Crew humiliation Mexican style

[ShotOne]

on arrival Mexico (Cancun), all foreign flight crew (and only crew)diverted to a cordoned off 'pen" to await a customs search. The actual search seemed a perfunctory "going through the motions" took 10-15 minutes, conducted in full view of passengers passing by, duty free bottles clinking, none of whom were searched. Interesting that resources can be found for this while Mexico is in the grip of a full-blown drugs war although I haven't experienced quite such targeted unpleasantness anywhere else in the world. Anyone know what it's all about?

[macdo]

You must be new to CUN as they have been doing this for years in one way or another. Allegedly a response to UK border force routinely turning over Mexican crew, although I can't imagine what they would be looking for.

[golfyankeesierra]

Mexico City not much different.
On arrival, while pax go through the usual random style customs check, crew has their own channel where both checked and carry-on bags get x-rayed first en then also hand searched, all bags, every time, no exceptions.
On departure after having gone throughI think 2 security checks there is another check in the gate where every bag is thoroughly hand searched while somebody is videotaping that with his camera almost in your face. Very annoying..

[wiggy]

As others have said both MEX and CUN customs have been tighter than a ducks ..with crew for years now.....basically we are advised to not carry in anything that could be construed by the officials as being up for resale whilst in the country - so only carry one laptop/iPad, be wary of taking valuable sporting equipment in, etc.....

[ShotOne]

If that's the case, wiggy, why focus on crew? And if macdo's post is correct, only UK crew. Is that really so? If it is it's even more outrageous.

[Skyjob]

If that's the case, wiggy, why focus on crew? And if macdo's post is correct, only UK crew. Is that really so? If it is it's even more outrageous.

Macdo's post is not correct in one sense: it is NOT ONLY UK crews.
All international crew arrivals are subjected to this.

[beardy]

It's not just UK crew and it's their country, so their rules. It has been like this for years.

[ShotOne]

"Their rules.." That's hardly an explanation. Indeed it begs the question why a country suffering over 29,000 drug-related murders a year can find law-enforcement resources for a focused screw-around of one professional group.

[Two's in]

"Their rules.." That's hardly an explanation. Indeed it begs the question why a country suffering over 29,000 drug-related murders a year can find law-enforcement resources for a focused screw-around of one professional group.con·flatekənˈflāt/verbverb: conflate; 3rd person present: conflates; past tense: conflated; past participle: conflated; gerund or present participle: conflating

combine two or more ideas, etc. into one.

[Glassos]

"Their rules.." That's hardly an explanation. Indeed it begs the question why a country suffering over 29,000 drug-related murders a year can find law-enforcement resources for a focused screw-around of one professional group.

As a US based crew member regularly going through the 'over the top' security screening, that crews are constantly subject to at Heathrow, I find it quite ironic hearing a UK crew member complaining about anybody else's procedures.

[763 jock]

They were doing that when I started going there circa 1995. Only thing that has changed since then is the standard of HOTAC which seems to change regularly.

You can probably guess which way the standard has gone.

[beardy]

"Their rules.." That's hardly an explanation. Indeed it begs the question why a country suffering over 29,000 drug-related murders a year can find law-enforcement resources for a focused screw-around of one professional group.

Perhaps if you were Mexican you would be privileged enough to question and influence the policy of the Mexican government. Since you are not you have no case to criticise their priorities.
I too have been through this procedure in Cancun. It is frustrating but neither I nor my crew found it humiliating, but then we didn't consider ourselves as anything special.

[M.Mouse]

As a US based crew member regularly going through the 'over the top' security screening, that crews are constantly subject to at Heathrow, I find it quite ironic hearing a UK crew member complaining about anybody else's procedures.

Might that be in retaliation for the procedures and implementation thereof the USA adopted for incoming visitors and crew members following the tragedy of 9/11?

[Yaw String]

Last time through Cancun they advised me that I could not bring in my snorkel mask and fins.
The explanation given was that as I was entering as working aircrew,I could only bring in items pertinent to my reason for being there.
It occurred to me that a doctors note was called for,telling me that I should swim every day for my frozen shoulder!!!!
Further digging unveiled that I could indeed bring my fins and mask along however,a charge of 6% tax would be levied.
Therefore,any idea on the current value of a Decatlon children's mask and fins set?!!!!!!!
What a load of............
Also noted...they are only following orders,and a smile and cheerful attitude usually works wonders for a swift transit!

