
Why Am I Forbidden From Using My iPhone In US Immigration Areas? - cgtyoder
http://www.feld.com/wp/archives/2013/03/why-am-i-forbidden-from-using-my-iphone-in-us-immigration-areas.html
======
krisroadruck
You aren't forbidden from using your iPhone. You are forbidden from using any
cell phone. Why do apple fanbois find it necessary to make sure we know they
have an apple product? They can never just say "my computer" or "my phone".
Bleh.

~~~
enraged_camel
>>Why do apple fanbois find it necessary to make sure we know they have an
apple product? They can never just say "my computer" or "my phone". Bleh.

Polarizing and derailing in this manner makes you sound like a complete
jackass.

~~~
asveikau
> Polarizing and derailing in this manner makes you sound like a complete
> jackass.

And what does calling someone a jackass do?

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guiambros
I know, I know, they already _forced_ you to turn off your phone during
landing, and now it sucks that you'll need to wait till you get to the baggage
claim to go back to your Candy Crush addiction. How ridiculous is that?

Now seriously, isn't it obvious? It's a high-security area. There's all sorts
of people trying to cross the border: business travelers, families, citizens
returning home, tourists, illegal immigrants, terrorists, drug dealers. They
don't want people distracted, speaking loudly on their phones, or sending
instructions to others in line to exploit security weaknesses.

If you're _really_ bothered by the wait (and have an extra $85 to spare), you
should seriously consider requesting a Global Entry. While you still won't be
able to use your phone, it'll reduce your time in line to 45 seconds.

I bet you can't even finish a level that fast.

(UPDATE: cost for 5 years is $85, not $100)

~~~
msandford
Okay, it's a high security area. What law allows them to prohibit the use of a
cell phone? The way the US tends to work is that everything is allowed, except
the things which are specifically disallowed by virtue of a law being written.

Think of it as whitelisting vs blacklisting. In the US we don't whitelist the
things that are OK, we blacklist the things which are not OK. How did cell
phone use in a border area get on the blacklist? If it's on the blacklist, but
there's no law which put it there, then there's a problem.

~~~
enraged_camel
>>Okay, it's a high security area. What law allows them to prohibit the use of
a cell phone?

The thing you have to understand about the border control area at airports is
that it's kind of a "no man's land." Despite technically being on US soil, you
aren't considered inside the borders of the US. You go inside only when the
immigration officer gives you the green light. Until then, they can basically
do anything they want to you, and there isn't anything you can do about it.

~~~
msandford
Okay so it's like international waters. That doesn't mean that there are no
laws there. And the agents -- who work for the US government -- must still
obey the laws of the US government, no? And despite it technically not being
"regular" US soil the laws of the US still apply don't they?

Otherwise if it's truly a no-man's land I could take a plane trip with another
person who I intend to kill, depart the plane and while still in the border
control area kill him in cold blood in full sight of everyone there. The US
might want to prosecute me, but they technically can't because the law doesn't
apply there.

I don't think that my murder example would fly. Do you?

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Mikeb85
Why should you be allowed to use a cell phone in US immigration areas? I find
it ridiculous that people feel the need to be able to use their phone wherever
they want. No one complained about not being able to use their flip-phone in
hospitals, government areas and air-planes...

~~~
msoad
Because one time when I returned back to US from a vacation the U.S.
immigration officer asked me too many personal questions and when I asked why
she needs to know my employer and it's location she yelled at me that she has
this right. I didn't know at the moment that they do not have this right.

Next time I just wanted to make sure I am recording my conversation with the
officer I saw the "no cellphone" sign.

So yes, you should be allowed to record any conversation with government
officer to protect your privacy better

~~~
Mikeb85
I think you need better immigration officers, not more cell phones. It's never
taken me more than the wait in line plus a few minutes to go through
immigration in Canada, Europe, and the Caribbean...

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smtddr
The same reason you're not allowed/frowned upon to record law enforcement in
public. They don't want you to have evidence of their wrong-doings. It's not
about the phone per se, it's about the phone's audio/video recording
abilities. I'm sure video-cameras aren't allowed either.

EDIT: Wow, those downvotes. My mistake for posting on controversial topics at
night.

EDIT#2: Spoke too soon... :)

~~~
melling
You aren't allowed to use any phone. So, your made up answer can't be right.

~~~
bowmessage
How does that invalidate his answer? Any phone can record audio.

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bbgm
In the days before smart phones, the lady in front of me in an immigration
line in London had her cell taken away from her till she cleared immigration,
cause she insisted on using her cell (she had been told not to do so and there
was signage everywhere).

I might be wrong, but pretty much every immigration line I've stood in
prohibits cell phone usage.

~~~
plugger
I was about to say the same. When you're in immigration areas in many country
this rule exists. The "no photography" rule also applies iirc.

~~~
onethree
i'm pretty sure in both Australia and New Zealand immigration they have signs
saying no photography/audio recording devices/cell phones. Honestly i've never
had a problem with this, the only thing worse than waiting in line for
immigration would be waiting in line for immigration behind someone having an
overly loud conversation on their phone

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unreal37
Site down, cache:
[http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:Zxm7ZoQ...](http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:Zxm7ZoQwsaEJ:www.feld.com/wp/archives/2013/03/why-
am-i-forbidden-from-using-my-iphone-in-us-immigration-
areas.html+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca)

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stox
Can someone point me at the law that enables them to do this?

~~~
enraged_camel
See my response to a similar point:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6545514](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6545514)

~~~
kahirsch
Can you cite any relevant law? Case law or regulation?

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tuke
The egocentrism of the title is remarkable.

Surely Brad means:

"Why is one forbidden from using a mobile phone in US Immigration areas?"

(Unless, of course, you specifically are forbidden to use a specific device --
an iPhone.)

~~~
TheBiv
"Egocentricism"

Aggressive term. He may be being egotistical, or he may be mentioning his
specific device to give clarity on what was actually prohibited in his
experience. No need to call him egotistical and it surely wasn't remarkable.

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benologist
That video was hilarious.

