I've been travelling internationally for the past 40 years, and they always ask questions like that (both here and abroad). Answering with "none of your business" is just plain stupid.
Having never been put on the stand in court before, I told the questioning lawyer, “thats none of your business”...the judge got POed at me and told me to answer the question...I gave a none answer to the question but the judge accepted it....
I agree with you. Asked many times in assorted countries, you answer the questions and you go on your way.
Thew real reason they ask questions, as this fool already knows, is to hear you speak. CBP agents are trained to listen for the very subtle differences between native-spoken English and English that which was aquuired after age 2. No one who learns any language after learning another fluently is completely free of the accents, inflections, words patterns, etc. of their first language.
Back in the day, there were certain phrases they would lead Eastern Eurpeans to speak, and in doing so, they could detect a Russian native pseaker as opposed to a German, Yugoslav or other person who could get into the US more easily.
In addition, since they make no record of the persons answers to these questions, this idiot is simply a ballbreaker.
What’s worse, is I think that fate has relegated me to always being behind that guy.
This border control stuff has some logical discontinuities at the D-mark!
I've never been asked questions crossing to and from Mexico. Otherwise they ask questions.
Israeli airport security agents (arguably the best in the world) are trained to ask those kinds of questions. They're looking for odd answers or odd physical responses.