How Not To Behave in Brazil!!

[+ Lucky]

Brazil detains American Airlines crew over obscene gesture at the camera in new flap over entry requirements

 

STAN LEHMAN, Associated Press Writer Wednesday, January 14, 2004

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

 

(01-14) 11:24 PST SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) --

 

The pilot of an American Airlines jet was detained Wednesday after making an obscene gesture when being photographed at the airport as part of a newly imposed entry requirement for U.S. citizens, federal police said.

 

Eleven crewmembers from the airplane arriving from Miami were also detained, police said.

 

Brazil imposed requirements that Americans be fingerprinted and photographed at entry points in response the similar rules in the United States for citizens of Brazil and other countries whose citizens need visas to enter.

 

American Airlines spokeswoman Martha Pantin said the incident was the result of a misunderstanding under investigation by the airline, but did not provide more details.

 

"The company apologizes to the Brazilian government, the airport authorities, the police or anyone else who may have perceived anything they believe to have been disrespectful," Pantin said. She said the pilot and crew were still at the airport Wednesday afternoon.

 

Police said the pilot and crew were expected to leave the country later Wednesday. Various Brazilian news reports said the crew was detained for laughing at the pilot's gesture or for refusing to submit to the fingerprinting and photographing. Police would not give a reason for the crew's detention.

[scudman]

I think this is hilarious. I can just picture that guy flipping off the camera. Too bad it's costing him $13K. Sounds like the Brazilian government doesn't have much of a sense of humor these days.

 

Here's another article:

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3961395/

[Guest Gringo]

Gringo Arrested

 

A word to the wise----DON’T FUCK WITH THE FEDERAL POLICE!!

 

We gringos are visitors here.

 

This is their country and they make the rules.

 

If you find this reality problematic, don’t come to Brasil.

:+

[Guest rampo]

>Sounds like the Brazilian government doesn't have much of a sense of humor these days.

 

I can't think of a country where the immigration and customs officials are noted for their sense of humor. Somehow I don't picture a US immigration officer at JFK laughing off a Brazilian flipping him off either. Try it at Don Muang Airport and one probably would be spending a few days in one of Thailand's infamous "monkey houses."

[Guest Valleyman]

Here is another story (from the New York Times) concerning that Ugly American pilot:

 

 

January 15, 2004

Brazil Jails American Airlines Pilot Over Fingerprinting Snub

By LARRY ROHTER

 

 

RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan. 14 — An American Airlines pilot arriving in São Paulo, Brazil's largest city, was jailed Wednesday after he protested new procedures requiring the fingerprinting and photographing of all incoming United States citizens by making what Federal Police officers described as an obscene gesture.

Eleven other crew members on the same flight from Miami were refused entry to Brazil and detained after the police said that they had refused to be fingerprinted and behaved in a "derisive" manner. They were ordered to return to the United States on the next available flight, which was to leave São Paulo on Wednesday night.

The dispute heightened Brazilian-American tensions that started Jan. 1 when Brazil demanded that arriving American citizens — and American citizens alone — be photographed and fingerprinted. The policy was in retaliation for increased security measures in the United States that require citizens of all but 27 countries, mostly European, to undergo nearly identical procedures.

At a conference of Western Hemisphere heads of government on Monday, Brazil's president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, personally asked President Bush that Brazilians be exempted from the requirements. He followed that on Tuesday with public criticism of the United States procedures, saying to reporters that "if the problem is to fight terrorism, this measure makes no sense" because "we have no culture of terrorism" in Brazil.

 

The police said that the American Airlines pilot, Dale Hersh, 52, had been charged with "disrespect for authority," an offense that carries a jail term of six months to one year. It was unclear whether he would be allowed to leave the country before facing trial, and the United States Consulate in São Paulo issued a statement saying that American officials were "working with both the Federal Police and American Airlines to resolve the matter."

American Airlines is one of the biggest carriers from the United States to Brazil and the rest of Latin America, with flights from New York City, Miami and Dallas to Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Belo Horizonte. A spokeswoman in Miami, Martha Pantin, said in a telephone interview that the company "regrets any misunderstanding" with the Brazilian authorities and plans to continue its normal flight schedule.

"American Airlines and its employees pride themselves on always being professional and courteous with everyone with whom they come in contact," she said. "The company apologizes to the Brazilian government, the airport authorities, the police or anyone else who may have perceived anything they believe to be disrespectful."

