UK police checks: share your personal experiences

[Felicity]

So this hasn't really got that much to do with this, but it does a bit...
When my husband flew back from London (after being in Algeria) to Edinburgh last week, he got stopped and questioned at the airport, had to give his life story, including how often he visited the mosque (he answered something along the lines of 'most Fridays but he regrets ever missing a Friday'), if he ever met up with anyone at the mosque, how religious in general he was... I don't think its fair to ask these questions, would they ask me how often I went to church and who I met up with? The whole thing took about 45 minutes and I was very worried while waiting for him.

Anyone else got personal experiences of this kind of thing?

[lillyinlondon]

So this hasn't really got that much to do with this, but it does a bit...
When my husband flew back from London (after being in Algeria) to Edinburgh last week, he got stopped and questioned at the airport, had to give his life story, including how often he visited the mosque (he answered something along the lines of 'most Fridays but he regrets ever missing a Friday'), if he ever met up with anyone at the mosque, how religious in general he was... I don't think its fair to ask these questions, would they ask me how often I went to church and who I met up with? The whole thing took about 45 minutes and I was very worried while waiting for him.

Anyone else got personal experiences of this kind of thing?

sorry for all of that. it is nothing new to me
everytime i get questioned ,searched, made to stand on cold hard floor whilst they check my shoes and feel around under my scarf etc. despite not being british but english!! my passport is scrutinised and i get a general knowledge quiz on england, the way of life and what's happening in coronation street !! ( yes really i kid you not ) yes it's crap, yes it's aggravating but if you show any displeasure or aggravation they can be very awkward so just humour them answer alll the questions even if bloody idiotic and galling and just pass through.

[Felicity]

See most of that is not so bad (bar the Coronation bit, where perhaps if you answer that you have more taste than to watch that kind of program, you will face the idiotic consequences), as everyone has to remove their shoes and belts, and I often beep as I go through the checks so have to be patted down, and I don't object to immigration/passport control, but it wasn't like that, he was passed all that (with no bother at all) and was just innocently waiting for his luggage (which incidently never arrived that evening) and the police just decided to ask some 'routine questions', which I didn't think sounded particularly routine...

[lillyinlondon]

See most of that is not so bad (bar the Coronation bit, where perhaps if you answer that you have more taste than to watch that kind of program, you will face the idiotic consequences), as everyone has to remove their shoes and belts, and I often beep as I go through the checks so have to be patted down, and I don't object to immigration/passport control, but it wasn't like that, he was passed all that (with no bother at all) and was just innocently waiting for his luggage (which incidently never arrived that evening) and the police just decided to ask some 'routine questions', which I didn't think sounded particularly routine...

er no its not so bad, its worse and it happens all the time. how would you like to be frisked in full view of everyone and asked to lift ur skirt up as a muslim woman it is embarassing and its not nice having others look at you and thinking whats she done /doing?? in other countries they have little cubicles so you arent exposed to the world. experience on a frequent basis then tell me its not so bad !! also i have been asked after passing immigration etc like your husband a host of idiotic questions. my crime ?? being eviodently muslim.its perfectly clear that we are viewed with suspicion until i open my mouth and a pure yorkshire accent comes out. as the adage goes never judge a book by its cover . i feel sorry for the small mindedness of various individuals they need pity

[Ruks]

i have a friend who came back from hajj this year. she wears the niqaab and her husband has a lovely beard. out of their group that they went with, only one other couple included the same. when they came back to heathrow, the two niqaab wearing women and their bearded husbands where pulled over on a 'random' check. my friend took none of it and asked the guy have you stopped us (she included the other couple as well) because our husbands have beards? the silly custom offical replied 'well if you would like to make a complaint you can'. my friend said that she had made the observation and wanted to know how 'random' is random- lol. they let them go but sometimes you need to speak up. she said the custom offical assumed that she couldn't speak a word of english- and looked shocked when she opened her mouth! lol my friend did also mention to the guy how come you haven't stopped those without a beard! lol

[Ruks]

i know this isn't a personal experience, but apparently the bollywood actor, Shah Rukh Khan was 'interviewed' while he was entering the USA - they thought he was a terrorist! LOL- Why didn't the silly airport security people just check with the Indian Embassy about who he is! LOL

[lillyinlondon]

i have a friend who came back from hajj this year. she wears the niqaab and her husband has a lovely beard. out of their group that they went with, only one other couple included the same. when they came back to heathrow, the two niqaab wearing women and their bearded husbands where pulled over on a 'random' check. my friend took none of it and asked the guy have you stopped us (she included the other couple as well) because our husbands have beards? the silly custom offical replied 'well if you would like to make a complaint you can'. my friend said that she had made the observation and wanted to know how 'random' is random- lol. they let them go but sometimes you need to speak up. she said the custom offical assumed that she couldn't speak a word of english- and looked shocked when she opened her mouth! lol my friend did also mention to the guy how come you haven't stopped those without a beard! lol

yes well nice to know idiocy and prejudice abounds especially in officialdom!