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Red sticker in back of passport?

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sarge912

· Father of 11 husband of 1
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Discussion starter · #1 · (Edited)
A friend of mine was returning from a short vacation in Barcelona, with a friend.
When he got to airport security they pulled him from the normal line and thoroughly checked his bag (carry on only, he had no checked bags.) Then did chemical tests on his hands.
They told him it was just an random, routine check. Then put a red stamp (found out later it was a red sticker) on the back of his passport.
He was checked 7 more times before he finally got home. Everyone said it was just a routine, random check. His hands where also swabbed several more times.

Anyone know what might be going on?

His friend was not checked beyond the normal processes even though they were traveling together.
 
Discussion starter · #3 ·
francessanne said:
from 'the google'
What does red stamp in passport means?

When a consular officer denies an application of any non-immigrant category of visa, he/she places a rubber stamp on the last page of the applicant's passport. ... It has been observed that the recipients of rubber stamps with red ink have been issued visas upon applying once again ...
Click to expand...
I read that as well, there was no visa involved or discussed
.
 
#4 ·
I don't really remember about the stamp anymore, but the "random check" is usually triggered by not having checked bags, short notice trip, and occasionally just the one way ticket. From talks with TSA types around the world, it is considered suspicious travel. When I worked outside the US as a contractor I had to arrange my own travel and quite frequently it was short notice and often one way tickets. So I was flagged and checked just about every trip, even with government orders. One of the best things about not having that job anymore is not having to fly.
 
Discussion starter · #5 ·
Just for clarification, I found out that it was not an ink stamp by a red sticker. Also, when ever he was entered in the security check computers the screen would flash red, followed by him being examined again. He also said that there was least 8 other passengers pulled over with him before leaving Spain for the US.
 
#7 ·
To me.... The answer to all this is......

Don't travel out of North America, my definition of North America is Canada and the US..

If in doubt.... Refer back to previous sentence...

My 5 cents of opinion...
 
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#8 ·
It seems like every time I fly i get swabbed. Too many times to be just random in my opinion. I suspect that there is a mark somewhere next to my name. No convictions, so I don't know why. It can't be because of the emails I sent to Obama telling him that that I hope I outlive him so I can pss on his grave because it happened before his term.
 
#9 ·
First, you know the government, any government, will lie to you. So don't take anything they tell you at face value.

Second, they do, in fact, randomly swab people as you describe happened to your friend. That does not necessarily mean that they were telling you the truth that he was randomly being swabbed.

Third, it's been a long time since any customs official stamped my passport. You pretty typically have to ask for it anymore and usually they act like you're just being a pain in the ass.

Fourth, of all the stamps I have ever gotten in a passport, I cannot remember any of them being in red. Sometimes blue, usually black, but never red. I am assuming that when you say "on the back of his passport" that you are referring the to the pages provided at the back of the passport for that purpose.

Put all of that together, I do not thing what happened to your friend was "random" or "routine". The big trigger for me on that point is the fact that he got checked like that 8 times on a single trip. I think something put him on the RADAR of the authorities. For example, what kind of itinerary was he on that he had to go through airport security 8 times? As someone mentioned, traveling without checked luggage is something they look for.

There may also be other factors that provoked the authorities but which you have not reported. Years ago, my in-laws went to Ireland through Gatwick in London. My in-laws are Irish practically off the boat. Both ways, the British authorities pulled my brother-in-law off to the for a more thorough screening than the rest of the passengers. We have always figured that was because he was (1) ethnically, pretty damn Irish, (2) male, (3) young (17 or 18 or something like that), (4) this was during the troubles in Northern Ireland, and (5) mother-in-law's family was essentially from Boston, where the IRA did a whole lot of fund raising. So, he probably just checked off a lot of boxes for them.

Perhaps you friend does so, as well, without knowing it.
 
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#10 ·
I really don't travel,this is just a guess,or thinking of a possible reason.

Could it be they can't check everyone that much,so every 20th,50th whatever passenger is flagged,just because they like to keep statistics?
"See,we did deep screening on 856 passengers today"type of goverment crowing?
 
#11 ·
They use stickers as secret codes to the other agents. I don't know any specifics, but have been told as I travelled a lot to other countries, it could mean you met one or more criteria for suspicion.
They (in China) also had a sticker for men that would go out at night looking for women. (maybe so they could hide their daughters), lol.
 
#13 ·
That red sticker on the back of your passport is something you might come across. It's usually there for a reason, like if you have a special visa or if there are specific conditions for your travel. It's like a little flag that tells immigration officers something about your situation. Nothing to stress over, though. If you're curious about what it means, you can always check with your local immigration office or embassy. They'll have the full scoop. Just keep it handy for your travels, and you should be good to go!
 
#14 ·
I am going to be rude and ask how does he look? Swarthy? Does he fit the profile?

My husband was coddled his whole life at the airport because he was blind. Then there were 2 acts of terror masterminded by blind men in the 90's, a Tokyo chemical bombing on the subway and the first World Trade Center attack in 1994 I believe. The second attack it was a muslim.

My husband was light skinned black (Creole) and often mistaken for middle eastern. At this point he was "only" blind, he could walk just fine. The accident happened years later. When we got our ham radio licenses in 1995 he got a handheld power station about the size of a car battery, with a handle. He made his own adapters splicing the connectors and taping them together. It looked very suspicious. Wires sticking out everywhere and electrical taped connections.

He wanted to fly to visit his family in Houston and show it off along with his ham radio and scanner. I said bring the radio and scanner but not the power station. He was stubborn. So we went to the airport (SFO). He was carrying The Thing in his backpack. It was 1999.

I went through security no problem. I had my handy HTX 404 (hand held 440 ham radio), charger, and spare battery in my bag but no issues. They took one look at The Thing on X ray, yanked him out of like, threw him against the wall, got the dog, swabs, the whole routine. We almost missed our flight. I kept saying "I TOLD YOU! I TOLD YOU THERE WOULD BE A PROBLEM!" They almost arrested him. They had about a dozen agents.

He kept saying "I'm blind!" like that excused anything and then I "told" him again. Blind guys are on the bad guy list now. :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: It still makes me laugh my ass off.

Interestingly enough we had NO problem leaving Houston with The Thing (Hobby) coming back to SFO.

He only flew one trip with me after 9/11 and he just brought his cell phone for that one.
 
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#15 ·
Girlfriend in Indonesia 30+ years ago sought to get a US visa for a visit.
She was denied. After a few days she tried again, and the denial was
instantaneous. They had placed a mark somewhere in her passport
that meant "never issue a visa".
.
Later she got a visa for Canada and we toured the west of that country.
I told her the US looks the same except for the flag.
 
#16 ·
sarge912 said:
A friend of mine was returning from a short vacation in Barcelona, with a friend.
When he got to airport security they pulled him from the normal line and thoroughly checked his bag (carry on only, he had no checked bags.) Then did chemical tests on his hands.
They told him it was just an random, routine check. Then put a red stamp (found out later it was a red sticker) on the back of his passport.
He was checked 7 more times before he finally got home. Everyone said it was just a routine, random check. His hands where also swabbed several more times.

Anyone know what might be going on?

His friend was not checked beyond the normal processes even though they were traveling together.
Click to expand...
This last week I was coming in from costa rica, Was taken aside and taken into an individual room to be searched. And they were so slow in taking their time. It's like I knew what they were doing. They made me miss my flight about 2 minutes. So I had a 10 and a 1/2 hour. Lay over and after they were finished searching me. They put a red sticker, not a stamp, a sticker on the back of my passport book that had 3-13 and below the #s it has a Y, Second to the last connecting flight on my way back to DF. W. When the plane started pressurizing normally it's pure oxygen and you can't see that coming out. But this was a mist, a very heavy mist coming out where the oxygen was posting and when they start pressurizing the cabin. I got home and the very next day. I came down with symptoms of mold poisoning. Bad sinus infection and I still have a very bad cough.I can't talk without coughing, And that's not routine.I don't care what anybody says.I think the red Sticker is being flagged for something But I do know that they it was a heavy mist on that plane and now i'm sick
 
#17 ·
sarge912 said:
A friend of mine was returning from a short vacation in Barcelona, with a friend.
When he got to airport security they pulled him from the normal line and thoroughly checked his bag (carry on only, he had no checked bags.) Then did chemical tests on his hands.
They told him it was just an random, routine check. Then put a red stamp (found out later it was a red sticker) on the back of his passport.
He was checked 7 more times before he finally got home. Everyone said it was just a routine, random check. His hands where also swabbed several more times.

Anyone know what might be going on?

His friend was not checked beyond the normal processes even though they were traveling together.
Click to expand...
My father traveled a lot internationally by himself. Lone travelers are pulled more than those with groups.

If your friend was meeting someone, but was not flying with them, then it would lead to more checks.
 
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