Posted on 01/07/2007 1:51:52 PM PST by Hostage
I married 14 years ago and just had my firstborn, a son, this past September.
I met my wife in medical school. She was originally from Lithuania and when I met her she was on a H1-B visa working as an adjunct professor of internal medicine.
She had made significant contributions to medical science and had been asked to lecture at med school for the year. That was 16 years ago in the afterglow of the world of Ronald Reagan. She became a naturalized US citizen in 1996.
We've had a real love affair ever since but children did not come easy for us and we had given up hope the year before last when suddenly our prayers were answered with a 'miracle'. There were no fertility treatments, nothing artificial, just natural in its occurance but unexpected.
The birth of our son has been a joy without limit and it continues to be so. But prior to knowing of the miracle to come we had lived for years in despair (most couples with fertility problems will know exactly what I am talking about).
During those years of despair there was one other person whose despair seemed greater than our own, that was my wife's mother who still lives with her family in Lithuania. She wanted so badly to be a grandmother. She prayed and prayed and prayed. When my wife would call her on Sundays, her mother would always cry and it always fell to my wife to calm her down. This constant weeping, in addition to our own despair, was more than we could take and as a result my wife began to look for excuses not to call her mother.
News of the coming arrival of our son made my wife's mother a changed person. She wanted to come immediately but my wife's father has a herniated disc and cannot move unless heavily dosed with painkillers. We are trying to save money to get for him an operation that we hope will give him many years of freedom to move his body. He would also like to see his grandson.
But grandmother was able to get her sister and her son to look after grandfather while she travels to the US to see her blessed treasure, her grandson.
So we bought her a roundtrip ticket on Scandinavian Airlines and she connected in Copenhagen before setting foot in Seattle last night.
Her son had taken her to the US consulate last week to make sure her visa was in order. As she does not speak English, he wrote her a note (he is fluent in English and works as an IT professional throughout Europe) to present to customs that she was traveling to see her grandson and numbers to call if there were any problems. On the note he wrote our names, address, telephone numbers. He also gave her a cell phone and called me the day before she left to make sure I had her cell number.
Last night grandmother was making her way through customs and we were outside waiting for her with our 3 month old son. We were waiting a longtime when suddenly my cell phone rang and it was a customs official telling me that they needed to contact the daughter of a person they were holding. Knowing they were referring to my wife's mother I said "no problem, her daughter is right here waiting with me" and I handed the phone to my wife.
The customs official asked my wife to talk to her mother and to tell her to answer the questions they were asking her. My wife said she does not speak English and asked what questions did they have for her. They said to ask her if she had any cigars, weapons and so on in her possession. My wife was then put on the phone with her mother and repeated what the customs official had asked. They then let grandmother go.
Grandmother came up an escalator into the international baggage claim area with tears in her eyes and she at once saw me, then my wife and the baby. I thought the tears were of joy but my wife later told me they were tears of fear, fear that customs was going to send her back to Lithuania. But there were also tears and smiles of joy as grandmother and grandson immediately fell in love.
Here's the story and the reason we are "fed up".
Customs had asked grandmother a series of questions and she could not answer. She kept telling them "no English, no English" but they took her out of line and then called for a detail to escort her to a retention room, a room that was according to grandmother a long long way through many doors and up and down many floors. In this room they made her strip to her bra and panties and would not allow her to make any phone calls. She was left in this room crying when the customs lady called us on my cell phone.
She was let go out of the retention room but no one escorted her back to the customs line. She had no idea where she was and how to get back to where she was, in other words she was lost. I haven't asked yet how she found her way out because she is bonding with her long awaited grandchild and I don't want to spoil the happiness we all have now by pressing her for details.
Today she is doting on her grandson and both are all smiles. But her impression of America or at least Seattle SeaTac airport is forever a memory of fear.
I asked her if things went well when connecting in Copenhagen and she said "Copenhagen good, Seattle no good".
I can.
One might suspect that after getting strip searched just twice one would either take the train or quit travelling altogether.
It all shows up on my computer, but he's awfully quiet. Maybe they took a trip to the airport to see the manager.
I think she's a liar.
I don't understand why you are doubting this story?
I was completely strip searched at O'Hare airport about a year ago in a VERY small File Room by two VERY large TSA women. I had worn a body suit (with snaps at the crotch) and it set off "the wand". I was also the recipient at this strip search of a gloved hand up my crotch.
And no....I am not kidding one single bit.
I spoke to these two TSA agents about profiling. They would hear nothing of it and threatened to call the Airport Police if I brought up the subject of profiling again.
I think the whole thing is ridiculous. Most caring children would have met grandma at the gate and escorted her through customs and security. Escort passes are issued by airlines to the official greeters of unaccompanied children, the elderly, the disabled, etc.
I click on "Personal Experience" and I don't get nuthin'.
Might be just me.
That would have stifled conversation on the Internet as to how terrible it is having to suffer with visiting relative citizens who tote a disdain for our country.
Wow...if I am wrong, then I apologize.
I was also the recipient at this strip search of a gloved hand up my crotch.
YIKES!!!!
I know a Custom's official personally, he visits us several times a week. I know of no nicer person I would rather have checking bags, perhaps he is too nice to be honest. Having an slight insight into the training and screening they recieve, I have to say that they basically have to be the most PC people I know. They definately don't strive to be confrontational, but they do have a job to do and quite often are tested with test subjects and graded, so they must be close to 100% diligent to their duties or perhaps they lose their jobs.
I am sure there are bad apples as all jobs, but "power rides" are not what I am seeing whatsoever.
Why would Hostage and his wife leave this poor defenseless woman to go through this all by herself while they wait patiently outside? There are ways they could be involved on her bahalf getting her through customs and escorting her through the big bad terminal and airport!
I usually don't expound my complaint's about trivial issues, no.
And FWIW, the previous poster has it right.
I can't imagine my aged grandmother not being personally met when she got off the plane.
I know there are new rules, but I recently saw a woman allowed in the line to meet a child....
Surely....surely this man should have thought of this if he's as intelligent as he says!!
"... but "power rides" are not what I am seeing whatsoever."
I see the exact opposite. I see "power rides" from TSA agents on a continual basis. I fly frequently, unfortunately, and there are all kinds. Many are very kind, accommodating and likeable. Others are extremely off-putting, arrogant and most definitely out to let you know they have power.
..We have some questions.
Watch it my FRiend, you may be exposed as a Lithuanian intolerant!
You are from where? Hooterville? meet an international transit at the gate? Bhwa Haaa Haa Haa
My mother is 76...I got a pass to sit with her on her way to visit my sister.
Something isn't right here...and I don't want them using FR to propogate it.
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