[aterpster]

"Their rules.." That's hardly an explanation. Indeed it begs the question why a country suffering over 29,000 drug-related murders a year can find law-enforcement resources for a focused screw-around of one professional group.
It is a very corrupt government at the federal level. Always has been, always will be.

[Glassos]

Might that be in retaliation for the procedures and implementation thereof the USA adopted for incoming visitors and crew members following the tragedy of 9/11?

It would certainly be expected after such an event. As far as I know, outgoing crews go through normal screening on departure from the US. The crew screening for outbound crews is totally different at Heathrow. Many of my fellow crew members choose to go through passenger screening at Heathrow simply because it's less intrusive.

[ShotOne]

"Since you're not Mexican.." if you're insisting issues affecting us can only be discussed by nationals of the country where it's happening, that's demonstrably NOT a pprune convention, witness about a zillion posts regarding various policies of President Trump. No, beardy I don't "consider myself special" but I'd still like to know the reason for a unique and time-consuming procedure being applied to crew but nobody else in a country where enforcement resources are stretched way past breaking-point.

[beardy]

The reason is that the customs officials are complying with the law of the country. You have no influence to change that law, one which complies with international conventions. You may not like it, I don't, but if you want to operate to and from there you will lower your blood pressure by just accepting that that's the way they do it .

IATA Mexico (https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/MX-Mexico-customs-currency-airport-tax-regulations-details.htm#Crew%20members%20customs%20regulations)

[BluSdUp]

True.
But that does not give the UK the right to be anal about it! And hold the rest of the world hostage to the " Liquid Ban" everyone was ready to drop ca 5 years ago.
Does it?
.
Oh , and good luck with speaking the truth in this matter. It is not popular.

[oceancrosser]

True.
But that does not give the UK the right to be anal about it! And hold the rest of the world hostage to the " Liquid Ban" everyone was ready to drop ca 5 years ago.
Does it?
.
Oh , and good luck with speaking the truth in this matter. It is not popular.

Ding ding ding! Very true.

[Afrijet]

My former colleague and roommate from a job in afrika is a horrible Man, a great Captain and a very good friend of mine. He’s Mexican and his house is in a coastal city(Baja), next to a police station. He left to go north and came back a day early. While under his umbrella, enjoying a cerveza, the wall separating his casa from the station explodes into his yard. Retired, fat and half drunk, he stared in shock as 4 men ran out of the police station, through the now missing wall, into his yard. They looked at him in surprise and said “you’re not supposed to be here until tomorrow”. They tied him up, gagged him, used his wheelbarrow and took several hundred kilos of what he assumed to be cocaine from the vault at the station they just broke into/out of. They put a gun to his head before they left and said not to call the cops or he and his family dies. The police would figure out the theft on Monday when they came to work. It was an inside job. There are over 1,000,000 law enforcement personnel in Mexico, guns are illegal, yet they have lost more people to violence in the last 4 years than the US lost in the Vietnam, gulf, Afghanistan and Iraq wars combined. But double check the crew, by all means 🙄

[Emma Royds]

I find the process at MEX quite amusing actually. After opening my luggage in the past, I have never seen more than a cursory glance into my flight bag and a quick pat down of the top layer of what is in my suitcase, after opening it. The individuals concerned were simply going through the motions and their level of disinterest seemed on a par with my desire to wait for my bag to be searched! :O

[macdo]

Just to clarify my post #2. I didn't intend to imply that the Mexicans only turned UK crews over, they appear to do the same to all aircrew. The checks, as noted above, are perfunctory and clearly intended to make some sort of political point,I suspect, at the way Mexican crews (and maybe Mexicans nationals in general) are treated by various immigration and customs worldwide.
I do have some sympathy for the comments about coming in via Heathrow, but to be fair UK crews get a pretty intensive scrutiny (sometimes overly intrusive) going through their own security. Whereas, I find USA TSA checks are designed to be sensible and expeditious at all the airports from a security viewpoint, but the Immigration guys are purely there to make your life a misery! No-ones perfect, apart from the Dominican Republic, where you just wave your airline pass and walk through! Oh for the old days.

[EatMyShorts!]

