I travel and speak a lot. I have experienced similar things to a lesser depth. Nowdays I am paid to speak and insist on my payment in advance. I have come to observe ridiculous behavior on the part of immigration, customs, and state department people as “when you make the rules, you are always right, even when you are wrong.” Government workers lose a lot of our respect when they treat us like this but most people never see it and assume those government people are only good.