Customs/ UKPA boardings

[puddock]

Have you been stopped and had your car searched twice during the same period of time ? Ever thought why not ?

Yes - second part of your question now irrelevant


So - you're saying that they are no bl##dy good at their job, then ?

Not at all - they spotted it straight away!


Perhaps other people don't share your enthusiasm for having a number of butch men wearing black rubber suits on board their boats ? No accounting for personal tastes ...

For a start, they were not ALL men. Secondly, if you like to consider men in black rubber as butch, that is your own private matter and you are on the wrong forum.

Jolly nice chaps, the lot of 'em

 

[David_Jersey]

Perhaps other people don't share your enthusiasm for having a number of butch men wearing black rubber suits on board their boats ? No accounting for personal tastes ...

They are enforcing the new EU directive on Homosexuality.

Apparently nowadays 1 in 3 men have had a Homosexual experiance. or they will do shortly..........couurtesy of these MIB

 

[puddock]

They are enforcing the new EU directive on Homosexuality.

Apparently nowadays 1 in 3 men have had a Homosexual experiance. or they will do shortly..........couurtesy of these MIB

That's from a frustrated Frenchman obviously......les experiAnce......

 

[electrosys]

Have you been stopped and had your car searched twice during the same period of time ? Ever thought why not ?
Yes - second part of your question now irrelevant

I rather think you need to start asking why this is happening to you ....
I've NEVER been stopped or searched - oh, except one stop in Wales when a rear light failed. No search.

So - you're saying that they are no bl##dy good at their job, then ?

Not at all - they spotted it straight away!

And they took samples for analysis ? And held you in custody whilst they tested it ? Or did they simply take your word for what it was ? Spotting it isn't the issue - it's what they did about it that matters.
I don't buy this story.

Perhaps other people don't share your enthusiasm for having a number of butch men wearing black rubber suits on board their boats ? No accounting for personal tastes ...

For a start, they were not ALL men.

Jeez - I didn't realise that gender was a sensitive issue here - sorry if I've touched a raw nerve - likewise my use of the word 'butch' - maybe this has homosexual overtones in your lexicon ?
In my lexicon, 'butch' simply means to display an exaggerated or stereotypical masculine appearance - nothing to do with a person's sexual preference. I'm quite happy to describe either a man or woman dressed up like Darth Vader as being 'butch', but if this offends you, for 'butch men', read 'macho men and women', although 'macho' is more generally a description of conduct, whereas 'butch' is a descriptor of appearance.

 

[puddock]

I rather think you need to start asking why this is happening to you ....
I've NEVER been stopped or searched - oh, except one stop in Wales when a rear light failed. No search.



And they took samples for analysis ? And held you in custody whilst they tested it ? Or did they simply take your word for what it was ? Spotting it isn't the issue - it's what they did about it that matters.
I don't buy this story.


Jeez - I didn't realise that gender was a sensitive issue here - sorry if I've touched a raw nerve - likewise my use of the word 'butch' - maybe this has homosexual overtones in your lexicon ?
In my lexicon, 'butch' simply means to display an exaggerated or stereotypical masculine appearance - nothing to do with a person's sexual preference. I'm quite happy to describe either a man or woman dressed up like Darth Vader as being 'butch', but if this offends you, for 'butch men', read 'macho men and women', although 'macho' is more generally a description of conduct, whereas 'butch' is a descriptor of appearance.

Do you have an obsession with men in black rubber suits? Black men in Rubber suits? Are you in anway involved with politics per chance? Sure your name shouldn't be electrolysis ?

Oxalic Acid - on opening the container, it is pretty obvious it is not a narcotic - Dumbass. Ever heard of swabs? They were not used in my case however, as I am sure those involved knew a bit more about narcotics than you do. What's up? Did you buy a crushed up asprin in your schooldays?

I was stopped and searched in my car three times in the space of less than a mile - due to the fact that the great Margaret Thatcher was about to pay a visit.

 

[BrendanS]

I rather think you need to start asking why this is happening to you ....

I did, it didn't stop them contacting my supplied details of my company to check. The PA to the CEO contacted me to tell me that they had been contacted. Nor did it stop them taking my car apart, and all the contents of it.

You may not believe it happens to innocent people, but it does

 

[puddock]

I did, it didn't stop them contacting my supplied details of my company to check. The PA to the CEO contacted me to tell me that they had been contacted. Nor did it stop them taking my car apart, and all the contents of it.

You may not believe it happens to innocent people, but it does

Happens every day for no apparent reason...........
Did you pursue this matter further? I would have. Did you p*ss someone off, who may have given a *tip off"?
Customs officers have loads of time on their hands. They like nothing more than taking cars apart, it makes them feel more MACHO, especially if the victim has no previous, no cause for attention and treats them with the respect they deserve.

