Minister, hotel step in to lift spirits of upset tourist

FRIDAY, DEC. 23: Tourism Minister Wayne Furbert has apologized to a US tourist questioned at the airport for two hours by Customs officials.

Wayne Furbert met Patricia Tomlinson yesterday after the Bermuda Sun revealed how the Jamaican-born American citizen and her daughter had been detained at the airport after arriving in Bermuda for a Christmas break.

Ms Tomlinson, 46, an accountant from New York, said: “Mr Furbert was very nice — they have apologized for what happened and offered to help me in any way they can.”

Ms Tomlinson, an accountant, added that kind-hearted staff at the Fairmont Southampton had upgraded her room and the Tourism Ministry had arranged a tour of the island for her and daughter Crystal, 17.

She said: “The Fairmont has been extremely nice — they’ve gone above and beyond, which I why I came here in the first place.

“I’ve decided to put this behind me and enjoy the rest of our stay here.”

She added she was also going to lodge a formal complaint with the Collector of Customs over her treatment at the airport.

The two arrived on the lunchtime JetBlue flight from New York on Wednesday.

Ms Tomlinson said she and her daughter were singled out for a secondary inspection — and spent more than two hours being questioned by Customs officers and having their bags searched.

She added she had been asked if she had any marijuana and threatened with a trip to the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital for a drugs test.

The two were also given the once-over by a drugs-sniffing dog and Ms Tomlinson’s cellphone numbers were scrutinized by officials.

Ms Tomlinson said she suspected she had been a victim of profiling – as white passengers called for a secondary inspection were waved through without further checks.