Long live business aviation! In the US we are not subject to any security checks before going to our aircraft. What we are doing in Europe is totally idiotic.

[RAT 5]

But that does not give the UK the right to be anal about it! And hold the rest of the world hostage to the " Liquid Ban" everyone was ready to drop ca 5 years ago.
Does it?

Is it still the case, as was 6 ears ago when I quit the horrors of passing UK crew security, that I was not allowed to take a bottle of water through, even the x-ray, while the duty free shop was putting numerous cartons of 24 bottles through the same machine. When asked why this inconsistency was in force; rules my friend. So which anal muppet made the rules? The whole liquid thing was a GW Bush & Blair concoction. In Germany & Belgium it was not imposed at crew control. Common sense. Problem was, in UK, was that security staff were given no discretion and no doubt subject to random undercover spot checks. 'More than my jobs worth', etc. IMHO it was all about politicians being seen to be doing something even if it was totally inappropriate. The public had no response opportunity. What irked me was that the same level of 'security risk management' was not applied to all public travel situations, e.g. channel tunnel, tube trains, etc. It was a reactive response to only one scenario; thank God, but it does need reviewing.

[Sailvi767]

Your statement about the liquid ban being a concoction is not true. It was based on real and actionable intelligence on how plans were in work to destroy flights.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8242479.stm

[ShotOne]

As one who experiences the joy of UK airport security daily, may I respectfully say that, while I agree with most of what's been posted here, it's an entirely separate subject to the thread topic (see earlier post re. "Conflation"). Is it really the contention that discussion of a specifically targeted measure against flight crew by one country be addressed by highlighting generic overzealousness, however tiresome, elsewhere. (See Whataboutism: e.g. "Russia shouldn't annex Crimea". Russian bot: "What about the British annexation of Sindh in 1843?")

[Klimax]

on arrival Mexico (Cancun), all foreign flight crew (and only crew)diverted to a cordoned off 'pen" to await a customs search. The actual search seemed a perfunctory "going through the motions" took 10-15 minutes, conducted in full view of passengers passing by, duty free bottles clinking, none of whom were searched. Interesting that resources can be found for this while Mexico is in the grip of a full-blown drugs war although I haven't experienced quite such targeted unpleasantness anywhere else in the world. Anyone know what it's all about?

Well, come on you're dealing with a third world country run by a bunch of corrupted politicians.. The Mexican way of "dealing" with real world issues - like saving the sons and daughters of their country - doesn't really work out well! The door knobs at CIQ in that banana republic are hardly literate! Just a bunch of clowns - like their country and politicians.

[back to Boeing]

The "official" reason I've been told is that flight crew entering Mexico do not pay the same tourist visa tax, hence are not entitled to the same tourist tax exemptions. I've seen crew have to stump up tax for a half used carton of cigarettes. No amount of complaining on pprune will change the situation

[DroneDog]

Perhaps it might be doing the crew a favour, a very public message being "nobody will be smuggling anything through here", thus any crew ( their families threatened etc) cannot be coerced into carrying anything suspect.

[Squawk7777]

It's interesting that many from the UK will easily point the finger at others and complain about things the French, Germans and in this case Mexicans do while hiding their own "non-sense" behind the convenient word "procedure".

​​I was based in the UK for a year and found airport security personnel anything but pleasant especially towards flight crew. At MAN I had problems with their iris scan machine every time. Additionally, I was told that I couldn't bring this or that with me (they really disliked my camera). I have never ever felt so much hostility and social envy by security personnel than in the UK.

But it's all procedure!

[groundbum]

when crew "stump up" duty for a half packet of cigarettes I wonder whether the tax lands with the Government or..... yep it's easy cash off a rich pilot 8-)

G

[dook]

Well, come on you're dealing with a third world country run by a bunch of corrupted politicians..

I thought we were talking about Mexico not Britain.

[45989]

It's interesting that many from the UK will easily point the finger at others and complain about things the French, Germans and in this case Mexicans do while hiding their own "non-sense" behind the convenient word "procedure".

​​I was based in the UK for a year and found airport security personnel anything but pleasant especially towards flight crew. At MAN I had problems with their iris scan machine every time. Additionally, I was told that I couldn't bring this or that with me (they really disliked my camera). I have never ever felt so much hostility and social envy by security personnel than in the UK.

