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Comment by trevyn | Hacker News Reader

All the inbound customs checkpoints I've seen in the US and overseas are after you pick up your checked luggage. It sounds like this specific case was outbound, but outbound inspection at commercial airports is unusual in the US.

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Formal checkpoints, yes. A cluster of agents standing in the jetway and pulling people aside as they board the plane - not uncommon.

In the US? I've traveled internationally almost continually for the last six years or so and have never seen that or any outbound customs checking.

Interesting. Flying out of SFO, I’ve seen it several times over the past few years, also logging a good dozen overseas flights per year ...

I've seen that as a TSA thing, on a domestic flight. It was on the first flight in the morning, so the airline wasn't trying to do a quick turnaround.

It also only covered the people standing in line... so I sat there, waited for my boarding group to go, and followed behind them.

Wait, what? You were approached by a CBP officer while taking a domestic flight? Which airport?

That was a TSA thing -- they were TSA officers. Las Vegas. And I didn't get approached -- I wasn't lined up, as described.

yep, i've been pulled aside on the jetway while boarding a british airways flight to the usa, to have my carry-on searched. this was in heathrow, so not sure who the particular security agent worked for. none of my phones or electronics were turned on or checked, though...

Definitely inbound to the USA, that happens all the time with additional screening to meet US requirements. Talking about outbound though.

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