Customs.

Duck's hoop · 18-01-2015 08:51PM

Looking for cash.

YFlyer · 18-01-2015 08:58PM

Running Balance wrote: »

Our GAA club went to Coventry one year for a weekend. One of the guys had to pull out at the last minute and another lad took his place. Couldn't change flight details so he just travelled on the other guys passport and no issues in Shannon or Coventry for passport check.

So he was ignored and send to Coventry?

Mech1 · 18-01-2015 09:12PM

We flew from Dublin to Majorca and back with our then 5 year old boy.

His coat was only put on in dublin before leaving the car in the long term and again 2 weeks later, just before going into the airport in Majorca on the return journey.

To say I was shocked and surprised when he pulled his toy metal cap gun out in the car on the way home would be an understatement!

It had passed through 2 airport security checks twice, and was full metal realistic looking.

He's 16 now so 11 years ago.

Jamsiek · 19-01-2015 04:16AM

There's a Canadian show too called "Border Security". It's usually American rednecks trying to bring their guns across or Chinese freaks with their shark fins or sea horses. Very entertaining.
I think it's inevitable that things are going to have to get a lot stricter in Ireland, it's very lax in fairness, so much so that it's scary. We think we are immune from international terrorism, we are not!

Peregrine · 19-01-2015 04:56AM

I was transitting through Manchester a few years ago and I had to leave the building and walk to another terminal to catch my next flight. I walked from the aircraft to the taxi ranks outside in 5 mins and not once did I even see an immigration officer nor was I asked for any form of ID by anyone.

That was a flight from Dublin. However, there were plenty of armed police officers near the check-in desks for my onward flight to [I think it was] Doha..

Later, I realised that I wasn't an EU citizen at the time and didn't have a British visa so I shouldn't have been allowed outside the airport at all. Sure, I could have gone anywhere :eek:

spiralism · 19-01-2015 05:08AM

Tope wrote: »

Here’s an odd one, maybe someone can figure out the reasoning behind it. I went to Amsterdam last year, and while waiting to board the plane in Dublin airport (after check-in), a couple of customs guys with a sniffer dog came along and we all had to line up and let the dog sniff us. They didn’t stop anyone and off we went.
Then after arriving in Amsterdam, there were plenty of guards with sniffer dogs around Schiphol train station (attached to the airport) – I saw one girl get stopped and searched when the dog took an interest in her backpack.
But on the flight home a few days later - me slightly nervous as my (empty) coat pockets were exuding a suspicious aroma - we didn’t see one sniffer dog. None in Schiphol airport, and none in Dublin when we arrived home.

What’s the logic there, eh? Surely searching people arriving from Amsterdam would make more sense? Or do they think giving us a warning sniff on the way out would be enough to discourage any funny business on the way back?

This has happened to me as well, i have flown from Holland back to Dublin on several occasions and have never been searched but i have been sniffed and quizzed in Schiphol.

I do tend to worry each time i go home though, ive known enough people here who have made an honest mistake and left something they shouldn't have in a pair of jeans in a suitcase or the like. Never have though, i do try to be extra careful when packing as a result

djflawless · 19-01-2015 07:06AM

spiralism wrote: »

I do tend to worry each time i go home though, ive known enough people here who have made an honest mistake and left something they shouldn't have in a pair of jeans in a suitcase or the like. Never have though, i do try to be extra careful when packing as a result

To be fair to customs, I'm sure they won't be calling for guards, eru etc for the likes of small amounts found on people/in luggage coming back from the Dam.
Friend of mine got caught with €50 Irish value of resin and got a bollocking for half an hour and caution..

RobYourBuilder · 19-01-2015 08:15AM

Rene Orange Write-off wrote: »

Like everything else with Australians they are a pain in the arse when it comes to customs too judging by that programme.

I'd much prefer it here where you can walk into the country with out automatically being assumed to be a criminal. There shouldn't even be border control on flights form within the EU to Ireland anyway and from Flights outside the eu they do check more. Just be thankful customs don't check more or all the cheap clothes and electronics we buy in the US would be more difficult to bring in too.

Yes, who gives a bollix about who or what gets into the country. All that matters is that you can bring back gadgets and Hollister from America without any hassle.

steddyeddy · 19-01-2015 08:21AM

Just went through customs the weekend. The customs guy barely looked at my passport

Plates · 19-01-2015 08:37AM

steddyeddy wrote: »

Just went through customs the weekend. The customs guy barely looked at my passport

That's not customs, it's immigration control.