But it's all procedure!
Airport "security" is mere window dressing.
Politicos need to be seen doing something.
The unemployable kept off the dole stats
No more needs to be said

[learjet87]

on arrival Mexico (Cancun), all foreign flight crew (and only crew)diverted to a cordoned off 'pen" to await a customs search. The actual search seemed a perfunctory "going through the motions" took 10-15 minutes, conducted in full view of passengers passing by, duty free bottles clinking, none of whom were searched. Interesting that resources can be found for this while Mexico is in the grip of a full-blown drugs war although I haven't experienced quite such targeted unpleasantness anywhere else in the world. Anyone know what it's all about?

answering your query , first of all I would like to highlight the fact that ALL CREWs ( including locals ) are subject to the same revision , is not matter if you are from the UK or any other country including mexico .

Customs law in Mexico are very strict regarding bringing Undeclared items to Mexico , you can bring whatever you want but you must list the items AND pay for the tax IF applicable.

You can bring your personal belongings that must be used and fit to your size, because unfortunately there are crew members that bring items to resell without paying the corresponding tax ;)

And regarding if authorities are allocating resources for this instead of fighting the drug cartels ( in your opinion ) I would say that they are doing their best in order to apply the Law , believe me , Mexican authorities are doing their best.

Next time better not to fly to the sunny destination of Cancun for you , I bet you didn’t enjoy the beautiful sand nor the margaritas .

you will skip all that “unpleasant “ experiences ;)

[ShotOne]

"Customs law in Mexico very strict regarding bringing undeclared items...". Is it your contention that this is done exclusively by flight crew but nobody else?

[AndoniP]

"Customs law in Mexico very strict regarding bringing undeclared items...". Is it your contention that this is done exclusively by flight crew but nobody else?

Logically speaking, it'll more likely be done by flight crew as they are there regularly, no? What's the point of a tourist going there the once and taking a load of stuff to sell?

Also, your comment about Conflation is your take; another take on it is highlighting hypocrisy. Call it tiresome or whatever you want, but it's hypocrisy nonetheless.

[ShotOne]

“Logically speaking it’ll be more likely done by flight crew”.Er, no!! Only by applying the most outrageous discrimination; that would be absurd and unacceptable if directed at any other professional or collective. Try “more likely done by doctors”. Would you honestly go on, say a medical professionals website and post something so ridiculous and offensive?

and how does the fact of U.K. Security being very tiresome (yes, as I said earlier I agree) make it hypocritical to complain about any other unreasonable measure against flight crew? By the same logic if you reported to police being stabbed in Brasil they’d shrug and say “so what you were punched in London don’t be a hypocrite” Funny what people can come out with prefaced by “logically speaking”

[IcePack]

Some years ago I returned to Cancun with the cabin ceiling on fire in a 767. Customs proceeded to search be a noxious & confiscating all the duty free the crew had just bought on departure from Cancun. My intervention to point out the crew were pretty traumatised having just dealt with an emergency. Just got Mexico has rules! Tbh I would walk away if that particular customs officer was on fire. Indeed I hope she suffered some horrible future as she obviously was not human.

[neila83]

Some of the responses here say a lot more about the people making them than they do about México...

I'm baffled by the complete logical fallacy that because there is a high level of another type of crime, they should ignore customs. I assume we would apply the same to the USA, with all those murders and the gun death rate, why on earth are they putting so many resources into ruining people a day at the airport?

As a brit living in México I can assure you there are huge swathes of the country that are far safer than many parts of the US. In fact safer than London. I walk around at night in Mexico City without problem. Obviously I know where not to go like any big city.

​​​​​​Some things are better here than at home, some things not. In terms of the general charisma and warmth of the people, they win every time. I having been here during the response to the earthquake last year, the ignorance of some of you is embarrassing. Educate yourselves, the world is a great place if you open your minds and don't walk round looking for ways to feel superior.

[ShotOne]

Who's saying we should ignore customs? The question was, why a specific every-time public rummage for flight crew, and only flight crew while everyone else walks past? It's a pity some ppruners who simply dislike Mexico have jumped on board; this specific issue aside, I'm not amongst them. But they've been more than balanced by some obvious pilot-haters who clearly relish the idea of some extra flight-crew hoop-jumping.