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August 8, 2009 8:47 AM

Flying back to Canada via US - from Amsterdam. Will US Customs hassle me about coffeeshop visits?

I've booked a trip through Europe, passing through several countries but flying back to Canada from Amsterdam via a major US airport. As I understand it, I will have to pass through US Customs during my layover.

I'm not an active smoker of anything, but during my time in Amsterdam I just might want to stop in at one of the legal establishments in that city and sample substances that are allowed in the Netherlands, and condoned in Canada.

My only worry is that, coming back through the US, I'll say I was coming from Amsterdam and get a steely-eyed customs officer who asks specific questions about my activities there and uses the opportunity to search my luggage and/or person, causing me to miss my connecting flight.

For what it's worth, I'm a fairly young, Caucasian (half-Dutch in fact), short hair, clean-shaven, button-down-shirt wearing nerd. Not sure if that fits any profiles or not. I'd also prefer to not lie to anyone, so if it's going to be a big deal I'll just stick to poffertjes.

Anyone had negative encounters with customs after returning from Amsterdam? Is this a legitimate concern or just (ironically, drug-induced) paranoia?

posted by anonymous to Travel & Transportation (18 answers total)

I returned from Amsterdam a few months ago and was asked no strange questions by the US, and I haven't heard of anyone being questioned along those lines.
posted by PatoPata at 8:57 AM on August 8, 2009

I have not had any negative experiences like that in the three times I've returned to the US from Amsterdam, although I am both American and female, unlike yourself. For one thing, Amsterdam is a hub airport, so there is alot of air traffic between there and the US every day. Also, lots of tourists go there for perfectly legal reasons. I think you'd really have to give them a reason to give you a second glance. If you're sober, clean, and reasonably well-dressed (clean, non-ripped clothes) I doubt you have anything to worry about.
posted by cabingirl at 9:04 AM on August 8, 2009

In spite of all the ridiculous new homeland "security" measures being enacted lately, I think it's highly unlikely that you'll be singled out just because of your country of origin. There are thousands of travelers from Europe passing through customs each day and unless you're doing something to arouse suspicion (such as actually carrying drugs), you don't have anything to worry about.
posted by Aanidaani at 9:06 AM on August 8, 2009

Two things:

1. I have flown from Amsterdam into the US multiple times (once, while in college, dressed the precise part of someone "up to no good"), and never had any questioning or hassles along those lines.

2. I have noticed that since 9/11/01, now that the TSA assumes that we're all terrorists, there actually appears to be LESS energy devoted to petty recreational drug shit in airport security situations.
posted by Ignatius J. Reilly at 9:14 AM on August 8, 2009

I wouldn't worry about it. I've been to Amsterdam three times and I've never had an issue. The US doesn't have jurisdiction over your legal activities in other countries. Just don't bring anything back with you.
posted by sickinthehead at 9:21 AM on August 8, 2009

I've been to Amsterdam and back to the States many times. Absolutely no problems and no questions about whether I'd visited coffeeshops. Just don't have pot on your person or in your luggage.
posted by Houstonian at 9:35 AM on August 8, 2009

Whenever I fly between the US and UK, it's via Amsterdam, because it's an easier change than the London airports. Never had a hard time. The one time I had my case turned out in the US, the customs people were more interested in the chocolate I bought in London. As others have said, it's such a big connecting hub (into other big connecting hubs) that if they were to assume the worst, no-one would catch their onward flights.

As long as you don't try to bring anything back, you should be fine.
posted by holgate at 9:39 AM on August 8, 2009

I flew Schipol to Heathrow and the only additional hassle I got was that every passenger coming from Amsterdam had to have sniffer dogs briefly inspect their bags. Like hold the bag out for the dog, dog takes cursory sniff, you're on your way. Took seconds. I had no problems coming home to the US with Dutch stamps in my passport.
posted by elsietheeel at 9:53 AM on August 8, 2009

I am a US citizen and when I came back from Amsterdam in 2003 through Chicago I had to have my bag searched. I was asked a bunch of question about where I stayed in Amsterdam (and Brussels, Paris, London -- other cities I was in) and if the agent seemed baffled I would go off to Europe alone. Although I did go to coffeehouses in Amsterdam, that was one question he did not ask.

The guy rifled through my bag and found nothing since there was nothing to find. It wasn't an overly invasive search but it still pissed me off.