As a side note: I don't doubt that there have been instances where boarding parties have upset boatowners who will have had cause to have been upset. As taxpayers and therefore the people who ultimately pay their wages, then ultimately they have a responsibility to operate under the rules of our government and to be answerable for their actions.
What I object to is people jumping on the bandwagon and slating these guys (and gals!) for the sake of it. These people (in my opinion) are doing a great job. If anything, those higher up the ladder have a few questions to answer but that is not what my original post was targeted at.
Have we as a nation, lost the art of supporting our forces (military and civilian)? Is all the opinion we can muster purely criticism? I have said it before on another thread - if you don't like it, get the f**k out of the country - SIMPLE!
Nobody is holding you here against your will, despite what some may be inclined to infer in their posts. This is still a free country - at least until Sharia Law gets in...........

Also, as another side note - Don't take my forum arguments as personal slights, they are definitely not. I like to express my opinion as is my right and I don't deny you the same right. You should see the state of my nose !

 

[BrendanS]

Did you p*ss someone off, who may have given a *tip off"?

I just had an Irish sounding name, and travelled to Ireland a few times on business and pleasure, in what seemed to them an unreasonable time frame.

Didn't bother me that much being pulled over and being told I was being monitored (hence call to CEO to check I was actually there on business reasons on the dates I supplied)

What did bother me was missing the ferry and having to call to say I was going to miss appointments. Having the car taken apart, and not being put back together in the same state was a real bummer. It squeaked and rattled until it was replaced, and no recourse to having it fixed properly.

 

[PaulJS]

Happens every day for no apparent reason...........
Did you pursue this matter further? I would have. Did you p*ss someone off, who may have given a *tip off"?
Customs officers have loads of time on their hands. They like nothing more than taking cars apart, it makes them feel more MACHO, especially if the victim has no previous, no cause for attention and treats them with the respect they deserve.

Many years ago I heard a story from a UK based shipping company where a Chief Steward had over the years developed his acquisitive skills to the point where he had a huge cold box in the boot of his car. As the ships actually spent quite a long time tied up in their home port he often took loads of perks home with him. Management turned a blind eye as they were being "sweetened". In fact the joke used to be that all of their wives thought that sirloin steak still cost 2/- per pound - in the 1990's!

Anyway, apparently one day he upset one of his staff... The next time he did a "delivery run" he ended up with 3 cars full of armed police/customs emptying his car onto the pavement. The timing was impeccable, he was parked outside the companies office in the centre of town at the time!

The moral is, as always on a ship that you can annoy the Chief Mate, infuriate the Captain, and seriously p**s off the Chief Engineer, but never, ever upset the Cook.

 

[Black Sheep]

Don't take my forum arguments as personal slights, they are definitely not

You are a spectacular C*NT.

May you rot in hell

?

 

[steve350]

Also, as another side note - Don't take my forum arguments as personal slights, they are definitely not. I like to express my opinion as is my right and I don't deny you the same right. You should see the state of my nose !

?

 

[jason -and the arguenauts]

Just read an article criticising the Customs/ UKBA cutters.

Quote: However, in response to a number of letters from RYA members who have been victims of ‘stop and search’ raids at sea, the RYA has approached the Minister of State for Borders and Immigration to seek clarification of the statutory powers of the UKBA cutter crews and boarding parties.

“We are receiving an increasing number of such reports from members of the boating public who are worried about the intimidating demeanour of the UKBA cutter crews and boarding parties”, commented Gus Lewis, RYA Legal and Government Affairs Manager.

I personally have never felt in the slightest bit intimidated ...................


Maybe some people take the boardings personally or believe they are above being boarded?

And if you have never felt intimidated that means that no one else should feel intimidated doesnt it? Shouldnt bother you if large numbers of men in black clump around your boat in their hobnailed boots, accusing you of all sorts of offenses, rifling through your wife's underwear and sniggering.

It used to be the case in this country that your home was your castle and no one could enter without a warrant. It used to be the case that you werent subject to questioning unless there was some reason for doing so. It used to be the case that police identification numbers were worn and black paramilitary uniforms werent worn. You used to ask a policeman the way to somewhere - now you avoid them if you can. I can even remember the days when police knocked before entering and it wasnt with a battering ram.

So yes, I do object to the stop and search. The police and the paramiltaries have altogether too much power and they abuse it as many reports of the misuse of the terrorism act have confirmed. It's time they were brought under effective civilian control (election of chief constables?) and made to operate intelligently and a damn site more efficiently.

 

[jason -and the arguenauts]

My post was a bit intemperate, but I dont like the way that we are regressing towards the sort of police / authority structure that third world countries have. What have we done to the poor old UK that this sort of thing can be contempleted. We used to be a country at ease with ourselves.

 

[halcyon]

So yes, I do object to the stop and search. The police and the paramiltaries have altogether too much power and they abuse it as many reports of the misuse of the terrorism act have confirmed. It's time they were brought under effective civilian control (election of chief constables?) and made to operate intelligently and a damn site more efficiently.

