Do the immigration and customs folk in Australia have special training to make them like that ?.
Arrived in PER today on MH and saw the SQ 777 and QF A330 at PER's small international terminal. I knew SQ were due in half hour before us but hoped they should be mainly through as I've never had a big delay at PER.
Got to immigration and it wasn't too bad, maybe 10 minutes to get to the booth. A minute at the booth with the usual 'what business are you here on', 'who are you seeing', 'any samples' yadda yadda... All fine. Walked away and got pounced on by a real beaut. Started off with the same questions again...then flicking through the Passport and seeing all the stamps started asking why I travel so much, why do I go to Saudi Arabia, Indonesia (as if Aussies don't go there ?!?), Philippines etc...
He then told me to wait and disappeared with my Passport. God knows what he was doing with it as he never said, but this is the second trip on the bounce to Australia where they've done that so I'm glad it's full and won't be coming back with me. After more questions, asking to see some company literature and an email from the people I am seeing out here, I was free!.
Then the best bit. A queue the likes of which I have never seen at PER for customs. It snaked up and down four times, then right up to the far corner past the far baggage carousel, where it circled, then all the way back down and past the small foreign exchange booth. Those familiar with arriving at PER will know what I mean.
It took 45 minutes to get out, including both my bags completely emptied and searched, which strangely they were doing to 80-90% of pax. I have never seen this sort of draconian searching entering Australia. Sure they question you, scan your bags and pull you for anything they think may be suspicious, which I have no problem with (despite the sh*tty attitude of most of them doing it...) but I've not seen them automatically search bags without having scanned them like they were today.
I sincerely hope this is a one off.....
Arrived in PER today on MH and saw the SQ 777 and QF A330 at PER's small international terminal. I knew SQ were due in half hour before us but hoped they should be mainly through as I've never had a big delay at PER.
Got to immigration and it wasn't too bad, maybe 10 minutes to get to the booth. A minute at the booth with the usual 'what business are you here on', 'who are you seeing', 'any samples' yadda yadda... All fine. Walked away and got pounced on by a real beaut. Started off with the same questions again...then flicking through the Passport and seeing all the stamps started asking why I travel so much, why do I go to Saudi Arabia, Indonesia (as if Aussies don't go there ?!?), Philippines etc...
He then told me to wait and disappeared with my Passport. God knows what he was doing with it as he never said, but this is the second trip on the bounce to Australia where they've done that so I'm glad it's full and won't be coming back with me. After more questions, asking to see some company literature and an email from the people I am seeing out here, I was free!.
Then the best bit. A queue the likes of which I have never seen at PER for customs. It snaked up and down four times, then right up to the far corner past the far baggage carousel, where it circled, then all the way back down and past the small foreign exchange booth. Those familiar with arriving at PER will know what I mean.
It took 45 minutes to get out, including both my bags completely emptied and searched, which strangely they were doing to 80-90% of pax. I have never seen this sort of draconian searching entering Australia. Sure they question you, scan your bags and pull you for anything they think may be suspicious, which I have no problem with (despite the sh*tty attitude of most of them doing it...) but I've not seen them automatically search bags without having scanned them like they were today.
I sincerely hope this is a one off.....
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