KLAX From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Posted (10 years 8 months 4 days 9 hours ago) and read 1059 times:
When I got back from my 2 month journey back to my sacred home: the ghettos of Los Angeles, I had a funny experience upon arriving at French customs back in Toulouse. I had flown AA137, a 777 from LAX to LHR, then taken a little British European BAe146 down to TLS.
So what happened in customs? Well, errr Nothing.
There were none.
NONE.
I got off the plane from LHR and walked through the dark terminal (it was 11pm) and through what were supposed to be manned customs and immigration desks, all dark and deserted. Come on. This is TLS. Airbus factory. Not some little town out in the middle of nowhere. And our flight was scheduled and on time. Is it like that every night? I must say, it was nice to just stroll through and pick up my bags. But there was NO ONE. Osama Bin Laden could have arrived in France and no one would have known. I could have flushed my passport and papers down the toilet and ran through Immigration Butt-Naked. It was hilarious. Glad to see the frenchies are doing their part in the war on terror.
Radarbeam From Canada, joined Mar 2002, 1310 posts, RR: 5 Reply 2, posted (10 years 8 months 4 days 3 hours ago) and read 945 times:
Hey Clovis, it's not TLS job to provide custom for inter-european flight, it's LHR one. Ummm... and I thought terrorists were living in FL flying aircraft is perfect legality... and you say France is bad? Buhahaha
AA7771stClass From United States of America, joined Jun 1999, 292 posts, RR: 6 Reply 3, posted (10 years 8 months 4 days 2 hours ago) and read 925 times:
Perhaps because both G.B. and France are in the EU...isn't it supposed to work like the states to where you don't need a passport after already having entered another EU country...?
GDB From United Kingdom, joined May 2001, 12701 posts, RR: 80 Reply 4, posted (10 years 8 months 4 days 2 hours ago) and read 920 times:
In denial enough?
The terrorists learned to fly in, made multiple trips to/from the USA, and earlier this year, some of them got visas from US immigration!
Keep reading Euro-phobic garbage like columist Charles Krauthammer.
Sebolino From France, joined May 2001, 3667 posts, RR: 5 Reply 6, posted (10 years 8 months 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 855 times:
For your information, in the EU airports, we have EU and non-EU checks. EU checks are very often empty, just like it should be. The fact that UK is not in the Schengen space might be a problem though.
Turin_airport From Italy, joined Oct 2001, 278 posts, RR: 2 Reply 7, posted (10 years 8 months 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 850 times:
I'm very glad that in democracy it's everyone right to express his thoughts even if they are completely nonsense, but, well, it's not always necessary to make meaningless speeches. Ever heard about something called "Schengen treaty"? I don't think so, otherwise this thread would not exist.
BTW...
"The Schengen Agreement was signed in 1985 in the village of Schengen, on the borders of Luxembourg, France and Germany.
Its purpose is to remove all controls at internal land, sea and airport frontiers. In order to maintain internal security, a variety of measures have been taken as e.g. coordination of visa controls at the external borders of the Member States through a common approach to visa policies and asylum procedures.
External border controls have been stepped up in the Schengen countries who are hooked up to the Schengen Information System, a computerized service giving police and immigration officials a multinational data base, of undesirables and people suspected of having committed crime, stolen vehicles and forged money. The computer stores 10 million files.".
There are many Europeans in this forum, so, before jumping to useless conclusions, ask them to explain you how things work in Europe.
Go Canada! From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2001, 2955 posts, RR: 12 Reply 8, posted (10 years 8 months 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 826 times:
"Why would their be customs for a UK-France flight? They are both EU countries after "
yes, but the UK isnt in the Schengen agreement, furthermore you still have customs zone with a blue area for inter european travel, furthermore there isnt anything to stop a customs officer searching you.
Schengen clearly isnt working ince ap-queda cells have had freedom of movement throughout europe, europe is an al-queda hot bed, especially for finance, looks at the cells in tialy and in hamburg to name but a few.
It is amazing what can be accomplised when nobody takes the credit
Sebolino From France, joined May 2001, 3667 posts, RR: 5 Reply 10, posted (10 years 8 months 3 days 13 hours ago) and read 800 times:
"Schengen clearly isnt working ince ap-queda cells have had freedom of movement throughout europe, europe is an al-queda hot bed, especially for finance, looks at the cells in tialy and in hamburg to name but a few."
This is really stupid !
First, UK is probably the country in Europe with the most international terrorists because of the law which protected them before it was changed in Feb. this year.
And Al-Quaida terrorists were trained in the US, which is, correct me if I'm wrong, not in the Schengen space - not more than UK.
