Immigration Counters
The chennai airport immigration department is pathetically understaffed. They dont have enough people to handle even a 12B bus, leave alone the glorified jumbo 12B(Lufthansa LH758 frm Frankfurt to chennai, is very much like a 12B Bus with wings). It is tiring to stand in the line for 1 hr, to get back to your own country.
For 300 people, they have 3 counters. After a 10 hour flight, it is really troublesome to stand in the line for such a long time. Why cant they have more counters? And there arent many chairs too. It was sad to see many old people suffering, standing in the line. Wish they do something about this!
One counter would be enough if they just checked the pasport is Indian, the photo matches, swipe it through the machine, done….
Now that when I travel back to UK I do so with my Indian wife I know what “foreigners” are put through by the UK authorities (it is not always bad, but we have stood in that queue for over an hour…).
Hower, if it was just me, there is no queue, just wave the passport and in… Why does it have to be different for Indian citizens here?
Add to that the impatience of people to be in the line first. The worst part is the glare the official gives you as if you have landed from some other planet…hey, its my country and I have a proper passport, its not even a visa that you are checking :(
Welcome back home
Who can correct this situation?
And imagine doing the same after some 18hrs in two flights! And BTW why do they scan your hand baggage as you ‘leave’ the airport?
The only way out is to get a foreign passport.
Experienced passengers know that it is always a good tactic to empty the bladder on board before getting into that line – no matter which airport they get off.
Do they have separate lines for natives and non natives at Chennai ?
YIKES!! I thought I was the only one who went to the bathroom as people were disembarking :D
i dunno abt airpot…but 12 B sucks
Thad,
Exactly, why so much formalities when you are getting back to your own country!
Mukunth,
Atleast I escaped that glare. The official was friendly, but took his time to stamp every passport
Balaji,
Thanks
Vikram,
Immigration department?
Sowmya,
I think they do that to check if you are carrying any dutiable goods :)
Ramesh,
I dont think so. Atleast for indians, there are 2 counters. For foreigners only 1 counter and triple the time for each passpart :)
Okonami and PSU,
Err. There are toilets near the immigration counter. Thats not the problem. Standing for a long time after a tiring flight journey is the problem!
Sese,
Ha ha :)
It sets you off when you disembark from the plane with really high spirits only to be smothered with the stench of urine!! I have never had the experience of arriving in Madras through the Mumbai or Delhi airports, but imagine the first impression that is created on a traveller who is travelling to India for the first time.
Not to mention that sleepy period when you wait for your passport to be looked at, dissected, cross checked, ripped, and stamped in half a dozen pages.
But the killer is the serious looking official at the counter with the handlebar mustache. For one fleeting moment he revels in his importance of being the only person who can make or break your vacation. He will even scribble nonsense with a thick black ballpoint on top of your H1 just to hammer his importance into your head. Pomposity personified!
But hey, I love it each time I step off the aircraft into the comforting confines of Meenambakkam in spite of these little quirks. Hell, Madras is a lot more than just a couple of amusinglu funky hours spent at the immigration counter.
@The Jongleur: There is so much tongue in the cheek in your “Comforting Confines” comment !!