Steodonn · 19-01-2015 10:32AM

Getting a plane in Dublin a few years back ( 2008ish) had a bottle-opener/corkscrew in my carry on luggage I'd forgotten to take out. My bag got searched and the security lad took it out and just looked at me. Told him I'd forgot it was in there and he could bin it hoping it wouldn't be too big a deal and he drops in back in the bag hand it to me and sends me onto the plane relived and slightly worried

MugMugs · 19-01-2015 10:36AM

steddyeddy wrote: »

Just went through customs the weekend. The customs guy barely looked at my passport

Customs don't check passports.

Immigration check passports.

RobYourBuilder · 19-01-2015 10:39AM

It's common for people to refer to passport control as customs. He used the wrong terminology. You know exactly what he meant.

elefant · 19-01-2015 10:49AM

Nim wrote: »

I was transitting through Manchester a few years ago and I had to leave the building and walk to another terminal to catch my next flight. I walked from the aircraft to the taxi ranks outside in 5 mins and not once did I even see an immigration officer nor was I asked for any form of ID by anyone.

That was a flight from Dublin. However, there were plenty of armed police officers near the check-in desks for my onward flight to [I think it was] Doha..

Later, I realised that I wasn't an EU citizen at the time and didn't have a British visa so I shouldn't have been allowed outside the airport at all. Sure, I could have gone anywhere :eek:

I believe this is the norm in the Common Travel Area; once you're in Ireland or the UK you will not necessarily be checked by passport control when you travel between the two.

It's also likely happen if you traveled between Schengen Agreement nations in Europe.

MugMugs · 19-01-2015 10:50AM

RobYourBuilder wrote: »

It's common for people to refer to passport control as customs. He used the wrong terminology. You know exactly what he meant.

One is Revenue, the other is An Garda Siochana.

If you lost your foot in an unfortunate accident involving a coffee grinder in your kitchen in the plains of Dublin City, would you call the Coast Guard, The Gardai or an Ambulance?

kneemos · 19-01-2015 10:54AM

MugMugs wrote: »

One is Revenue, the other is An Garda Siochana.

If you lost your foot in an unfortunate accident involving a coffee grinder in your kitchen in the plains of Dublin City, would you call the Coast Guard, The Gardai or an Ambulance?

Call the Ambulance and be sure to ask for the driver by name.

seamus · 19-01-2015 10:57AM

RobYourBuilder wrote: »

They are not very good. The GNIB lads in the passport control huts barely even look at your passport when coming in. Compare and contrast with the Australians immigration and customs officials.

To be fair, the last five or six times I've come through immigration, they've actually taken the passport and given it a glance. Most of these were coming from London.
I remember the good old days when the guys would sit there waving on everyone who looked Irish and stopping anyone with weird clothes or dark skin :rolleyes:

Other countries' immigration desks appear to be stricter - they take the passport, look at it, look at you, look at it - but then we don't experience it as locals. There's every chance that French immigration when they see a French passport, just glance at it and let them through.
Occasionally going through Heathrow I've just held the passport up for them and been waved through.
They know what flights are coming through and if it's coming from Ireland they tend to not care.

fizzypish · 19-01-2015 11:10AM

I was flying Dublin to Schiphol recently. Had a years supply of my OH's prescription medication in my hand luggage. It wasn't even mentioned. I concluded that customs must assume that no one in their right mind would ever bother smuggling drugs into Amsterdam!

shruikan2553 · 19-01-2015 11:18AM

They had a dog looking for stuff before we all got on a plane to Amsterdam. No idea who would be trying to bring drugs to Amsterdam.

Tinder Surprise · 19-01-2015 12:42PM

Friend recently got his phone phone swabbed at the Security check in a U.K airport.

Is this a new thing?

fizzypish · 19-01-2015 01:28PM

Tinder Surprise wrote: »

Friend recently got his phone phone swabbed at the Security check in a U.K airport.

Is this a new thing?

Sounds clever. I assume if security want to check you stuff, by swabbing your phone they'll know if you've had physical contact with banned substances. Depending on the results they'll know whether to bother doing a thorough check.

cml387 · 19-01-2015 01:29PM

Tinder Surprise wrote: »

Friend recently got his phone phone swabbed at the Security check in a U.K airport.

