Obviously if you're American it's easier because they can't deny you entry. I basically had two options - do everything he said, or go home, miss my meetings, and have to tick the "I've been declined entry to the US" box every single time I go to the US for the rest of my life, which would make every border crossing a multiple hour ordeal.
Maybe you've just been targeted because you're American, just like Brazil is fingerprinting US Americans[1] to pay back the amount of trouble foreigners often find themselves in when visiting USA?
[1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US-VISIT#Similar_systems_in_oth...
It is not exactly 'payback'. This is one of the few policies which I agree with: it's just reciprocating. If the US requires fingerprinting of Brazilian citizens, then Brazil requires fingerprinting of US citizens. If European countries require that you have with you X amount of cash for every day you are going to spend there, then Brazil will require the same.
When spain decided to turn back lots of Brazilians a few years ago, for silly reasons, Brazil started doing exactly the same thing. Apparently, it didn't last long.
By the way, me and my brother (plus our mom) were visiting the US together. Since we have very similar names, the lady switched our fingerprints. She did notice the mistake and corrected... my brother's. So my visa application had the wrong fingerprints.
Of course, there was a mismatch when I was scanned at US immigration. Other than losing a couple of hours waiting my turn in a room (thankfully, full of other people) and losing a connection, I didn't run into many issues. The officer (after staring at me for like 5 minutes, which was weird), turned the monitor around and asked who that individual was. It was displaying a photo of my brother, and I told him so. Then he asked where he was, and I pointed to my brother, standing a few meters from where we were. So the officer welcomed me to the US and let me go (and told me I'd 'always' have the same problem).
That went surprisingly well, and everyone was very, very polite. That was at Atlanta. But even if that particular experience was fine, I am still wary of visiting the US again without my brother. I have no idea what's going to happen then and how much explanation/proof will be required then, due to no mistake on my part.
Thanks for a good laugh.
I'm not really mad about it at all, just pointing out that the U.S. doesn't have a monopoly on harassing travelers and there's really nothing much special about it even if it is unbelievably annoying for the majority of people who get harassed and inconvenienced by it. You literally have to accept that when you go to another country, you are a visitor and not really subject to the kinds of protections that country's citizens (may) have or your own country offers you.
If it's coiled up neatly, such a thing can even set off anti-theft sensor gates in stores, because .. it's a coil of conducting wire :)
Times I have been questioned by customs while entering the Schengen space: zero
This may be more likely depending on the origin of your trip though.
I found it annoying and invasive, but it sounds like even the mildest TSA procedures are a lot worse than that.
No, actually the worst I've experienced was having to bribe some guard in Mali because I couldn't find the receipt for my luggage.
While I don't agree with a lot of the racial profiling and other acts the TSA commits, I don't think the average case is near as bad as you think.
I've flown internationally(to relatively unstable regions also) quite a few times since the TSA was put in place. Normally I step through a body scanner and grab my things and go. My worst case was accidentally having toothpaste in my carry on and having to go through that to throw it out.
Then again, it's probably easier for me as a young, Caucasian, American. YMMV
It was puzzling that they were completely gobsmacked and lost searching my backpack. It's a Deuter. Made in Germany. It was like I was doing a late-night infomercial for them.
I've had road trips across Europe and not had my passport requested even once; let having it stamped and having myself and property searched.
On the other hand, that is the only time of quite a few crossing where this have happened.
At worst the TSA has been annoying, but I've never had to say, dump the contents of all of my carry on onto the floor and talk the person through what each item was and why I needed it (France), or get questioned why I had brought a snack in my carry on (Germany), or detained while my instruments were looked through with mirrors for drugs (Russia).