We Promise To Be Nice In 2007

The last of the JFK Customs and Immigration entries. I promise.

Tuesday. Immigration. Empty arrivals hall.
“Good evening sir. How are you today?”
“Fine thank you. You?”
“I’m good, thanks. Good flight?"
Hold on. What’s going on here? This looks like the beginnings of a civil conversation. Does this guy suspect something?

"Erm, yes thanks. Long delay in London but otherwise pretty good.”
There. That’s confirmed I’m from a respectable city, assuming he doesn't think I meant the one in Ohio.

“I see your flight’s come in pretty late. What held you guys up?”
“Oh, they were on reduced staff at Heathrow... In London... England. Long hold-ups getting people through.”
“That’s crazy! Reduced staff? It's always busy around the holidays, they should know that. It’s you guys that suffer. They didn't plan that well!”
What the hell? I can’t handle this level of politeness. Is it the first day on the job for this chap?

“Yeah, you’re not wrong. Still, no queues in here, I can’t believe it, this has got to be the quickest I’ve ever walked through.”
“You missed the earlier rush, and you’ve arrived just before the next couple of flights are due."

Pause. Extended flicking through passport.
"Now, let me see, you’re coming through on this visa here?”
I knew it. The ‘good official bad official’ routine - admittedly played out by the same guy - but now he's softened me up here comes the kicker. The beastin’.

“Yes I am.”
“OK. Great. There you go, sir. Happy new year to you!”
“Huh?”

Baggage Reclaim.
First two cases onto the belt? Both mine.

Customs.
The crazy sweary official who made that woman cry last time I came through? All jolly and smiley.

Now, here’s what I think happened while I was away. That complaint I made in November really put the willies up the boys over in Terminal 4. There was a big big meeting and the rude customs guy got a telling-off. But that did him a lot of good and he’s a better man for it now. He’s found the joy in his work again and that joy has spread through all the arrivals staff. There’s a newfound sense of communal purpose there. There’s also a vast amount of gratefulness being directed at the instigator of all this. I suspect that there was a little party when they saw my name on the passenger list and as a small favour they cleared the arrival hall and pulled my bags out of the aircraft first. Thank you JFK people, and a happy new year to you all - every uniformed last one of you.