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Guests complaining about rude Immigration & Customs officers – taxi driver

The Road Town Ferry Dock terminal. Photo: johnsantic.com
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI - Roy Sebastian, a veteran taxi operator, bemoaned the “unfriendly” behaviour he claimed that is meted out to some tourists by Immigration and Customs officials at the ports of entry in the Virgin Islands (VI) especially those at the Road Town Ferry Dock terminal.

He made this disclosure last evening, Monday January 9, 2012 at the Noel Lloyd Park where Minister for Communications and Works Hon. Mark Vanterpool and other officials listened to the issues taxi professionals face in the industry on a daily basis.

“For the month of December, the guests that I take to the different charter companies are complaining about Immigration and Customs. The complaints are so bad that some of them are saying they are not coming back,” Sebastian revealed.

According to the taxi professional, the tourism industry is a very tangible one, adding, “We have to be very careful how we handle it”.

“It’s our main industry, all of our ambassadors are here, the gas stations and the supermarkets live from this industry and when you have immigration officers who are our first impressions is asking guests [in a hostile manner] to stand back, that is not the way to talk to people. We all need to act on this now, we can’t get people from up the hill who planting potato and banana and put them to work in a frontline. We can’t do that!” he declared.

Against this backdrop, he pleaded with Premier Dr. D. Orlando Smith, who was in attendance, and Hon. Vanterpool that they needed to address the situation as quickly as possible.

Sebastian, who has been a taxi driver for over 30 years, bluntly stated and he has never heard guests complain “like this yet since I am in the industry”.