Eg777er From United Kingdom, joined Feb 2000, 1829 posts, RR: 13 Reply 13, posted (10 years 8 months 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 710 times:
Seriously, passport checks are done at check-in at the origin airport. The existence of passenger profiling and checked manifestos means that the authorities of the UK and France have a good idea of who is flying between the two countries.
Seeing as there is hardly any customs restrictions between the countries, what's the point of having a customs hall?? Customs officers still have the right to swoop on people who they think may be suspicious - just because you didn't see them, doesn't mean they weren't there...
Go Canada! From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2001, 2955 posts, RR: 12 Reply 14, posted (10 years 8 months 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 706 times:
"This is really stupid !
First, UK is probably the country in Europe with the most international terrorists because of the law which protected them before it was changed in Feb. this year.
And Al-Quaida terrorists were trained in the US, which is, correct me if I'm wrong, not in the Schengen space - not more than UK."
how comes 3 hijackers came from hamburg, what about the arrests in italy? at least 19 members have been found in italy.
"most international terrorists because of the law which protected them before it was changed in Feb. this year."
no we didnt protect terrorists, we have suffered terrorism for 25 years, you think we would proect these people, we simply cracked down further and passed through even more laws, far stronger than other european countires, such a statement is not only ill informed without any factual basis it is also an insult to those britons who lost their lives during the iras campaigns as well as those who were killed when the pan am flight was blown up.
your anti-british feeling is coming through.
It is amazing what can be accomplised when nobody takes the credit
KLAX From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 15, posted (10 years 8 months 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 704 times:
Thats what you guys dont seem to understand. The terminal was deserted. The lights were off in the passport control offices, and all the way t'ill the baggage claim. There was NOBODY there. There were no French authorities present at the airport. A couple AF personnel informed me that TLS was an "Aeroport Special"
Go Canada! From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2001, 2955 posts, RR: 12 Reply 16, posted (10 years 8 months 3 days 7 hours ago) and read 694 times:
"However, the organisation is thought to operate in 40 to 50 countries, not only in the Middle East and Asia but in North America and Europe.
In western Europe there are known or suspected cells in London, Hamburg, Milan and Madrid. These are important centres for recruitment, fundraising and planning operations.
For training, the group favours lawless areas where it can operate freely and in secret.
These have included Somalia, Yemen and Chechnya, as well as mountainous areas of Afghanistan.
"The arrests are the latest in a series involving members of the al-Qaeda network in Italy, which has been identified as a major support base for the group. "http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2125101.stm
"Spanish police have arrested a man thought to be a key figure in financing Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda network.
The arrest follows the detention in Barcelona last week of Algerian Ahmed Brahim, who is suspected of being al-Qaeda's chief accountant in Spain.
The capture brings to 16 the total number of al-Qaeda suspects arrested in Spain since the 11 September attacks on the US.
Abu Talha is believed to have channelled money to a number of countries including Germany, where Mohammed Atta, who led the attacks, had been operating before 11 September. "
"Arrests have been made in the last three months in at least eight countries, including Britain, Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Bosnia.
Among the most significant involve a Tunisian man arrested in Brussels with bomb-making materials; an Algerian in London accused of training some of the hijackers to fly; a group of North Africans arrested in Milan, after phone conversations about the threatened use of "suffocating gas"; and eight men held in Madrid and Granada. "
"The revelation that the 11 September hijackers had close links with al-Qaeda cells in Europe sparked a hunt for terror suspects across the continent. "http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2240867.stm
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the above are a snapshot of a serious problem, that europe is a home for al-queda. More details can be provided if required
kind regards from some one who is apparently stupid,
go canada!
It is amazing what can be accomplised when nobody takes the credit
Sebolino From France, joined May 2001, 3667 posts, RR: 5 Reply 17, posted (10 years 8 months 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 652 times:
"Britain has long been criticised by many governments abroad for allowing London to serve as what they say is a haven for groups regarded in their homelands as terrorist organisations.
LH423 From Canada, joined Jul 1999, 6501 posts, RR: 56 Reply 18, posted (10 years 8 months 2 days 7 hours ago) and read 612 times:
They way it works is that because you were simply transiting LHR, you therefore should have cleared immigration and customs in TLS.
In the EU (with the exception of Sweden), you clear immigration at the first port of entry into the country of your final destination (in this case, France) and customs at the final destination (in this case, Toulouse). For instance, had you flown LAX-LHR-CDG-TLS, you would have cleared immigration in CDG, but customs (more or less, picking up your bags) in TLS. The exception to this rule is Sweden, where, for instance if you were flying LHR-ARN-GOT, you'd have to clear immigration and customs in Stockholm, then recheck your bags for your Göteborg connection.
So, the fact that you were able to just prance right through immigration is very interesting to me, and maybe you should right a letter to French immigration authorities.
LH423
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