www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Not sure if this also happens to you guys, but for the past few years when I come back to the States the Immigration Officers always question my reasons for traveling solo to Costa Rica.

This time the guy asked me: "why do you always travel by yourself? your family members don't like traveling with you?".

I always give them the same excuse, "I went to visit my girlfriend who is working down south!"

Do you guys have any "fresher" excuses? I am tired of these guys assuming that I am smuggling Salsa Lizano or something.

IMHO, the less said, the better. Visiting a girlfriend, looking at real estate, fishing, whatever. But I truly believe, that the less you say, the better. YMMV.
MG

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You ALWAYS have an option ....... "NEXT" !!!

Dildo,

Should you get the same officer, just walk up to him w/passport in your
mouth slobering a little and tell him AIDS treatments are less expensive See how fast he hands back that passport!!

Good Day....Next

I do the girlfriend routine, but it doesnt really work to well for me. Haha, last time coming into JFK my conversation went like this.

Me - "Just visiting the girlfriends family for XMAS and New Years"
Officer - "Didnt bring anything back at all?"
Me - "Ah, no, PI is poor man they dont give out gifts and shit"
Officer - "So you were in Thailand to, what were you doing there?"
Me - "Just a mini vacation before XMAS with the family"
Officer - "By yourself...?"
Me - "Yeah, I dont like travelling with other people"
Officer - "Uh huh, go in that line over there " * points to stupid line that takes 100000 hours to get through. Random agriculture and drug shit where they dump everything out of your bags and go through sooooo slow.

Get into that line..

Officer - "Anything in the bags you want to tell me about"
Me - "Dirty laundry, maybe some condoms?"
Officer - "I see you were uhh, busy"
Me - "Sure beats having the girlfriend call up 9 months later"
.... Silence
Me - "Im not in the line where I should be joking and what not am I?"
Officer - "No, no your not"

Then I left, like 2 hours to get through customs and shit it was brutal.

Jmac,
I thought you didn't use condoms?
Squidface

Very good excuse and accurate....Major dental work. With airline and hotel still 1/2 the price.

Fishing, Real Estate Investing, Friends who have retired here.

Never ever say you are visiting a girlfriend...Got questioned extensively when I did..

El,

I like that dental work angle.

When I came back in July, I think the immigration officer was "screwing with me."He was a guy about my age and he damn well knew why I was there. It was the first time I had ever been questioned:

1. Are you traveling alone?..........Yes.

2. Did you make any new friends there?.........Not really.

3. What was your reason for going to Costa Rica?........Looking for a place
to retire to.

4. It must be nice to be retired at your age?.........I'ts not too hard to get used to.

With that answer, I got a nice grin out of him and a.....Have a nice day.

Zebra

I dont, but some Thai girls are very very insisting on it, and I dont really argue the cause all that much.

How about just saying "Vacation"?

Depends how often your going though. If your making several trips a year, to the same place for just your casual relax vacation, theyll likely still give you a rough time.

If I get asked this question, I tell them I have been on vacation with friends and they are from a different city and are on a different flight back to the US. It has work for me for years.

I have it made, I travel over a couple times a year but always have my wife with me so never get the first question

hahaha

Here's how it goes for me.

BICE agent spots white cane and is momentarily nonplused. A hand (presumably the agent's) grabs me unceremoniously and guides me into the Diplomat/Crew Immigration line. My bags are blessed with a wave of the agent's hand, and I'm out the door. No questions, no problems. I've gone from jetway to taxi in less than 17 minutes (returning from Amsterdam pre- 9-11).

However, one can't count on the above scenario being repeated. Last time (Houston), a grim-faced guy with a military buzz-cut challenged me as to my annual trips. My reply was a noncommital "Combination vacation and Spanish language study." He acted like he didn't believe me, but sent me through the fast Customs line anyway.


Word of advice: Don't have any nudie/sex pics on either your memory card or in your laptop. They do occasionally check, and they will make an issue over pornographic pics. Also, don't be dumb and try to smuggle anything; if you get caught, even with puros cubanos, you're a marked man for life.

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Pura Vulva! Wandering through the dark, I am El Ciego.

The agents ask you question to see what your answers are and watch your face to see if you look concern on answering the question. I have been traveling for years outside of the U.S. for both business and fun. Thru all these years I have only been bags checked once and I had my wife and 4 K*ds with me on that trip. It was just my turn I guess.

You answer their questions and do not act like you have anything to hide, you will not have any problems.

I;m with you Jim Hart. I am in and out 3-4 times per year and have only once had any lengthy questions asked. I think they look for certain profiles...or check randomly on this. Just short, matter of fact answers without smart ass comments gets one through pretty quickly. I would also suggest how some people dress and act has a lot to do with it. Travel appearance is becoming more and more important for ease of passage in my experience...

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All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts...