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rswift
Original Poster
661 posts
44 months
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I have travelled from France into the UK twice recently. A couple of weeks ago with 2 mates in an old Citroen C5, the smugglers express....we had nothing dodgy other than a load of wine from Carrefour, but were expecting to be stopped .... nothing. This was via Eurostar.
Went with the Mrs for a weekend away, this time on the ferry, as my Jag is on LPG. This time we got stopped on the way out, few questions, quick look around the car, and on our way. On the way back, lots of customs boys & girls in Hi Viz jackets with lists and clipboards.
I don't mind being stopped, I've got nothing to hide...but I am intrigued on the selection process, is it purely random ?, is there a certain demographic they are looking for.
Just curious really, does anyone know ?
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Big Raff
385 posts
40 months
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Only ever been stopped in Dover returning from France. 4 Lads (ok dodgy looking, Greek, Armenian, Tunisian, Palestinian) in a Seat Leon Cupra R a few years back. We got asked to get out the car, got a full passport check where we were told we have funny names  While we were getting checked up, a VW Camper with around 40 (slight exaggeration) Africans in, drove past no problem. I am sure they were all ok, but it looked like something out of Back to the Future Libyan situation and all the while we were standing there with our funny names. So in answer to your question...I can understand them stopping who they want to be fair...but it would appear there is a case of 'random' selection.
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davepoth
19,858 posts
68 months
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Big Raff said: Only ever been stopped in Dover returning from France. 4 Lads (ok dodgy looking, Greek, Armenian, Tunisian, Palestinian) in a Seat Leon Cupra R a few years back. We got asked to get out the car, got a full passport check where we were told we have funny names While we were getting checked up, a VW Camper with around 40 (slight exaggeration) Africans in, drove past no problem. I am sure they were all ok, but it looked like something out of Back to the Future Libyan situation and all the while we were standing there with our funny names. So in answer to your question...I can understand them stopping who they want to be fair...but it would appear there is a case of 'random' selection. Some random, some "they look dodgy", some are properly targeted. Driving a Mercedes Sprinter through with blacked out windows and a rock band in the back has resulted in a pull 100% of the time both ways IIRC. We plan extra time for the search.
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Puggit
29,475 posts
117 months
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I travel through the ports a lot alone - probably an 80% stop record on British soil (only ever stopped once in France, 2 weeks ago due to increase checks for Oympics).
Not sure what they think I'm smuggling in an estate! I enjoy the new starters who are following the scripts - good chance for a chat!
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rswift
Original Poster
661 posts
44 months
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davepoth said: Some random, some "they look dodgy", some are properly targeted. Driving a Mercedes Sprinter through with blacked out windows and a rock band in the back has resulted in a pull 100% of the time both ways IIRC. We plan extra time for the search. Well you say that, I'm a professional musician, and have been through the borders in a variety of dodgy splitter & tour buses over the years without incident..... but 2 up in a newish Jag, I was even wearing a jacket !
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surveyor
4,523 posts
53 months
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I've been asked a few questions when I was younger driving a newish Pug 406 towing my parents caravan on my own (I'd gone to fetch the caravan, and to write a report for my professional exams).
Another time at Hull, in a Volvo estate, after an overnight crossing again on my own. I saw them pick me up out on the roof so was not surprised to be pulled in at ground level. Nice chat, dog was relatively tidy....
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audidoody
5,162 posts
125 months
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Me and the missus got pulled over at Eurotunnel Folkestone a month ago in a 2010-reg e-class which was wanded for explosives. Go figure.
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-Pete-
1,908 posts
45 months
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They probably thought "ello ello ello, there's that same car again for the third time. Better check 'Im out"
They wand everyone these days.
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miniman
16,001 posts
131 months
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Roo
5,842 posts
76 months
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audidoody said: Me and the missus got pulled over at Eurotunnel Folkestone a month ago in a 2010-reg e-class which was wanded for explosives. Go figure. They tend to pull over enough cars to fill the "naughty" shed for checking for explosives and let everyone else through that part. Be in there a couple of times as we go over several times a year. I've found it's a lot better now that the x-ray scanners are working when you get to the Eurotunnel on the French side.
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so called
3,498 posts
78 months
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I was stopped in Harwich last year.
It was interesting in that when I got to the passport control, the guy looked at my passport then turned round and shouted to a group of controllers "here he is" !!!
I felt like 'Mr Important International Criminal'.
Got some funny looks from other travellers.
They kept hold of my passport and directed me into their inspection area.
What I realised was that the Dutch Border Controlled had flagged me to the UK Port as suspect.
The reason they wanted to talk to me was that my passport was nearly full of US and Canadian entry stamps.
I travel to North America about 10 times a year and they wanted to know why I visit Canada so much.
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Use Psychology
9,776 posts
61 months
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what did you say?
'I like canada'
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Pickled
490 posts
12 months
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rswift said: but 2 up in a newish Jag, I was even wearing a jacket ! Must be the Jag! Me, and my (then heavily pregnant) wife, were stopped coming back on eurostar in our 2 year old Jag, had the full works, wheels off, seats out, they were even considering taking the fuel tank out as I had just filled up (cheaper) and couldn't find the receipt. Wife was most irate as being 7 months pregnant she needed frequent trips to the loo, but wasn't allowed to leave the area, until she threatened to pee on the floor!
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so called
3,498 posts
78 months
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Use Psychology said: what did you say?
'I like canada' Told then business and so then we had a very friendly chat about how nice the people in Montreal are.
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billzeebub
2,340 posts
68 months
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you don't usually travel. Then the same name appears at least twice in a few weeks. First time may have been this or the Customs guys may have been focused elsewhere on a targeted operation. Second time, maybe you were targeted during a quiet intel spell. Maybe you were just an unlucky random. Officers out in the channels, bored with no 'jobs' on stop, for example every 12th car they see, or every 5th black car on a Wednesday..every 6th blue car on a Tuesday..that sort of thing.
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Deva Link
26,888 posts
114 months
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Big Raff said: So in answer to your question...I can understand them stopping who they want to be fair...but it would appear there is a case of 'random' selection. They might be following a computer generated random number stop. My daughter went through Dover a couple of weeks ago with her husband and their baby in a Golf and their car was searched and wanded (very briefly).
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uk_vette
2,761 posts
73 months
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Pickled said: rswift said: but 2 up in a newish Jag, I was even wearing a jacket ! Must be the Jag! Me, and my (then heavily pregnant) wife, were stopped coming back on eurostar in our 2 year old Jag, had the full works, wheels off, seats out, they were even considering taking the fuel tank out as I had just filled up (cheaper) and couldn't find the receipt. Wife was most irate as being 7 months pregnant she needed frequent trips to the loo, but wasn't allowed to leave the area, until she threatened to pee on the floor! . I hear the tales and stories, that they don't put it all back together again for you? Is this the case? Did they put all the wheels back on, and the seats etc back in? Where they careful not to damage any of the interior? vette
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Amateurish
2,952 posts
91 months
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I used to do the ferry trips often and never got stopped for anything. Then did the trip once with a Nigerian mate (I am white, British). Then it seemed everyone official in Calais and Dover wanted to chat to us, full car search both sides of the Channel, all paperwork, the works. That was an eye-opener!
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magooagain
611 posts
39 months
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I am in and out of Calais /Dover most months of the year in my big van and car trailor. Sometimes stoped on both sides. There is no pattern!
I carry all sorts of stuff,they have a brief look then ok really.
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Sonic
2,964 posts
76 months
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I've been stopped a few times at Dover, Folkestone, Calais and Dunkerque - i guess i look pretty dodgy! The security people are always quite friendly (luckily not in a rubber-glove kind of way) and good to chat to, so i've had some funny searches. Usually they'll just have a quick look around the car, ask you to open your bags, check your passports etc. Nothing to serious. The best one in Dover was when the security guy got fairly suspicious. He asked me to open the boot, and i had something covered and wrapped with a blanket, and "disguised" with a toolbox on top, as he put it. It was just my full-size spare alloy wheel, which i'd covered to stop it getting scratched, but he looked suspiciously at the wheel after i'd removed the cover, and got me to take it out of the car so that he could look at the alloy from the inside. He seemed genuinely surprised that it was just a wheel 
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