I agree completely. I never knew how bad the US customs were until I flew from Moscow to New York with a crew that was me, a French woman and an Italian woman, and a brit... The stories that they told starting at 30 west were eye opening.
I think we get the "good old USA" feeling and forget that we have some of the most onerous regulations anywhere. Sure, I've never been asked for a bribe, but if you used to live in Nigeria, or have the same last name as some watch list person, your life can become miserable quickly.
Just food for thought
FR