[simongr]

I actually miss out on those having no luggage - I dont wait at the carousel and thus dont get spotted by one of the customs guys...

[oz_mark]

Originally Posted by Harpoon

Slighty off topic (sorry)...

In regards to getting the 'fast passage' green stamp on your arrival card to bypass xrays in customs, I seem to ALWAYS get this. Do they approach people who look innocent??? Or have I just been lucky? By the way I usually have nothing to declare either which helps...

Once I was travelling with a colleague on the way back from Noumea. They walked up to us both, green stamped me and I walked through but he had to go through the xray etc.

Luck or....?

I know nothing of the green stamp, but I have been sent out the no xray way before. I got the impression it was basically a random selection of the nothing to declare people that hadn't set off alarms for some reason.

[dot]

Originally Posted by simongr

I actually miss out on those having no luggage - I don't wait at the carousel and thus don't get spotted by one of the customs guys...

Hey Simon, I too am a hand luggage traveller, and this morning on arrival at SYD, I was heading for the express line, when a customs officer quizzed me about any declarations, where I had been, then took the express pass from me and put the green stamp on my arrivals card - he then told me to go to the "D" exit (at the far right if you are facing the exits) and that the green stamp replaces the express pass. Perhaps you need to go up that end of things and ask an officer about the green stamp?

[simongr]

Recently I have been lucky enough to use the ePass exit and with nothing to declare it has been quick - still xrayed the bags a couple of times.

[acampbel]

Originally Posted by dot

Hey Simon, I too am a hand luggage traveller, and this morning on arrival at SYD, I was heading for the express line, when a customs officer quizzed me about any declarations, where I had been, then took the express pass from me and put the green stamp on my arrivals card - he then told me to go to the "D" exit (at the far right if you are facing the exits) and that the green stamp replaces the express pass. Perhaps you need to go up that end of things and ask an officer about the green stamp?

I think it is one of those times when it does you no good to ask for it. Depending on many factors (that I can only conjecture about) you may be approached by a customs officer whilst waiting for your bags or queuing at the x-ray. They will ask where you have been and what have you been doing and then possibly give the green stamp or pull you out of the queue to have a quick visual check of your luggage.

This has happened to me the last half-dozen times I have landed in Sydney, so my customs hall experience is currently averaging 5 - 10 minutes. All I can suggest is :-

• Don't dress like a slob
• Don't have lots of large luggage (carry-on is best)
• Practice looking stoically patient whilst in the queue.

Cheers,


Andrew

.

[danielribo]

In regards to stamps... arrived in MEL on QF10 yesterday morning and while getting my passport checked the customs guy said "its not scanning, follow this lady" and yelled out "are you doing POS? to her" (NB: it was P something... I think POS)

Anyway, she scans my passport at the desk, says "yeh your ok to go" and puts a stamp on my arrivals card that said POS (or whatever it was).

Down to baggage claim, get my green stamp, walk right out, end of story... but what was that extra stamp for?