28 Responses to “Guests complaining about rude Immigration & Customs officers – taxi driver”

  • billy b (10/01/2012, 07:20) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Only now they know dem people rude? One of the rudest one right deh the jail now, and more should join her. They have such a chip on thier shoulders, full of attitude and act as if somebody owes them something. Mark, hurry up and go in there and SHAKE DEM UP!!!!!!!!!!!
    • hmm (10/01/2012, 09:16) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      so true... customs officers and immigration officers here in the BVI need to attend more customer service seminars, they lack tact and feel they own the island.. administratively they need to have procedures in place where 5 complaints on an officer means suspension, 10 means termination..if they don't have it already.. something needs to be done to help the officers realize that its a privilege to be working for the government let alone working...
  • Mr. Blak (10/01/2012, 08:18) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    The man say " You can't take people from up the hill planting potatoe and banana and put them to work on the frontline ROTFL!
    • kevin (10/01/2012, 11:55) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      that is why Myron is such a terrible Minister..he does not have it!
    • Strupes (12/01/2012, 07:00) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      Taxi man..... same thing. Some of them too reckless too and don't maintain them taxi. How much time we got to see one break down with tourist in them. Poor, poor service. I does be shame.
  • Confusious (10/01/2012, 08:46) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    But who is ruder than those taxi men..some of their buses smell so picy
  • Shay (10/01/2012, 08:55) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Is true because I see their behaviours when I enter customs. Most of them isn't even good looking and imagine their face screw up.
  • home grown (10/01/2012, 08:56) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    I LOVE MY SWEET BVI, BUT I HAVE TO SAY, THAT I'M WITH THIS MESSAGE THE WAY THEY TREAT PEOPLE ARE NOT COOL, I HAD MANY PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT THE ENTRY AT BEEF ISLAND BEFORE, VERY SAD, THE FAMILY OF 7 I WAS OUT SAILING WITH TOLD ME, THAT THEY NOT COMING FOR BACK & I SHOULD VISIT THEM IN CANADA. IT BROKE MY HEART, THEY BEEN COMING TO THE BVI BEFORE I WAS BONE, IM 29 NOW! SOMETHINGS DO NEED TO BE FIX & FAST! NDP, YOUR IN, SO ITS ON YOU TO FIX IT, ONCE THEY EXIT THE PORT ITS ON WE THE PEOPLE OF THE BVI, THE TAXI,HOTEL AND ALL OF THE OTHER PEOPLE WHO MIGHT RUN INTO PEOPLE..LET GIVE THE BVI A GOOD NAME!
  • WELL SAID!! (10/01/2012, 09:38) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    It begins at home, we the residents of the territory have been complaining about the attitude of the customs and immigration officers for years but it all fell on deaf ears. Obviously attitudes like that after time would spill over to the visiting / tourist. It is a shame I hope that the officers reading this article would try their best to welcome the residents of this country as well as the visitors when we enter through the different ports of entry.
  • RK (10/01/2012, 09:42) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    This arguement can go either way. Name names sinc every bitchin about the situation.
    • billy b (10/01/2012, 11:39) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      struupsss, why name names. Any one person with this behavior, is bad for the entire BVI. JUST ONE PERSON, NO MATTER WHO THEY ARE!!! Because if someone enters the BVI who has the status and ability to encourage thousands of other people to visit the BVI, and that one officer turn that person off, then we lose the other thousands of visitors. The strength in tourism comes from "word of mouth" and if no one has anything good to say about our island they wouldn't come. Those officers dont' need any training. They know better, they just need to realize that they are taking thier duties for granted. Realize the privilege you have and stop thinking that people are begging to come to our country. As a matter of fact the people that are coming to our country are the ones paying your salary. SO WISE UP!!!!
  • thruth (10/01/2012, 09:50) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Mostly the whole system needs to be reenforce, it is true some Immigration and Customs Officers are not proffesional and some taxi drivers neither. I wonder if the heads of this departments are acting the same way or find nothing wrong with it that they are tolerating it I know for sure Customs head is a brutish and arrogant man very proud for being rude.
  • bvilander (10/01/2012, 11:03) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    i agree as officers and civil servants customer service is very essential and we as a bvi wether if u are immigration customs , taxi men/women we need to have a better appraoch on how we deal with people and how we talk to people , cause we do the same to locals and visitors , overall we need to do better, Roadtown shape up, Beef island shape up, Westend shape up BVI shape up
  • dog meat (10/01/2012, 11:27) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    PUBLIC SERVANTS ARE RUDE IN GENERAL END OF STORY
  • SIMPLE (10/01/2012, 11:44) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Just install microphones and video at their booths so they can be monitored.
    • That's the truth (10/01/2012, 12:39) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      This really needed because they can lie too, trust me. They are rude and lie with it.
  • SAY (10/01/2012, 12:05) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    I am not a public servant however, We need to recognized the good workers in the public service there are some well trained very good workers in Immigration, Costum and Taxi drivers too they need to deal with the bad apples and do not condemn the organizations all together
  • Nohide (10/01/2012, 16:31) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    On Christmas Day, we arrived on Smith's Ferry and the Customs Officer who is a young lady I never thought would have been so rude the way she spoke to people coming in even though the persons were locals!! I was so in shocked that I kindly was glad it wasn't me cause I would have knocked her dam teeth down her throat!!! She wasn't speaking nicely at all and of all the days Christmas morning to that. if she didn't want to work she should have stayed her ra$$ at home and be a pig there!!
  • attention (10/01/2012, 16:43) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    who the hell studying Roy..for jesus sake people....
  • IT'S TOTALLY TRUE! (10/01/2012, 16:44) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Rude employees are abundant in the public service! Immigration and Customs are not the exception. And to believe that we sell our islands to the public on good and friendly service. Service in our islands is terrible and that include private businesses as well. A little exchange with a customer service representative of a local telephone carrier. "are you sure my bill is not outstanding? Can you please check again? no, ah tell you so already. you want me tell you YES? I cuh charge you again". That's the kind of service we get in the BVI.
    • billy b (10/01/2012, 18:57) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      hmm, go bvi cable yuh see attitude, and they not even apologetic for not having anymore cable boxes, for spuratic unavailability of some favored channels, being out of remote control etc Their "so what" attidude is disgusting
  • Lilly (10/01/2012, 20:54) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    One of my friends were coming in from NY to his father's funeral and the Custom Officer a young yes was gettin on a little rudish and that was looking nice and there were some people we knew we tourist said what goin on and I kept humble since I was so ashamed of the way the young lady went on with the guy!!
  • more money (10/01/2012, 21:46) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    bvi sometimes just need to stop and start over....
  • frustrated (11/01/2012, 11:39) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Why dont some of you people out there dont make that same noise when you get to st thomas or st john to the ports when the ferry get in. you cant always get what u want i pay my duties when i come in the country the same way, but some of you dont want to pay at all, thats why you got so much to say about the officers its not only about attitude it have to do with paying also and this is why the country is like this.
  • frustrated (11/01/2012, 11:46) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Almost forgot it also have a Crazy female custom officer down there at the waterfront who is very rude. im sure her department knows about it and i dont see why them still have she working down there dealing with people
  • Mike j (10/02/2012, 16:39) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    I've been all over the world and back and today getting off the ferry in the west end came across a customs officer who was unequivocally the biggest jerk I have ever met in my life in any country anywhere. I would have gotten back on the boat had my wife not begged me to ignore him. Ive had a few hours to cool off, and I've already met several great people in this beautiful country, but peoples first impressions last a long time.


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