Is this a new thing?

They sometimes do it randomly to check if the test is working properly.

steddyeddy · 19-01-2015 02:49PM

Plates wrote: »

That's not customs, it's immigration control.

Ah right well you think they would still be fairly thorough.

keithclancy · 19-01-2015 02:58PM

The Royal Scam wrote: »

I remember last year there while queuing to get onto the boat in France. There was 3 armed guards like swat dudes going around the cars and sussing shīt out. 2 of them had sniffer dogs.
1 of them was working the cars and the other was walking along the top of an artic.....
When I arrived back in Ireland we were met by the equivalent. A big chunky lad with a Garda windbreaker doing the perfect slouch on plastic chair and a dog fast asleep with it's 4 legs up in the air on the ground beside him.
Welcome to Ireland.

You have the same experience doing the UK - Netherlands and UK - France routes.

All the security and checks seem to be on the side you are leaving, not on the side you arrive.

E.G. the Newcastle - Ijmuiden and Dover - Calais ferries we just drove straight out, there was nobody there.

A few times on the Hull - Hoek Van Holland route the Douane and Marechaussee do some random checks.

In Rosslare I've seen them pulling trucks and drilling holes. I sold my car to a Polish guy in the Netherlands and when he got back to Ireland Customs made sh1t of it.

Partially took apart the dash and drilled some panels.

No come back for the damage either.

chrysagon · 19-01-2015 03:04PM

They seem to be swabbing in Dublin airport now, and are using a stand in machine to view for prohibited items it seems

Miaireland · 19-01-2015 03:11PM

shruikan2553 wrote: »

They had a dog looking for stuff before we all got on a plane to Amsterdam. No idea who would be trying to bring drugs to Amsterdam.

These were cash dogs. Amsterdam is a known country for Money Laundering so they were looking for people with large amounts of currency to check that it was legally obtain (ie that the person can prove they paid tax on it etc.).

Strumms · 19-01-2015 03:12PM

Customs in Dublin airport is done on profiling by and large. Also customs will be more visible and active around times that certain flights are arriving. They go through passenger manifests in advance also provided by the airline to see if any individuals may be of interest. There will be plain clothes customs officers in the baggage hall at times and also you will be under surveillance by camera and also two way mirrors. Much more preferable and effective then having a gang of customs officers searching everyone leaving the airport and holding you up.

milltown · 19-01-2015 03:20PM

fizzypish wrote: »

I was flying Dublin to Schiphol recently. Had a years supply of my OH's prescription medication in my hand luggage. It wasn't even mentioned. I concluded that customs must assume that no one in their right mind would ever bother smuggling drugs into Amsterdam!

Similarly, I have tablets that I need to take a few times a day. Rather than carry the bottle of 200 around everywhere, I have a smaller pillbox that holds maybe 40-50 in my pocket all the time. The prescription label has long since worn off but I have been through countless airports and borders over the years and the only time the contents were ever looked at, nevermind questioned, was going into nightclubs! Even there, they just took my word for what they were.

Leads me to think that profiling and bad luck has more to do with people getting caught, most places, than vigilant staff and stringent procedures.

chrysagon · 19-01-2015 03:29PM

milltown wrote: »

Similarly, I have tablets that I need to take a few times a day. Rather than carry the bottle of 200 around everywhere, I have a smaller pillbox that holds maybe 40-50 in my pocket all the time. The prescription label has long since worn off but I have been through countless airports and borders over the years and the only time the contents were ever looked at, nevermind questioned, was going into nightclubs! Even there, they just took my word for what they were.

Leads me to think that profiling and bad luck has more to do with people getting caught, most places, than vigilant staff and stringent procedures.

At securty,you are asked for liquids,pastes, and large electriccal items, theres never a mention of tablet meds, and when you do bring medication in liquid form over 100 ml, you are generally asked for prescription or proof that you need the meds.
The listing board at checkin and security, advise whats prohibited, and whats allowed under certain conditions.

B.A._Baracus · 19-01-2015 03:30PM

On the subject of the border patrol shows...
One thing that erks me and almost makes me scream at the tv is the amount of people that bring their tools or equipment over "for a holiday" :pac:

Why just why would you do that?

If you are gaining access to a country on a holiday visa, why would you pack your work stuff with you? ... just buy new things over there or if its something expensive to your skill or trade then mail it over.

Customs.

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