www.CostaRicaTicas.com

My friend, a veteran monger, told me that he traveled to Costa Rica and at Customs and Immigration all his bags were searched and he was brought into a room and strip searched with a full body cavity search. He didn't have anything so they let him go but he was so shaken by the incident that he went home the next day. He told me that he will never go back and now frequents the Dominican Republic.

Has anyone had a similar experience with Customs and Immigration?

This is beyond bizzare. Has to be more to the story.

I guess if they saw something while x-raying his bags, it would be ROTO-ROOTER time. I have been going for 2.5 years and I've spoken to dozens of guys and have never heard of this happening to anybody.

I don't understand what the big deal is about someone giving you a free strip search and cavity examine when you're on your way to pay someone to do it after checking into your hotel.

It was your friends turn to get searched, no big deal. If he didn't have anything to worry about than he shouldn't worry about it.

What's he gonna do if this happens to him in DR, go to Colombia?
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"If I lived each day as if it were my last I would have been dead a long time ago." - Traylor Park

Who knows what makes someone the "lucky" one? Maybe a profile, maybe something showed up on X-ray or a dog "alerted" on him or his stuff.

I saw a dog in Medellin in October "alert" on 3 different bags as they were being put on the baggage belt. The military dog handler pulled them off and put them on a cart to be opened.

Although with 6 trips to both Cali and Medellin it's never happened to me, I have read about others getting taken to the hospital and having their stomachs X-rayed before LEAVING Cali. Granted this was a few years ago.

The biggest problem was I believe they got stuck paying for the X-ray and missing their flight. Of course the "authorities" were very apologetic for the inconvenience.

Just something to consider when traveling.

I've been "hands up against the wall and patted down" by the local police in San Jose, but never experienced anything like has been described here. Must be more to the story.

I prefer my cavity searches after I've settled into my room at the Castillo.

Zebra

I find this story VERY hard to believe. Hell, Customs in Costa Rica are so lax, half the time they don't even x-ray my bags if there's a long line, they just wave people through. Hell, i'm not even sure i've even seen a room there they could use for said body cavity search.

Now, maybe the guy was being an asshole, and beligerent and they decided to teach him a lesson. Who knows?

Guess there is a first time for everything but this one is hard to accept. How many times have members of this board been through CR customs? No one has ever posted anything like that happening.

I personally have been coming here since 1992 as have many others I know. That was long before they x-rayed your bags and no one I know was ever hassled by customs.

If it happened there is a whole lot more to that story then has been posted.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

I am sure that Berk must have had something to do with it.

As I was leaving Santiago, Dominican Republic at airport security a couple trips back, mettle detector sounded. Must have been my watch which I forgot to remove.

Next thing I know, this very beautiful Dominicana chica in national police uniform is patting me down. Thankfully she did a very through search seemingly lingering a bit on my stiffening slong. With a smile and a wink she wished me buen viaje!

I carry that memory as a fantasy with me to this day. Hot young chick in tight national police uniform having her way with me in the room at the airport.

I make it a habit to leave my watch on now when the female security is on duty.

In fact will be making that same trip back to MIA again manana, wish me luck!!!

This happens in the USA also. I take at least 1 cruise every year out of miami or ft lauderdale. 3 years ago upon returning to miami, and for reasons to this day I do not know I was for some reason picked to be the one searched. I cant figure why, I was at the time a 49 yo clean cut white businessman, not wearing strange clothes, didnt make any smart remarks ect. I got to the desc and went thru the passport stamp and the guy said that I would have to go see the security people which were about 25 feet ahead. I was alone, all the other cruisers were just getting stamped as usual and on thier way. I was not strip searched but was patted down and asked a lot of questions and my bags were emptyed on the table and searched real good and they even examined my bags I presume for hidden pockets or something. Luckily I did not have any cuban cigars or anything and they let me pack my bags and leave but it took about 20 minutes and a lot of aggrevation on my part. I asked them why they picked me but they would only say that they have the right to search anybody entering the usa. Never would tell me why they picked on me. I understand they have the right but would like to know what about me triggered thier suspitions. So,, these things happen everywhere, not just 3rd world countries.
JD

It will happen most often to single males travelling alone, without an obvious reason for the trip.
It helps to make instant friends with other travellers in line and do a lot of talking with them as if you are with a group of friends.

Or play the tourist and wear a Pura Vida tee shirt, and carry a bag of Cafe Britt coffee.

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PacoLoco: "You pay for it one way or another."
Ace: "Rent everything, do not buy in Costa Rica"

I've had the opposite happen to me twice. I've gone through the x-ray machine in CR with a carry on bag that had a spray deodorant inside.In CR they looked at it and put it right back in the bag and waved me through. When I went through the machine in Miami,to change planes, they told me that I couldn't take the deodorant on the plane. I asked the agent why it was OK in CR and NOT in Miami. I guess they don't mind if you blow up a plane so long as it doesn't happen over the U.S.

This year I have flown from Bogota to Atlanta with a 1/2 liter carton of mango juice (love that stuff) and from Medellin to Miami with a half bottle of water in my carry-on.

The first bag was not hand-searched, the cutie behind the counter took my word for it when I said I didn't have any liquids. In Medellin the military security guy actually went through my bag and never said a word.

Of course I was held up by standing there staring at the two honeys checking boarding passes in their tight little vests and skin-tight slacks. Yummy.

Triple FFF our lives once again parallel. I had the same thing happen in STI, except I was, unfortunately, patted down by a Sammy Sosa look alike. I've never had the cavity search but I have been put in the "special" line a few times. I think it is all random but, who knows.

dapanz1