify himself, nor did he volunteer to inform me of what he was doing, just asked to see my passport)

 

I stopped, put my luggage down and asked him who he was? It was reasonable question, since he was asking me for a very important document which I put away, its securely placed inside my wallet thats inside my purse.

 

BTW,I was under the impression that this was it, I am only 30 steps away from getting out, so I didn't like being bothered to pull out documents that I didn't have handy, like I did earlier.

 

He said he was with immigration and that this was a random stop, and he pointed to his ID. I opened my purse, took out my Canadian Passport, and handed it over to him. He looked at it, and as he was handing it back to me, he asked how long I was staying and who I was staying with during my visit. I grabbed my passport and said to him that I had already given the information that was asked of me at the immigration booth earlier, and before he responded, handed him the piece of paper that had my aunt's contact information, and I immediately asked him and said this doesn't seem like a random stop, more like a target stop by a man who doesn't make a habit of identifying himself before asking for important documents, and further went on to remind him of the lady that shared his skin color who was not even 7steps ahead of me that passed by him, and the fact that he hadn't randomly stopped her, but chose to stop me instead.

 

He looked at me and said this is not personal, and I replied back and said it became personal the moment you stopped me...by then he handed the piece of note back with the contact and I ended it there, grabbed my lugaggage and proceeded to walk, qalas, that was it. My 1st ever random stop by a security officer/immigration office/undercover/racist Kalab.

 

Yes, I did pull the race card, but I had to. I am very observant of my surroundings, and I knew of the white woman ahead of me who was not stopped, nor did I see anyone being stopped by other undercover immigration officers randomly as I looked around me at the time of this target stop. Naturally, there are two types of individuals, your type & my type, asking questions comes easy to me and then there is you, who probably wouldn't think much of the situation if you were randomly stopped over a white man beside u, ahead of u or infront of u, and the one doing the stopping is of same color??? You probably wouldn't think much of it, or maybe you would, I don't know, but I get suspicious when pple pull a fast one on me. I bet u, had he identified himself right off the path, I wouldn't probably pull the race card on him, but he had it coming, thinking he would skip proper protocol(identifying himself and a brief description of what he is doing)and act a boss man who probably is under-paid and beneath me, thinks I am beneath him, just because I am a woman of color and look young, so he thinks I am naive, but I am sure he wouldn't think much of it, but atleast he would think twice before he pulls another one on another black female, or maybe not, who knows...and who cares, but no one can come with BS at me, even an immigration officer..much less Tony Blair.

[N.O.R.F]

stoic you did well saxib, the politeness probably got you out of a potential confrontation!

[STOIC]

Lazy Girl,

Perhaps I am the type of person who let things at the back burner instead of confronting it the right moment. Maybe I normally like to resist the impulse that may propel me into a frenzy day when I can avoid it, but I totally agree with you that it is a given right to question any one that might want tramp your rights. And I agree with you one needs to be aware and present at the moment things are happening. What I was avoiding was to elicit some sort of confrontation that might have lead to a long time of endless questioning. I can understand why my In-law was trying to be mindful of her rights.

[DraGon]

Stoic...Mambo

 

As a frequent traveller,mostly to U.S on Business trips, I am also faced with the same predicament more so in personal trips. In some cases the oficers (aMERICANS) intentionally try to provoke a reaction so they can impose there authority on you.

 

How to react? I stay calm, be polite and answer all there ****** questions. I cant afford to be banned from travel to U.S. and this I believe is there intention.

 

Like Lazie said whenever i travell for business I get my firm to write an official letter indicating my trip is strictly business. I book my hotel in advance and have all the info ready in writing.

 

In your case, I think you were too passive. You were not travelling for one and I assume you are not guilty of anything, atleast you should have eddemand to know who he is..

 

 

But if you are travelling and you are a Guy....they will try to provoke a reaction and if you want to continue your Trip, just be polite and answer the damn question.