I have been to Amsterdam 3 times in the last 5 years. My problem is that I dislike having to go through customs.I hate having them look at my passport and saying." What was your bussiness in the Netherlands? What kind of work do you do? They see that my passport has only the stamp of having to go through costoms in the Netherlands. I feel like my passport should have multiple stamps of other countries like Denmak, Germany or even Ireland. So it does not appear like I am there just to get loaded and have a lay. Perhaps I am paranoid. Am I to feel guilty coming back to America just because I had a blast in a country that's different from any other.I don't know,but when I think about going back (Ams) I tend to think,'Oh boy, got to go through that line and be asked those dumb questions again. I read where so many other Americans like myself have been to the Netherlands many,many more times than me.Do you people feel any anxiety about those inspectors. Raven

My passport has 13 Schiphol stamps in it and a spattering of LHR, CDG and BRU. No one at O'Hare ever asks me anything much, sometimes just what was the purpose of my trip. I always answer "just a vacation". No one has every commented on the number of stamps from AMS. I don't bring anything back with me so I'm not really nervous about customs. On the other hand I don't think anyone likes going through customs anymore than anyone likes being stopped by the police. Who enjoys being forced to talk to an authority figure who, if they detect an "inappropriate" attitude, can cause you a great deal of inconvenience. Then again we can't all be as cool as Keith Richards:
http://tinyurl.com/5jdzk

Try going through JFK or any other US airport as a non-American these days. Schipol for you is a piece of piss by comparison.

G~

Truth be told...US naturalization/customs policies towards visitors from other countries have only just begun scaring-off potential tourists.

My friends from Germany have no wish to provide Bushland's database with their fingerprints and photographs, so visiting the states, even with their strong Euro, isn't on their agenda.

I still have to maintain for my part that New York City, and of course many other parts of the US are truly cool destinations in their own right.

Cheers,
~uber.

Yes, I feel nerviuos every time I go through customs. I have never tried to bring back anything illegal because of this. I have many stamps on my passport (32 different places) and I feel they look at me more than someone with just Amsterdam stamps. They know why you went to Amsterdam so you shouldn't feel at odds with the custom guys. The last two times I have gone I have been checked and questioned about the pipes I always bring back. They never get smoked out of so they are legal but they still give me a hard time. The last trip my brother got X-rayed because he was so messed up in the flight back so they thought he was smuggling something. Beging nervious is natural so they think nothing of it.

I have never been stopped at customs from trips to Amsterdam. However, many years before 9/11 i was stopped twice-in 1992 at LAX coming from Hong Kong, was flagged waiting for my checked luggage, not much of a problem though, just usual questions-purpose of trip, etc. I had some porno-he just glanced through them, made a comment about how good this one lady looked and closed my bag and sent me on through. The time i did have problem was way back in 1974 driving into Detroit-from Canada- i was detained over 1 hr and strip-searched and their reason being they found seeds in the back seat of my car-which i bought just days earlier

I pass customs reasonably regularly. The Netherlands has to date been among the nicest and most professional of the lot. I only really get hassled by the US on the way home - they seem to enjoy it.

If they really start screwing with you tell them that you're frequent flyer and you take KLM a lot and if they don't want you to take KLM you could take Lufthansa instead but you don't like the Germans. They should immediately let you through as they still are pissed about the war.

Get a frequent flyer card from Delta or Continental or Northwest to back it up.

When I arrived in Zurich in December, they x rayed my skis.

Would you mind posting a little more detail about your brother's incident?

I have always been curious as to what prompts what level of search. It seems to me that to do an invasive search like a body cavity search, they must - at least in their minds - have fairly good justification. While they are not required to have any reason whatsoever to perform any kind of search that they choose, they don't just strip search everybody. In fact such searches are fairly rare. How much more frequently is an xray done? That's less invasive and faster. It would seem that they would resort to that more often (unless they get a special little joy out of those internal searches).

What triggered your brother's xray? Was he unable to answer questions? Was he stumbling into people? How was he dressed? Did he wisecrack with the officer?

the dogs

Going through customs is just part and parcel of international travel. Nobody like doing it, but until there is a one-world nation my advice is to just accept it and get on with it; you have no choice.

Nothing personal Raven, but I think your worries are groundless. And why on earth would you have guilt upon returning to America just because you had a blast overseas? It sounds like a question for Oprah

If you don't have anything on you, you have nothing to fear... you're not doing anything wrong. I'm usually asked about the purpose of my visit, and I just say that I was on vacation. One time, and one time only, the immigration officer asked me if I had visited the red light district. I told her that I had (wondering why she would ask that) and she then followed up with "i hope you didn't pick up any souvenirs while you were there." Turns out she was under the impression that the RLD was the place to go to get weed, and simply came out and asked me if I'd brought any back with me. I assured her in the strongest possible terms that I had not, and she waved me on through. Think about it... you've just gotten off a plane with a few hundred other people who were also in NL (or connected there)... what makes you so special and would merit giving you a hard time? Nothing. And don't worry about the passport stamps. You're not the only one like that, either. Just remember... if you haven't done anything illegal, you have little to worry about. So maybe, just maybe, you get searched once or twice over the years... are you willing to let that keep you from going?

Didn't think so. : )

H

I always tell everyone the only reason I go to Amsterdam is for Sex & Drugs - is there any other reason to go? Then they leave me alone. :)

I agree, if you have nothing to hide you shouldn't worry. It's another hassle of travel. On my last trip I cleared US Customs in Dublin, which was much quicker than waiting in line at O'Hare when I got back. We simply were re-routed to the bagage area and since I didn't check any I proceeded rightout the gate.

I have had luggage searched in London, but I believed that was mainly due to the inordinate amount of electronic crap I was carrying (i.e. cell phone, laptop, converters, etc...) and how they were losely packed than anything.

It's part of travel, get over it.

>she then followed up with "i hope you didn't pick up any souvenirs while you were there."

When I first read that I thought that she was saying that she hoped that you had not picked up any sexually transmitted diseases.

the dogs