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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think that this sounds very fishy and untrue.

201 replies

ColinRobinsonsfamiliar · 13/08/2022 13:10

My fil is an arse. No two ways about it.

We took him & mil to Florida for a holiday. Their first holiday abroad ever.

We gave them some brochures to read up on where we were going prior to going.

FIL read the small print on the back of the brochure and declared that he couldn’t go because he had a conviction that he had never disclosed to the family.
He was referring to the ESTA.

He revealed that he was arrested in 1968 for a minor theft from his job. (Think an off cut from the simple product). Also stole a tax disc and got caught.
He ended up travelling to London to the Embassy to be interviewed face to face to be assessed for suitability to holiday in America.This was a stipulation of the revelation of the arrest.
was granted this.
On arrival at the airport, going through passport control, fil was taken off into an interview room while we were ushered through the airport with all of the other traveler’s.
He was interviewed for nearly 2 hours before being released to continue his holiday.

I can’t help thinking that there is no way that this was because of a “minor theft”.
Anyone in the know could maybe shed Some light on this ?
It has bugged me for ages.

OP posts:
greyspottedgoose · 13/08/2022 13:13

Surely a minor theft, like stealing an off cut from a sample would get you sacked not arrested 🤔

Original poster
ColinRobinsonsfamiliar · 13/08/2022 13:13

Was sacked too.

OP posts:
Ponoka7 · 13/08/2022 13:14

If they classed it as theft and fraud then it could cause them to pull him aside. They take their time, so two hours sounds standard.

Endlesslypatient82 · 13/08/2022 13:15

Given what I suspect is the generally shitty relationship between you and your FIL… I would hazard a guess this holiday is going to be anything other than enjoyable

SpinCityBlues · 13/08/2022 13:18

Who was actually interviewing him? Airport security, border force, the airline security? It’s quite intriguing, yes.

badbaduncle · 13/08/2022 13:21

DB had this happen because he had the same surname at other DB and they do not look alike. My cousin was stopped and interviewed for 3 hours because he ran a 'woodcraft folk' branch 30 years ago. They are not very logical.

drkpl · 13/08/2022 13:21

My 86 year old great aunt Margaret, who was a proud employee of the post office all her life, and would be shamed to the ground if ever accused of any crime, got held at the airport in America and interrogated for 2 hours! She hates America now and vowed never to return.
So basically, you never know. They’re very fussy on the boarders in America.

MrsClatterbuck · 13/08/2022 13:22

So this happened 48 years ago. Surely the conviction would be spent by now especially a seemingly minor misdemeanour.

Clymene · 13/08/2022 13:23

He didn't need to declare it at all

xJoyfulCalmWisdomx · 13/08/2022 13:23

I don't know.......... When I was going to Boston in 1999 they interviewed me for ONE hour and I had done nothing wrong except be an Irish person going to visit friends in America. They were obsessed with the idea that I wanted to skip out on my 32k secure job and live and work illegally in Boston. I had the letter from my employers to confirm what i earned and what date I was expected back as advised by irish embassy in london. Obviously had to be respectful enough not to say ''are you effing joking why the hell would I do that?'' as I was scared that any disrespect of America would make the situation worse.
When my friends were at the airport waiting for me, somebody left the interview to ask my friend who had done a masters at MIT so not a nanny with nanny connections Confused how long she had known me and how well she knew me. She said ''since we were about 5 we went to two schools together''.

Eventually they let me out of the interview room. horrible experience.

Nicknacky · 13/08/2022 13:23

We had this with my nephew, ended up missing our connecting flight and he’s never been involved with the police

Original poster
ColinRobinsonsfamiliar · 13/08/2022 13:24

The holiday was ok actually, we tolerate each other.
It is curious though is t it.

