I flew in last night from Buenos Aires into LAX. I was tired and had not smoked a cigarette for over 24 hours. I was angry because the flight attendants had not given me a custom form and the guy at immigration kept telling me that I need one. There were no forms to be found in the arrival lounge. Finally he realized what I was saying and gave me a form but he sent me to the back of the line. After I got through immigration with my custom form, I picked up my bag (I only had one bag) and headed toward custom. The custom agents asked me where did I go? Where was I born? What is my nationality? How much money do I have on me? The next thing I know they want to search my one bag. I agreed but I could sense they were nervous about me.
They kept asking me: "Sir did you visit Iran?" and "When was the last time you visited the middle east?" I answered that I am coming from Argentina and I have not been in the middle east since 1978.
The next question was "So when did you go to Iran?" I was really pissed off and they could sense it. I replied as politely as I could "I am coming from Argentina. I had a stop in Panama for an hour. I have not been to the middle east nor Iran since I immigrated to America."
As they searched my bag they asked "so what is your occupation?"
I replied "teacher."
He came over and asked if he can check my pockets and asked "where do you teach?"
I replied "Rio Hondo College"
With that response the custom agents attitude changed. As I emptied out my pockets he asked "I went there to get my Associate degree. Also we go there to qualify on our firearms."
He asked a little about the school as he looked through the pesos and the lints from my pockets and smiled at me. "Thank you for your patience."
I think if I was not a teacher at Rio I would have gotten the full cavity search for being born in Iran.
P.S. I do not blame them because I was a nervous wreck due to lack of nicotine. I have to quit again!
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