In US immigration
Logan airport, Boston, 2004. Work trip to a conference and business meeting.

As you do when you get to somewhere on an aeroplane, I had turned on my mobile phone upon disembarking (or "deplaning" as it's now known in the states) and entering the terminal. As it was taking a while to realise it couldn't find Vodafone any more and would have to ask favours from the local boys before it got a signal, I stuck it in my jacket pocket and forgot about it, unwittingly disregarding the signs saying that cellphones weren't to be used in this part of the airport. A few minutes later, I was standing in the seemingly interminable queue for immigration waiting to be seen by one of those blokes who seems to have had a humorectomy, when my mobile, which was in my jacket pocket, decided it had now negotiated favourable terms with the local GSM network and had logged on, whereupon it did the Nokia BEEP BEEP thing as a couple of texts came in.

One of the aforementioned humourless operatives, a large imposing woman whom you would hesitate to challenge to any contest involving physical prowess, glared directly at me, pointed to the notice with a red line through a mobile phone and bellowed "NO CELLPHONES!"

I attempted to feign innocence, as she couldn't have seen the phone in my pocket, but I think my poker face needs a bit of work, because I felt my face going bright red. Then before I had a chance to surreptitiously slip my hand in my pocket and turn it off, it beeped again.

Large lady wasn't happy.

This time, I had to apologise and take it out and switch it off.

I think my face was still glowing by the time I got to the immigration desk.

_{Incidentally, you know that green form you have to fill in every time you fly to the US, which has all these bizarre questions on it? Well, would anyone actually answer Yes to any of them? I mean, what terrorist is going to admit that they were going to America to blow something up? FFS. What's the point?}
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Thu 27 Sep 2007, 9:39, Reply)