Going to Colombia

GregYohn says on Nov 11, 2007, 08:34:

Hola!

I was given a hassle coming back from Colombia a few times at JFK. Smile and remember the guys there. Now, I tell stories to them about my pleasant trip! One was rather unfriendly to me, but now he smiles!

12VOIP.com gives free calls to Colombia.Greg

miamimike says on Nov 11, 2007, 08:41:

How come so often?

"Wait a minute. What did you just say? You're predicting $4-a-gallon gas? ... That's interesting. I hadn't heard that." -- Feb. 28, 2008 --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C.,

Robert Jorge says on Nov 11, 2007, 08:56:

Are you a US citizen, or permanent resident? Permanent residents can be hassled if they are outside of the US for more than 6 months of a calendar year. "Can be" being the key phrase. But like GregYohn said, just grin and bare it. Tell them all about your great time in Colombia.

--"I believe in making the world safe for our children. But not for our children's children, because I don't think that children should be having sex." - Jack Handy

dwmte7 says on Nov 11, 2007, 09:32:

i've gone in and out of colombia maybe 12-15 times in a year. i don't think it's necessarily the number of times you travel that gets you hassled. shit just falls where it does.

the only real hassles i've experienced have been the dope dogs in miami, and their psychotic handlers. sometimes they can be real pricks. "bend over" letting their dogs sniff your neck, butthole and where ever else he fancies you're haulin in kilos. wierd dudes.

once in los angeles, they gave my wife grief, purely for b.s. reasons. the guy just had a real bad day...probably a real bad life and wanted to take it out on someone...anyone. he chose my wife.

dwmte

john_stark says on Nov 11, 2007, 09:45:

I was going once a month there for a while. No one said boo to me coming back except for a "welcome home".

Papi de Alejo says on Nov 11, 2007, 10:10:

I travel a lot in the Caribbean and have never had a problem with either immigration or customs. Once I lost my passport and had to get a letter from the embassy in Barbados which they faxed to me in St. Kitts, not even a secondary look. Last summer I went to San Andres and no hassle. This summer, I went to Dominican Republic to Panama to Santa Marta and for the first time in my life I had to undergo secondary inspection in Miami.

The major maladjustment with this prick was why was I traveling so much and why was I traveling with my laptop if I was on vacation. I explained to him that I am a senior civil servant for New York State and get a lot of vacation and I like traveling when I go on vacation. Why the laptop? because sometimes I like to catch up on the work that is backing up while I am away. He x-rayed my bags twice and kept asking questions. Finally, he said that I could have avoided all of this if I had answered his questions truthfully. I flipped at that point. I knew if I had lied about any insignificant thing he woud have hauled me off to their holding cell. I started to cuss him out and thought better and just grabbed my stuff and left. I now expect to be inspected every time I re-enter the US. I'm prepared. I'll just make sure that I have enough connecting time.

Alma del Norte says on Nov 11, 2007, 10:45:

They treat you well in the States, ¿no?

La vida es una rutina

BAQ says on Nov 11, 2007, 10:46:

Several trips in a short time often catches the eye of customs agents when you re-enter the USA, This applies to ANY country that has a long history of drug trafficing, ESPECIALLY COLOMBIA. Might be a reason for the problem.

Semper Fidelis !

Alma del Norte says on Nov 11, 2007, 10:49:

everything crossed - never had a problem in Spain.

La vida es una rutina

Papi de Alejo says on Nov 11, 2007, 10:53:

BAQ

I should have said Santa Marta this summer in the earlier post. I expected this treatment the first time I went to San Andres last year. I guess I let my guard down when I went to Santa Marta this year. Realizing that these pricks have a job to do, I will stay out of their way and ensure that I have at least two hours connection time on my next trip.

Alma del Norte says on Nov 11, 2007, 10:56:

jeez, we're all in a bad mood today!

La vida es una rutina

Papi de Alejo says on Nov 11, 2007, 11:04:

No Alma, I'm not in a bad mood. Just remembering the trip. I was put into a bad mood when the first question he asked me was what work did I do? I told him I was an economist for New York State. He asked me if I had a business card to pove it. I don't travel with business cards when on vacation. There is nothing that I do that can prompt me to hand out a business card when I am leisure traveling. I did have my State ID and showed it to him and everything after that was him trying to find something. I knew thare wasn't anything to find so I just let him do what he wanted to do. I now expect this treatment. I still won't have anything for him to find. So he can do his job and after he's finished, I can go on my way.

PdA

Alma del Norte says on Nov 11, 2007, 11:10:

QUOT¨E; "No Alma, I'm not in a bad mood"

I am, nasty hangover, only sitting here 'cos I can't walk or bear the light!

Stay outta my way! lol

La vida es una rutina

Gator says on Nov 11, 2007, 12:47:

Back to your original question-Entering Colombia should not be a problem as long as you are within the 180 day period.

Entering the USA you may be questioned if you show multiple travel back and forth to Colombia and subject to more rigid customs inspections.(Thank Pablo Escobar and the Cali Cartel)..

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

TonyMattei says on Nov 11, 2007, 13:51:

just tell them your girlfriends and her family lives there and they will leave you alone.

MPuerta says on Nov 11, 2007, 14:12:

My husband lives there and I am hoping he will be here soon.... They gave me a very hard time as well as everyone else. They asked me why I was there, etc.. I showed them my wedding papers and all my applications that we filled out for him to come here. They took em aside into a special room and two women frisked me.... But I understand and it is the way things have to be.......

dwmte7 says on Nov 11, 2007, 17:41:

having spent my adult life working in foreign countries, the worst hassles i've experienced are re-entering the u.s. sure, there are a couple of very serious exceptions to that, specifically syria and nigeria, but for the most part, the real "pricks" are right here at home...i'm sorry to say. america can sure talk the talk, but we come up short when it comes to translating those words into works. pity

dwmte