OP posts:
Jalisco · 13/08/2022 13:24

If you declare a conviction, this is pretty common, so no I don't think it's untrue. Whilst not suggesting it, I have never heard of anyone actually declaring convictions. US authorities have no access to criminal records, so the only way they can obtain such information is by making an application to the Home Office via Interpol. They aren't going to do that unless they have serious concerns about a person, which would suggest they may be on a watch list already.

Boybandfacedfannyfart · 13/08/2022 13:27

The US authorities see “corporate crime” or theft as way worse than assault for example. Fiddling your mortgage company is seen as a worse crime than beating your kids. But given there are celebrities who can’t get in due to drug use… not sure this would be unbelievable.

if you’re looking for a truly horrendous airport interrogation- fly in to Ben gurion without speaking Hebrew. I nearly cried! 😂😳

xJoyfulCalmWisdomx · 13/08/2022 13:28

oh yes, and they were looking up my friend as well. I had given the address and her DOB and so they were accessing information about whether she paid taxes, her education, who she was married to. Luckily I knew the answers to the questions I was asked.

Why on earth they thought it was all so suspicious I do not know.

Original poster
ColinRobinsonsfamiliar · 13/08/2022 13:29

It makes me laugh so much to think of him as a man on a watch list, international mystery criminal who nicked an old thing that was destined for the bin and a tax disc over 50 years ago!
The treatment and jumping through hoops just doesn’t fit the crime at all!

OP posts:
CrotchetyQuaver · 13/08/2022 13:33

My experience of US immigration is that they're a bunch of power mad nutters who do things just because they can. So 2 hours questioning for an long shot minor offence seems par for the course. It's all about displaying power IMO.

Georgeskitchen · 13/08/2022 13:34

He should have just kept schtum. I had a minor conviction for shoplifting in late 70s (back in the days when shoplifters were prosecuted)
I never declared it and I've been to the States 3 times!!

ManateeFair · 13/08/2022 13:38

This is pretty plausible, OP - the things they will question you over are absolutely nuts and it can be really arbitrary. DP had to spend 30 minutes convincing them that he wasn’t intending to work while in the US. He is a member of a union for a profession which he could conceivably do overseas and has an ID card for that, but he hasn’t actually worked in that profession for many years and we were only going to be in America for a fortnight’s holiday.

Cervinia · 13/08/2022 13:39

Jalisco · 13/08/2022 13:24

If you declare a conviction, this is pretty common, so no I don't think it's untrue. Whilst not suggesting it, I have never heard of anyone actually declaring convictions. US authorities have no access to criminal records, so the only way they can obtain such information is by making an application to the Home Office via Interpol. They aren't going to do that unless they have serious concerns about a person, which would suggest they may be on a watch list already.

This!

I think you have declare an arrest too even if it didn’t result in a conviction.

DH has a conviction, still on his records for a fight at football match at 17. it may be spent, and he might have been a juvenile but it’s still there.

we took the decision not to declare it and have been to the states without an issue now probably 10 or 12 times.

Cherryblossoms85 · 13/08/2022 13:41

US immigration is nuts, so I would say it is all exactly as it seems.

mindutopia · 13/08/2022 13:42

It could be the case. Dh came to visit me in the US on an ESTA and he got detained for longer than 2 hours as border control wanted to interview him to make sure he wasn’t an overstaying risk with a gf living in the US.

butterflied · 13/08/2022 13:46

Seems plausible to me. They withheld approving my ESTA for 24 hours because I have a chronic illness (disabled) and interviewed me at the airport about whether I had family and a home to return to in order to ascertain that I wasn't over there for healthcare reasons. As if.

Muddypigeon · 13/08/2022 13:48

My dh has this every time going to America. It takes 1-2 hrs and that is because after you’ve been escorted away by security they put you in a room and you have to wait until it’s your to be interviewed. My dh had a business meeting in a country that is red flagged in passport control. He was there for 2 days over 10 years ago.

Horcruxe · 13/08/2022 13:49

Try being brown with a muslim name.

You'll get pulled over for no reason at all and be interviewed for hours.

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