Any one having dealt with the customs and immigration at the Republic of Lanseria lately? Must say, very thorough immigration. After you had another precious space in your passport occupied, suprise !!! Border police at the door to double check that the immigration official did his job, this after being flying out of JIA where they get annoyed by just about anything resembling crew and where customs were a roomer on departure. Must say this have also changed since the SAA sindicates are up and about again. Luckily, only on the odd ocation you get searched and then it is reasonably painless. But try leaving out of JIA where you need binoculars to find a customs official on departure, and arrive at Lanseria. Suddenly you need to have declared everything with a serial number on it in your flight bag or they confiscate it or try to fine you. Well that's how you think you learn. Next time you depart Lanseria, like a good law abiding citizen, you ask the customs official to give you a list of everything you need to declare on a form so that you can re-import it 2 hours later from a flight to FDMS. This all to avoid it being confiscated or taxed. And the answer is...."EEEE no list, just rite all de tings down with e number on it and when you come back we will tell you if it is all rite, eeee" So now as an extra carefull citizen, you record..., the calculator, cellphone, camera, headset, car key etc. You give the list to the official who then asks you whether you are being difficult... And so it carries on. I have found that there behaviour borders on harassment. Most of us are used to this kind of behaviour in Luanda, Kinshasa and all those lovely developing destinations. What a suprise for the pax when they arrive back from the so called developing countries to sunny SA to find how customs at Lanseria quickly ruins your day. Seems like these guys are God and are untouchable. I'd rather deal with the Lagos entrepeneurss, at least his eyes tell you what is it going to cost, it quick and painless, these guys don't even have a price list. I really feel sorry for the oak that has to deal with these scavengers of the SARS on a daily basis. Happy customising !!!
