Thousands Endure Several Hour Wait At Los Angeles Customs

[Carmine6]

Never have had a long delay at Bangkok immigration, but for those who have, be glad you weren't flying into LAX yesterday.

By AMANDA BECK, Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES - Weary international passengers were stuck at Los Angeles International Airport for several hours, unable to set foot in the United States after a computer failure prevented customs officials from screening arrivals.

About 11,500 international passengers, both Americans and foreigners, sat in four airport terminals and in 60 planes starting about 2 p.m. on Saturday, when the computer system broke down, said Los Angeles World Airports spokesman Paul Haney. The system contains names of arriving passengers and law enforcement data about them, including arrest warrants, said Mike Fleming, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman. "That system allows our officers to make decisions on who we can allow to enter the United States," Fleming said. "You just don't know by looking at them."

The computers were fully restored at 11:45 p.m., and the last of backlogged passengers were expected to be cleared by early Sunday, Haney said. However, the system was functioning at reduced capacity, and officials did not know how long it would take to clear the huge backlog. The cause of the shutdown was not known, and there was no estimate on when the system would be repaired, Fleming said.

Officials diverted seven incoming flights to an Ontario airport and advised international passengers departing Sunday to check the status of their flights before leaving for the airport. Terminals that normally accept international passengers were full by 2:30 p.m. Saturday, and passengers arriving afterward had to remain on the runway until their was room inside the terminal buildings.

"This is just unbearable," said Gaynelle Jones, 57, who landed on a 13-hour flight from Hong Kong at about 2:15 p.m. and was still sitting on her plane five hours later. She said she had missed her connecting flight to Houston.

"We've already been on a plane for several hours, and they have no timeframe for when we'll be able to get off," Jones said during a cell phone interview. Airport officials said the stranded planes were connected to ground power and passengers had access to food, water and bathrooms.

"People are getting a little stir-crazy, feeling claustrophobic," said Chris Cognac, 39, who was returning with family and friends — including 10 children — from a week in Puerto Vallarta. The group had been sitting on the tarmac for five hours when he spoke by phone. Passengers on his plane were in the aisles, holding their carry-on luggage, and ready to disembark when the flight crew asked them to return to their seats, Cognac said.

"Everybody's pretty angry with customs at the moment because they're not informing any one of anything," Cognac said. "It's becoming a logistical issue with diapers."

[Briggsy]

Nice post. Imagine if this were Suwannaphum!! That'd lead to some choice posts.

[tutsiwarrior]

I'm surprised that this sort of thing doesn't happen more often...I arrived in the US recently and the entire airport 'Homeland Security' operation is run by ignorant thugs that must've just recently been in a patrol car rousting winos down the Skid Road...

[jackmuu]

I travel all over the world and the USA is consistently the worst in customer service and organisation second only to Africa.

I dread flying in the USA, delays, missed connections and ignorant up their own backside staff.

Although a crappy airport, BKK has never caused me any problems in comparison.

I like the USA but getting in and out (even with a business visa) is a pain in the hole.

[londonthai]

welcome to the land of free - no, no thailand

[jumnien]

Traditionally, aren't problems at public airports fodder for wholesale condemnation of national governments and justification for military coups and trashing of the constitution?

[tolsti]

I always thought that posts had to have a Thai(land) relevance??.. the fact that an LAX had a computer glitch is a hardly Thai related.

[londonthai]

in comparison - suvarnabhumi is a flying paradise

[endure]

One of the ships I sailed on used to do a regular run between Yuzhny (near Odessa) in the USSR and Stockton in California. The KGB Border Guards were much easier to deal with than US Immigration. When we arrived in the US they always searched the ship as soon as we arrived to make sure no-one was trying to get into the US. In the USSR they always searched us just before we left to make sure no-one was trying to escape

[Carmine6]

I always thought that posts had to have a Thai(land) relevance??.. the fact that an LAX had a computer glitch is a hardly Thai related.

Yes I know. I'd even considered working something into the post about that. How about the fact that Los Angeles has the largest Thai population outside of Thailand and I've heard it is sometimes called the 77th province? I think Thai Airways has only 2 direct flights to the US - LA and New York.

Oh, there was even a Thai movie about Los Angeles' status as a gateway for Thai entering the US:

http://www.avistaz.com/action-movies/2007/...-2002-thai.html

[Carmine6]

I'm surprised that this sort of thing doesn't happen more often...I arrived in the US recently and the entire airport 'Homeland Security' operation is run by ignorant thugs that must've just recently been in a patrol car rousting winos down the Skid Road...

Funny you say this because when the baggage screening operation was taken from private hands to government hands after 9/11, there were a huge amount of agencies like the border patrol and police forces that lost folks. The TSA jobs pay pretty well and like most government agencies there's no accountability. Some employees are outstanding and many are horrendous. Since they're union, they have rights you wouldn't believe which makes them hard to fire.

