Airport security: What happened with my passport?

alexw

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Sep 6, 2008
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NYC-SDQ BABY!
So yesterday when I was going through airport security one of the Dominican officers pulled me out of line and asked for my passport. They took my passport to the other side and escorted me to the area where I put my belongings inside the bins. Once I was scanned I was called over to a little table where they gave me back my passport. This trip I stayed about 45 days. Anyone knows what happened? Out of all my trips this was different. Now I wasn't exactly friendly to the pre-trip questions from airport security either. It was just too early in the morning and the questions were just stupid.
 

cavok

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Jun 16, 2014
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Cabarete
I'd say that was your problem. Copping an attitude and not showing the immigration officer respect probably didn't go over very well.
 

CristoRey

Welcome To Wonderland
Apr 1, 2014
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So yesterday when I was going through airport security one of the Dominican officers pulled me out of line and asked for my passport. They took my passport to the other side and escorted me to the area where I put my belongings inside the bins. Once I was scanned I was called over to a little table where they gave me back my passport. This trip I stayed about 45 days. Anyone knows what happened? Out of all my trips this was different. Now I wasn't exactly friendly to the pre-trip questions from airport security either. It was just too early in the morning and the questions were just stupid.

AH YES, the never ending quest for answers...
when it comes to Dominican logic and their peculiar way of doing things.
Good luck with that one.
 

bienamor

Kansas redneck an proud of it
Apr 23, 2004
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So yesterday when I was going through airport security one of the Dominican officers pulled me out of line and asked for my passport. They took my passport to the other side and escorted me to the area where I put my belongings inside the bins. Once I was scanned I was called over to a little table where they gave me back my passport. This trip I stayed about 45 days. Anyone knows what happened? Out of all my trips this was different. Now I wasn't exactly friendly to the pre-trip questions from airport security either. It was just too early in the morning and the questions were just stupid.

have also had that happen one time and I was being nice and answered all the question politely. So don't believe the attitude was the problem. never did find out why
 

Timotero

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Feb 25, 2011
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Was your boarding pass marked with “SSSS” when it was issued at check in? That’s the designation for extra security screening. Most of the time it’s assigned at random. But it can also show up if your on certain “lists”.
 

jd426

Gold
Dec 12, 2009
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Never ever ever cop an attitude.. they CAN make you miss your plane .. they have that right to be "thorough".. dont do this to yourself ... lesson learned or it could have been just RANDOM... they do select people at random.
they used to check Carry ons a second time in the CHUTE at Santiago .. and I mean THOROUGH checks .. but they picked like 1 out of 5 people or so .. had tables set up and everything...
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
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Was your boarding pass marked with “SSSS” when it was issued at check in? That’s the designation for extra security screening. Most of the time it’s assigned at random. But it can also show up if your on certain “lists”.
When I moved to the DR with a one-way ticket and extra baggage, I got SSSS on my ticket and a long security check with drug swabs, and a near strip search. It took what seemed like forever and the TSA guys didn't care about missing a plane.

That said, SouthWest held the plane like they knew what was going to happen...

Not sure there is any upside to arguing with a airport or immigration guy, and plenty of downside.
 

lifeisgreat

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May 7, 2016
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We were just about to board plane to leave POP we could see the plane door... stewardess politely asked everyone to stand to the side drug dog with immigration officer is going to pass between you don’t touch the dog it will take a minute. Well one ass about 50 yrs old makes a fuss for stupid reasons, I even told him relax, he says I’m not f**king moving , well he didn’t make it on plane... looked hung over bad..stupid is what stupid does
 

chrisgy

Active member
Jan 15, 2013
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Was your boarding pass marked with “SSSS” when it was issued at check in? That’s the designation for extra security screening. Most of the time it’s assigned at random. But it can also show up if your on certain “lists”.

That's exactly it , what @Timotero said. It's called Secondary Security Screening Selection and it's almost always random. You were selected before your check-in. Not because you were an ass with your answers.

Sometimes they may miss the Secondary Security Screening Selection (SSSS) check and you may get called at the gate by the airline to return back to the front to get this check done.