[+ Axiom2001]

RE: Gringo Arrested

 

My thoughts exactly, Gringo! It's unfortunate that some Americans think they are God's gifts to the world and can do and say whatever they please (in all situations). That's one reason we're abhorred along with that current administration in Washington, D.C.

 

If one is unable to adapt--then stay at home or go elsewhere!!

[+ Axiom2001]

This is NO joking matter, and it has NOTHING to be with one possessing a sense of humor. If you were arrested in this country--would you flip off the arresting officer and curse him out? WOuld you use profanity or flip off a judge if you didn't concur with her or his verdict? Think about it!

 

The pilot's actions were indeed juvenile and immensely inane!

I take it that 13K is the equivalent of $13,000!

[+ Axiom2001]

Thanks for your logic! This is a serious matter; it's not one with which kidding and acting as a middle schooler is acceptable!

[catnip]

Anyone hear if that dork is getting fired?

[trilingual]

To my knowledge, everyone has now been released. The crew were released immediately, only the pilot was held (in the airport VIP lounge) until bond was posted. The nightly news showed the photograph of the pilot "giving the finger" as he was holding the sheet of paper with his serial number while being officially photographed. The "finger" gesture is known in Brazil, so it didn't take an expert in cultural anthropology to decipher what the pilot was up to.

 

As others have pointed out, joking around with people in official positions who are examining you isn't a good idea anywhere, whether Brazil, the U.S., or any other country. They're notoriously humorless. And they're just doing their jobs. They don't take kindly to people messing with them. This is an example of what happens when you try to get cute with an immigration officer. The same things happen, by the way, to foreigners entering the U.S. who are disrespectful, aggressive, etc.

 

THE GOOD NEWS (hopefully): This morning's news says the digital print readers and cameras have been installed in SP and Rio and are now working. Hopefully this will cut down on delays and make the ID process painless and less messy (not to mention cut down on the opportunity for incidents like the above to occur). Supposedly it's taking no more than 45 seconds to take the prints and photos with the new equipment. As long as it doesn't break down, things should be better.

[duke37]

I'm kinda curious. Is Brazil actually DOING anything with the fingerprints and photos? OR are they just storing them in some database without checking anything, just to stick it to Uncle Sam?

 

Of course this reciprocity policy could have an upside. Perhaps we can get our border people to strip and body cavity search visitors. If Brazil follows suit I'll be the first off the plane for my strip search by the hunky Brazilian immigration officers! }(

 

Jeff

[trilingual]

According to the papers, the information will be stored in a database. Seeing is believing, though. Brazil does have some criminal justice databases, and was in the process of automating its fingerprint files (the equipment at the airports was originally to be used in police stations, but got diverted because of the unexpected court order starting the fingerprinting of Americans). I don't know how good this will be at stopping potential terrorists, assuming Brazil begins fingerprinting everyone and not just Americans, but it can help screen out drug dealers, money launderers, guys who've been busted before for sex with minors, etc. So it may not be completely useless. As far as I know, there isn't a computerized immigration database in Brazil (unlike the U.S.) so I don't think they can track overstays and other immigration violations using this system.

 

It's a fast-moving story, though, so don't touch that dial. Thanks to all who've posted news articles or otherwise contributed to keeping everyone current!

[Guest msclonly]

Fortuately, $13,000 is pocket change for Pilots!

[Guest Deweywop]

Here's another viewpoint from abroad on why Latin Americans are incensed:

 

http://nytimes.com/2004/01/12/international/europe/12SPIEGEL.html

 

My favorite part, clearly a classic portrait of clueless Americans in the view of a German journalist:

 

Of course this creates tension. "We're being treated like criminals," complained vacationer Scott Hall from Boston. "Don't you want our dollars? What's wrong with you?," asked an irritated traveler who had missed a tour of Rio's Sugar Loaf Mountain because of border control procedures.

 

--------

 

Once again, it never occurred to these Boston vacationers that the "Do unto others ..." commandment applies to Americans as well. The "Don't you want our dollars?" quote is interesting. Clearly that has been the dominant Norte view of Latin America since, like, the Andrews Sisters sang about rum & coca-cola. I'm glad some judge in the middle of nowhere Brazil, diplomatically or not, had the guts to say there is a limit.