The Meeting Place > Government & Centrelink > Border Patrol TV wanabes

Border Patrol TV wanabes

avatar
5 yrs ago

What rights does an Australian have when detained before his flight for personal questioning? Do you have to answer personal irrelevant questions ie 'who do you know over there' and be detained rudely without being charged with anything and all the paperwork is correct?

This happened recently when the flight was actually boarding and I was pulled aside and told to sit down like a dog without reason for 10 mins while they got a border patrol officer to grill me about my passport being only 2 years old? Seriously? It was cleared by the electronic system without probs and over the last 6 trips I've had no problems. After questioning me on irrelevant matters like 'why am I wearing a batman mask' (joke) he thanked me for my co operation and allowed me to board. Are they running out of Border Patrol TV material so need to agitate Aussies into confrontational diatribe? Slightly PO'ed. What comeback do I have if I had missed my flight due to this obvious bull.

6 comments

at least you had your 15 minutes of fame

at least you had your 15 minutes of fame

Ha yea, although I've had better famous moments.

avatar
Arvo
5 yrs ago

This would depend on why the suspicion to detain and interogate you arose. If you are detained then you should be cooperative with the line of questions. Displaying resistance, annoyance and arrogance increases the justification to detain and to interrogate. What right do they have? Every legal right.

Fair enough Arvo and I complied exactly for that reason, co operation, I had nothing to hide but I was a bit anxious as the plane was boarding and it doesn't hurt to be a little polite, eg; 'Please handsome Sir, could you take a seat as we have a slight problem, won't be too long...would you like a lobster lunch and cold beer on us?'

On reflextion though I did have a detached retina operation about 2 years ago which has changed the shape of my eye so the retinal scaning system may have picked up the difference from the non op photo in the passport.

Regardless, I'm over it.

Random checks are made at all airports. I watch border control on tv.

I do understand that Abe but it was the attitude, 'Come over here, sit down there, stay!'

They would'nt behave like that if the camera was rolling.

Perhaps if you trimmed your nose hair 

I think it was the Versace man bag, Rolex Oyster Submarina and Patek Philippe gold chain that gave it away.

6 comments



To make a comment, please register or login

Preview your comment