Happens a lot in Santiago where security is lax.
 

alexw

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Sep 6, 2008
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Was your boarding pass marked with “SSSS” when it was issued at check in? That’s the designation for extra security screening. Most of the time it’s assigned at random. But it can also show up if your on certain “lists”.

Ahh youre a genius. I definitely had the SSSS and they circled it. probably because i was an ass with those dumb questions he asked me. thanks
 

alexw

Gold
Sep 6, 2008
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NYC-SDQ BABY!
When I moved to the DR with a one-way ticket and extra baggage, I got SSSS on my ticket and a long security check with drug swabs, and a near strip search. It took what seemed like forever and the TSA guys didn't care about missing a plane.

That said, SouthWest held the plane like they knew what was going to happen...

Not sure there is any upside to arguing with a airport or immigration guy, and plenty of downside.

Ok its all coming together for me now. I also flew on a one way ticket as well. I live here illegally so i never know when im leaving for nyc on business. Thanks
 

cobraboy

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Jul 24, 2004
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That's exactly it , what @Timotero said. It's called Secondary Security Screening Selection and it's almost always random. You were selected before your check-in. Not because you were an ass with your answers.

Sometimes they may miss the Secondary Security Screening Selection (SSSS) check and you may get called at the gate by the airline to return back to the front to get this check done.

Happens a lot in Santiago where security is lax.
I suspect most of the SSSS are from profiling.
 

bigbird

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May 1, 2005
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Ok its all coming together for me now. I also flew on a one way ticket as well. I live here illegally so i never know when im leaving for nyc on business. Thanks

You should have called Uber for a quick get away ........ LOL ........... just joking

It happens, I have a list from here to the moon of all the crazy checks I have gone through. If you have done nothing wrong there is nothing to worry about. It all starts with the "silly questions" at check-in. I do my best to make them laugh while they ask, always saying I don't speakie the spanish. They don't like asking you no more than you want to be bothered with the BS,,,,,,but it is their job and being the ugly American ain't gonna get you no where.

Roll with the punches and deal with it. It is for the most part your day in the barrel.

Don't play SDQ airport for being stupid. They have the checks to check. Are you aware SDQ has this special little "room" they can give you an x-ray on the spot to see if you are hiding stuff in your body?
 

bigbird

Gold
May 1, 2005
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163
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Was your boarding pass marked with “SSSS” when it was issued at check in? That’s the designation for extra security screening. Most of the time it’s assigned at random. But it can also show up if your on certain “lists”.

That's exactly it , what @Timotero said. It's called Secondary Security Screening Selection and it's almost always random. You were selected before your check-in. Not because you were an ass with your answers.

Sometimes they may miss the Secondary Security Screening Selection (SSSS) check and you may get called at the gate by the airline to return back to the front to get this check done.

Happens a lot in Santiago where security is lax.

No more for me to say, you guys nailed it ............ but still don't be an arse cuz won't get you nowhere...
 

DR Solar

Bronze
Nov 21, 2016
1,626
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So yesterday when I was going through airport security one of the Dominican officers pulled me out of line and asked for my passport. They took my passport to the other side and escorted me to the area where I put my belongings inside the bins. Once I was scanned I was called over to a little table where they gave me back my passport. This trip I stayed about 45 days. Anyone knows what happened? Out of all my trips this was different. Now I wasn't exactly friendly to the pre-trip questions from airport security either. It was just too early in the morning and the questions were just stupid.

My wife travels on business solo. I travel solo. We travel together. In the Million Mile Club. Over 14 round trips each out and back into the Dominican Republic. Never a problem.

That's this year and most years before.
 

jahjahwarrior

New member
Mar 14, 2017
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At the table they should swab your hands or bag, same machine they use in USA...nothing to worry about you can experience the same ssss and swab in USA too.
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
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At the table they should swab your hands or bag, same machine they use in USA...nothing to worry about you can experience the same ssss and swab in USA too.
In my SSSS experience, they took my laptop out of the bag, turned it on, opened the CD drive and swabbed the innards of that.

Go figure.