When I came back to the US from Japan via Chicago I was also selected for secondary as well. When I return to the US via LAX, Houston, Miami, or DFW I don't have any trouble. I chalk it up to the customs/immigration workers in Chicago being dicks.

Even so, I still wouldn't worry about it if I were you unless you're trying to bring back something.
posted by birdherder at 10:03 AM on August 8, 2009

Even if you did tell the customs officer that you went to Amsterdam specifically to smoke weed, what's the problem? It's illegal in the US, not over there.

If you go to the UK and drive on the left side of the road, you aren't going to get a traffic ticket in the US for driving on the wrong side. Different countries have different laws; you are bound by the ones you're in, not the one your passport is from.

(OK, the US claims that if you go to some country to fuck 12-year-olds, it's illegal regardless of the laws of the country you're doing this in. This is very flimsy legally, IMHO, and you aren't doing that anyway.)

Anyway, nothing to worry about. Customs officers are authorized to search your "papers", not your mind or thoughts.... so I am not sure you even need to mention this, even if specifically asked. Are they really going to prove that you're lying in court? Probably not.
posted by jrockway at 10:23 AM on August 8, 2009

You'll be fine. I flew back from Amsterdam directly to the U.S. a little over a year ago and was pretty much waved through customs without a second glance.

Even if you did tell the customs officer that you went to Amsterdam specifically to smoke weed, what's the problem? It's illegal in the US, not over there.

Technically speaking, cannabis is illegal over there, just tolerated. Not to split hairs with you, but there really is no upside to admitting to customs that you patronized a coffeeshop. It strikes me as needlessly foolhardy to offer up this kind of info, especially when they could put you in a tiny room while they search your belongings for hours on end.

(Great title, btw.)
posted by dhammond at 11:04 AM on August 8, 2009 [1 favorite]

I came back from a trip to Europe this summer, which included a night in Amsterdam. Outside of asking if I'd brought anything home with me that's illegal in the US (which I took as a question covering everything and not just the pot), they were more interested in if I'd played with cows.
posted by theichibun at 3:24 PM on August 8, 2009

When I flew back from Europe when I was 19, Canadian customs grilled me especially hard when the officer found out I had been in the Netherlands.

Her (pulling out a short sleeved 'mechanic uniform' shirt out my bag): What's this?
Me: It's a used shirt I bought in Amsterdam.
Her: Amsterdam. Did you do any drugs in Amsterdam?
Me: No.
Her (reading the shirt's iron-on tag): Who's Sid?
Me: I don't know. It just came on the shirt.
Her: Did you buy drugs from Sid?
Me: .
posted by Beardman at 3:35 PM on August 8, 2009 [2 favorites]

I flew back from Schipol (into a US airport) last winter, and they took me aside and thoroughly searched my bags. They seemed baffled I'd travel by myself and they asked me where I was staying, what I was doing. Usual customs stuff, but they didn't ask about drugs at all.

Beardman: Holy fuck, that is ridiculous.
posted by anonymuk at 6:07 PM on August 8, 2009

I went to Amsterdam, ate space cake, sampled blond hash, bought a diamond (which I declared) and was waved through customs without any hassle. I had wanted to bring back some cheese,but decided against that.
posted by brujita at 11:20 PM on August 8, 2009

I've flown between the U.S. and Amsterdam many times, all post-9/11. I've never been asked by anyone about any of my activities in the Netherlands, and none of my stuff has ever been searched. But I do have an American passport, not a Dutch or Canadian one.
posted by transporter accident amy at 2:26 AM on August 9, 2009

I was asked questions when departing Schipol while returning to the U.S. (U.S. passport). The questions were mostly of the "Are you carrying a bomb or a gun?" variety. They didn't ask me about drugs.
posted by chairface at 8:32 PM on August 9, 2009

I returned to the US from a 2-month, 9-county European trip which included the Netherlands in 2000, and was grilled about it at customs. I had a bunch of stamps in my passport, but as soon as the guy saw Netherlands, he thought he had us made. He asked questions about Amsterdam and drug use for about 10 minutes while he emptied out my bag and went through everything. He also asked my friend if he was high right then (after a 9-hour flight). To be fair we looked like early twenties backpackers, but not everyone just blows through customs.
posted by Who_Am_I at 7:26 AM on August 10, 2009