this post was submitted on 22 Apr 2025
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The teens claimed CBP targeted them because they hadn’t booked hotels for their entire stay in Hawaii.

“They found it suspicious that we hadn’t fully booked our accommodations for the entire five weeks in Hawaii,” Pohl said. “We wanted to travel spontaneously. Just like we had done in Thailand and New Zealand.”

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[–] TON618@lemmy.world 28 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (4 children)

Is it that common? How do they handle backpackers?

I've literally never gone on a single multi-week vacation in my entire life with fully booked accommodation for the whole thing. I book the majority of the first week and I know when I'm flying back, but in between I'm mostly guided by the wind.

I can't book hotels in places I don't know I'll be going.

[–] Elextra@literature.cafe 1 points 12 hours ago

I don't think it is common. I just know it happens.

The process looks like this..

Sort of a good example because it happens to be a traveler going into the United States for vacation, 5 weeks, 1.5k cash, but still denied entry. They always ask for purpose of entry, what itinery looks like, funds, etc.

There's tons of backpackers, as a one bagger myself, I've never had trouble. I think its when you may have limited/no accommodations plus other factors: stories not lining up, limited funds, no/limited knowledge of itinerary, etc. That gets people in trouble. I think most people know where they are going, what for, and how they are going to do it.

Even as a US citizen I'm happy I'm not traveling internationally for a while though. Seems most people are free game regardless to CBP, citizen or not 🤮

[–] Elextra@literature.cafe 11 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

It's not the only thing. It's a combination of limited/no living accommodations and no income. If you don't have the income to stay for 5 weeks for example, they will send you back.I'm talking like going to Australia or US with just $500 or something for 5 weeks. I can cite some episodes when I get off work today and you can see the process.

[–] AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 1 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

But, people haven't been bringing money with them for decades now. They use payment cards.

[–] Elextra@literature.cafe 1 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

But overall CBP looks at funds. If someone can't afford their stay, they become suspicious.

EDIT: Adding, they ask how much people intend to spend or call banks to verify

[–] jonne@infosec.pub 4 points 1 day ago

I doubt it's common. I've traveled to Australia and the US (and a bunch of other places) with just a few nights in a hostel booked, sometimes even without a return flight. Might be different if you've got a middle eastern name or something like that, but pretty much every backpacker travels this way.

Imagine booking 2 years ahead when you're on a writing holiday visa, that's just nuts.

[–] cuteness@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 day ago (5 children)

How do people get multi week vacations?

[–] Paddzr@lemmy.world 17 points 1 day ago

Just book some of your +5 weeks per year together. What, are you American or something?

[–] TON618@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Double income, single household, no kids. (and even then just barely, i will add)

Or, if you're talking time wise, live in a country that isn't run by and for corporations and you can still enjoy some paid time off.

You get a minimum of 24 days paid vacation in Germany. Up 28 days are common.

[–] Duranie@leminal.space 3 points 1 day ago

A few years back my 19 yo American son had a great experience working the summer as a camp counselor here in the states. It is a religious camp (not that my son is that religion) that draws in campers from the states and Europe. Many of those campers as they get older come back as counselors. They get the appropriate visas, make money working the camp for 8 weeks, then take the few weeks after camp before they have to leave and blow that money on traveling the States and their trip home. It was an incredible experience and inspired my son to bust his ass, save money, and a few years later took a self funded trip to Europe where he couch surfed these homes of the friends he made.

I think about those kids this year. There's no way I'd risk traveling back to this shit hole country if I were them.

When I started my last job (big multinational corporation) after an internship, I got 3 weeks of paid vacation right off the bat, with 1 more week every few years, up to a maximum of 7 weeks.

Plus 1 more week if I chose to "buy" a week by estimating the vacation I would accrue throughout the remainder of the year and subtracting 1 week's pay from that.