The Fugitive

The following tale is not for the faint of heart, as it is the most harrowing experience of my life, one I will never forget. I arrived in London Heathrow airport about 8am, after an eight hour flight to Munich, a two hour lay over, and another two hour flight. The line at immigration was long, and I drifted into a day dream. I was supposed to take the tube out to the other side of the city, to Epping, to meet up with my friend Alex, of Thailand blog fame. I missed her......I woke out of my Thailand dream sequence with just a few people to go in line. I scanned the row of counters, looking for someone nice looking. I spotted her, the Muslim girl two desks over, hopefully, I would get her. I did. I handed her my passport and entry form. She asked me where I was staying, I said I didn't know (Alex had alluded to getting a B&B somewhere for the night, but I didn't know where). The IO didn't like this answer, 'you have to tell me where your staying!' Well, I'm meeting my friend who lives out near Cambridge, and staying with her. 'How long are you here for?' 'I think I'll stay for about three weeks' At this point, I was finally waking up a bit, and realizing how angry this woman was staring me down. How long have you been traveling? About six months. How can you pay for that? With my savings. How can you afford that, do you have a job? Actually, I'm between jobs. How much money do you have? I told her. Do you have any proof of this? I'm sorry, I don't. How much money do you have on you? I realized that I only had 200 hong kong dollars on me, not much. Well, this isn't looking very good! Why not? Well, if I went to YOUR country looking the way I do, with those answers I would be arrested! Sit down, I'm detaining you! Wow, that was fast. I just sat down, stunned. I had been to so many border crossings in the past year, and had never had any problem with the same answers, I had been lulled to sleep I guess by all the informality over there. I was sure that this would be no big deal though, hopefully they would just check my account or something. As I sat there, Fernando Gonzales, the tennis player I had seen at the Australian Open, and had rooted for with my friend from Chile in Sydney, Nicholas, walked by me. Guess he had lost in the French. I thought about yelling out a good "Vamos!", but thought better of it. Eventually, a guy who looked like a cleaned up version of Ali G came and brought me back to a holding room. He was very nice and tried to make me calm. I just have to search your bags, and finger print you. This is just a formality, I'm sure its no problem. That's when I remembered, I had last second, about 10 hours ago, slipped a piece of paper regarding my Hong Kong work into my bag! Idiot! I had a sinking sensation as he started to go though the papers, email, email.....those are just directions to my friends house....maybe he would miss it.....but no, so whats this, you worked Hong Kong? Yes, I did. OK. Then mug shots, and the took every fingerprint. Then just left my bag in the hall and checked me into the holding tank which was a waiting room with a guard behind glass. I was seriously worried now. I waited and waited. There was only one other person in the room with me, a young girl from Venezuela. We smiled at each other but didn't talk. Then the pay phone started ringing. For some reason, I decided to pick it up. Oh my God, whats happening? It was Alex. Apparently, my Muslim friend had been on the phone grilling her this whole time. Asking all kinds of very personal questions. What a situation, to be stuck, completely helpless to defend yourself. That's when my IO came back for my interview. We went to a smaller room and sat down at a table. She just had a note pad and wrote down each question before she asked it, then my response. We basically went through the same questions, but greater detail about my plans, and my relationship with the person called Alex. It was unnerving. Then the issue about work. Were you able to work? I was led to believe I was. Back in the holding tank, I finally ate a free sandwich and had a crap coffee. Then I went and asked if I could get to my bag, I needed a smoke. Sure, the lady in the bubble was very nice. Then I chatted up the girl from Venezuela. She was there visiting her boyfriend. She was putting on a strong face, but I could tell how scared she was. Hours pass. Alex would call to check in every once in a while, and she was doing everything she could to help. Eventually however, I got the news, I was being denied entry to the UK, and was booked on the next flight back to Honk Kong. I had screwed up, and now had to face being escorted onto a plane, like a criminal, and sitting through the exact same 12 hour flight I had just finished. I desperately pleaded with the bubble lady to speak to the head IO, the man who had signed my death warrant. Eventually, he came in, not in a good mood. Well? I just want to know what this means, can I never come back here? Can I travel with this on my record? What will happen to me in Hong Kong? Well, this doesn't have any bearing on any future entry to any country, you aren't being deported, that would be different. Your not being granted leave to enter this country, that's all this means. I don't know and honestly don't care what you do in Hong Kong, go work there for all I care. Thanks. I had time to kill, and just kept on re-playing all the events of the last 24 hours in my head. How did it come to this? Then my friend in holding got her news, also negative. She broke down. I can't go back there, you don't know what they will do to me! I tried my best to console her. There is a certain camaraderie that is formed when in the pen. While I patted her on the shoulder and told her it was going to be OK through her sobs, I was hit with an epiphany. As bad as this was for me, it was worse for her. I am actually lucky, some people have to deal with this all the time, being accused, having to defend yourself, being discriminated against, its easy to say you could deal with it, but until you have, you don't know what its like. I did notice that her IO seemed much friendlier than mine, and decided to grab the opportunity. Excuse me, I know your not familiar with my case, but could I please ask you a question? Sure. What is going to happen to me in Hong Kong? They will probably send you home. The guard who was to be my escort couldn't wait to talk to me. I couldn't believe it was true, an American being sent back, wow, this, like never happens. Thanks man, that really helps. Ah, don't worry, you will be fine. So where are you from? I actually had the most pleasant conversation with my guard as we went through security, by passing everyone in line. I have no idea what people thought, but if they thought I was some kind of killer, or big time smuggler, so be it, at this point, I was relishing the role. Finally, at the gate, my buddy gave the ticket to the captain, and we said goodbye. Hey, have fun at that wedding, give your brother my best I yelled as I was given priority status for boarding. The perks you get once your a fugitive! I settled into my seat, and looked out the window. I was 6 months into a trip around the world, and the adventure was just beginning. To be continued...