Upon my arrival to the O'Hare airport, I had the great pleasure of acting as translator for the very flustered cutoms agent. There was a couple that were arriving from Madrid, on their way to Toronto, that had a connecting flight in Chicago. They thought their bags would be directly shipped to Toronto (because that is what it said on their baggage slip). However, apparently they had to get their bags in Chicago, and re-check them in after they had been approved by cutoms.
Unfortunately, this couple's flight was leaving in about an hour, and the customs agent was going to make them go get their bags, go back through customs, and then from there they would have to find their flight. Who knows how far away their gate was, and if they actually made it on time. I felt really bad for them, and it seems silly that they have to go through cutoms if they are just getting a connecting flight, and not staying in the States.
I was the next in line, and the agent flagged me over, asking if I spoke Spanish, and if I could act as translator. And of course I did. During the conversation, he asked me to tell them this was not his first rodeo. Obviously I did not translate that.
However, since I helped him, he didn't hassle me at all, and let me pass through when it was my turn. They didn't check my bags at all, which was nice because if they tried unpacking them, I have no idea if I would be able to get everything to fit again.
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