It was quoted the Police did 1 million stop and searches last year, one wonders how they fitted them all in, and who listed them, and who many were not listed ?

They were saying as well yesterday that they want to change all the CCTV to digital, and increase the number further, should we have one in each house ?

The problem with some is that they look at yesterday to compare, not 30 years ago, then you see how it's things have changed. Both from the threat, and from the Police responce.

Brian

 

[Giblets]

I caught a snippet from a tv programme the other night which showed the Customs vessel Searcher intercept a yacht off the coast of Cornwall. The RIB was lanched from the stern of the cutter and approached the yacht from behind to make sure nothing was thrown overboard. The Customs bods requested to board but the yachtie refused saying that they could board when he was back in port. They boarded anyway and took discrete swabs from the tiller, engine controls, winch handles, etc. - in fact anywhere where the yachtie could have touched. When they got back on board the cutter the swabs were popped into a machine to see if there were any traces of drugs. Sneaky whatsits!

 

[Litotes]

And if you have never felt intimidated that means that no one else should feel intimidated doesnt it? Shouldnt bother you if large numbers of men in black clump around your boat in their hobnailed boots, accusing you of all sorts of offenses, rifling through your wife's underwear and sniggering.

It's a while since we have been boarded, but your description is, I think, pure fiction. In my experience the number of people who come aboard is two (although there may be more in the RIB), they are courteous, they make no accusations and they don't rifle through personal possessions, although they do show an interest in charts, logbooks etc. Neither do they wear hobnail boots. The last time it happened was early in the morning after a night passage and my wife was in the process of getting dressed. I explained and they waited patiently about 25 metres astern of us until she was ready.

I share your misgivings about ever extending authoritarianism but I have never been intimidated on the rare occasions that I have been boarded. I suspect that the behaviour of the RIB crews may be to some extent determined by the attitude of the skipper, which won't be helped by this kind of exaggeration.

 

[Skents]

We have been boarded or questioned six times this season and it is getting increasingly difficult to react with politeness and patience.

The last time the Borders Agency came to call, they came alongside south of Lizard Point, scuffed up our topsides and leapt on board. We didn't refuse access but made it clear that we were getting a bit peeved with the regularity of their calls.

They looked at our passports, swabbed the saloon for traces of drugs and explosives and poked around our teenage son's cabin - perhaps they thought his socks were potential weapons of mass destruction?

We are British liveaboards with no criminal records and this year we have be no further afield than Brittany and the Scillies. During visit four or five, we asked why we kept attracting the men in black and one guy (rather candidly) said we fitted the profile. When we asked what this was, we were told we had an offshore boat but didn't look rich so were likely suspects for smuggling and general dodgy dealing. Nice!

I would ask those people who are not concerned about this, how they would feel if a load of people in commando style garb came univited to their home six times in six months and wanted to look at their passports and swab their kitchen table for drugs and weapons?

Last time they left us a Borders Agency pencil and keyring. Next they'll be handing out stickers with "Smile - you've been swabbed" on them.

 

[Sailfree]

I have only once been stopped by customs after a ferry crossing and once boarded.

Yes I appreciate they are doing a job and they are polite but fronkly had I been carrying drugs on the boat their search would not have found them but they would have discovered illegal immigrants.

On the basis of searching British pleasure boats for illegal immigrant I accept the search but if in 5000 searchs they have never found any i suspect its some jobsworth justifying their job with non-productive useless quotas.

I have no problem with intelligence lead stops.

Like many i want the Police, Customs and security services but I want them to be effective and productive and until I see some evidece/results published of their stop & search of pleasure boats I suspect its just their excuse to run around in expensive MoBo's and fast ribs and earn a living. I am happy if someone can demonstrate that I am wrong and that they are effective and productive.

On a separate note I need to go back to Cherbourg (Scuttlebutt Trip) to complain to Majestic Wines. My complaint - I did not buy enough of their excellent quoffing wine at £1.95 a bottle. Now they will pay for my ferry crossing to buy some more acording to their newsletter. When will we harmonise our taxes as what is more stupid than drivng there solely to load up with enough wine to last me through to say May when I will sail there for pleasure! At what point would customs stop me if i bought a years supply say 400 bottles??

 

[jonjo]

You piece of "out of UK terratorial waters" holding tank discharge........ May you rot in hell, along with your "so called" heroes........

This has to be a classic forum post. It would be interesting to see a plot of Puddock's blood alcohol level as this thread developed, did he pass out around 6am?

 

[Litotes]

On the basis of searching British pleasure boats for illegal immigrant I accept the search but if in 5000 searchs they have never found any i suspect its some jobsworth justifying their job with non-productive useless quotas.

That is not the point. The intention of "spot checks" of any sort is to establish an unpredictable environment and an expectation that you may be checked - thus adding risk to the enterprise, which will deter "casual" offenders and make it harder for others.