Customs: Behind the Scenes
An Interview with Joseph O'Gorman

Listen with RealAudio          Need audio help?

I never get stopped at customs. "Occupation: journalist" is obviously not associated with the term "big spender." But my friends who travel with fancy luggage, especially those who are well dressed and female, say they're stopped all the time and given the once over even when they have nothing to declare. So why are some of us searched while others aren't?

To answer that question and to give us a better sense of the customs process, we spoke with Joseph O'Gorman, who is a U.S. Customs Service Supervisory Inspector stationed at the customs headquarters in Washington D.C. We asked Joe, of all the travelers who come into the US, what percentage get stopped and asked questions?