Not surprisingly, even though the dollar is weak, tourism to the US is either down or flat.

[IMA_FARANG]

Never have had a long delay at Bangkok immigration, but for those who have, be glad you weren't flying into LAX yesterday.

By AMANDA BECK, Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES - Weary international passengers were stuck at Los Angeles International Airport for several hours, unable to set foot in the United States after a computer failure prevented customs officials from screening arrivals.

About 11,500 international passengers, both Americans and foreigners, sat in four airport terminals and in 60 planes starting about 2 p.m. on Saturday, when the computer system broke down, said Los Angeles World Airports spokesman Paul Haney. The system contains names of arriving passengers and law enforcement data about them, including arrest warrants, said Mike Fleming, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman. "That system allows our officers to make decisions on who we can allow to enter the United States," Fleming said. "You just don't know by looking at them."

The computers were fully restored at 11:45 p.m., and the last of backlogged passengers were expected to be cleared by early Sunday, Haney said. However, the system was functioning at reduced capacity, and officials did not know how long it would take to clear the huge backlog. The cause of the shutdown was not known, and there was no estimate on when the system would be repaired, Fleming said.

Officials diverted seven incoming flights to an Ontario airport and advised international passengers departing Sunday to check the status of their flights before leaving for the airport. Terminals that normally accept international passengers were full by 2:30 p.m. Saturday, and passengers arriving afterward had to remain on the runway until their was room inside the terminal buildings.

"This is just unbearable," said Gaynelle Jones, 57, who landed on a 13-hour flight from Hong Kong at about 2:15 p.m. and was still sitting on her plane five hours later. She said she had missed her connecting flight to Houston.

"We've already been on a plane for several hours, and they have no timeframe for when we'll be able to get off," Jones said during a cell phone interview. Airport officials said the stranded planes were connected to ground power and passengers had access to food, water and bathrooms.

"People are getting a little stir-crazy, feeling claustrophobic," said Chris Cognac, 39, who was returning with family and friends — including 10 children — from a week in Puerto Vallarta. The group had been sitting on the tarmac for five hours when he spoke by phone. Passengers on his plane were in the aisles, holding their carry-on luggage, and ready to disembark when the flight crew asked them to return to their seats, Cognac said.

"Everybody's pretty angry with customs at the moment because they're not informing any one of anything," Cognac said. "It's becoming a logistical issue with diapers."

More than 20 years ago I spent about 6 hours waiting on a plane that had just arrived in Heathrow from Boston, Massachusetts. I had a 1:30 p.m. flight out to Saudi, I arrived at 8:30 a.m. in the morning from the states. Seems that the staff in the arrival (customs) was on a "work-to-rule" strike that day. I sat on the plane from about 8.30 a.m to 2 p.m. Wasn't able to leave the plane and go through customs/immigration because the fire safety people said the building was at it's max limit and no more people were allowed to enter. Customs and immigration staff had only a single booth open, and that person was checking every bag of each person coming through. About every 15 minutes, the one customs on duty would take a break, and he/she would be replaced by one opther person. Only one person working, everyone else was on a "tea break". I actually was able to see the flight I should have been on leaving as it took off at 1:30 p.m. I was still sitting on the plane at the time waiting to be allowed to enter the customs to have my luggage searched.

It does happen, just the luck of the draw if you get caught at the wrong place at the wrong time.

[Krub]

Well this problem is more related to the reliance on computers than anything else.

No 'B' plan in place in case of problems,cost cuting, etc.

Operators that rely ONLY on what comes up on their screens to make decisions

Another big area apart from immigration where reliance on computers is getting out of hands is the e-ticket business

It is really nice when it works BUT data is liable to be struck out by a delete button and lost in cyberspace.

Now it is not only tickets but check-in, baggage tags, etc all on the computer.A scary thought indeed

[Spee]

Well this problem is more related to the reliance on computers than anything else.

No 'B' plan in place in case of problems,cost cuting, etc.

Operators that rely ONLY on what comes up on their screens to make decisions

This is an example of how the world is "dumbing down" because of technology. Immigration officials are being trained to believe everything they see on a computer screen but aren't really being trained to do their job, which is to verify that the passport holder's passport is valid and that they are entering the country for the reasons stated.

It's no different with the schools. Kids don't need to learn something because they can look it up on the internet. And of course we all know that everything printed on the internet is always factual and accurate.

It's all down to the lowest common denominator, instead of the highest.

PS.

LAX is an unbelievable mess. I was last through there in December last year. What a <deleted>' zoo. Didn't get stuck on a plane for 5 hours, but due to an airline foul-up I did have to go through the 60+ minute security line twice.