I was very pleased to hear Cayman’s Deputy Governor, Franz Manderson, tell the new group of immigration recruits that they will be the very first government workers that visitors will see when they arrive in the Cayman Islands.

He told them they are responsible for first impressions and they must be careful how they interact with people.

For many years that has been one of my chief complaints at the non smiling and surly attitude of the immigration officials. On many occasions my wife (Joan) has said to them, “Why can’t you smile?” and the response has been a surprised apology with an explanation of how tired the officer is.

There was one occasion when one of the officers, who did not apologise and just scowled, then demanded where my wife’s work permit was?

Joan, whose family were the first two families on the island, Boddens and Watlers, was carrying a Cayman Islands Passport stating that she was born in the Cayman Islands!

I won’t tell you what Joan said to the immigration officer then! The immigration slammed both our passports on the desk counter, stamped them and told us to go!

I must say the attitude of immigration officials has improved considerably over the last few years.

The impression one gets first when you enter a country is lasting.

Some years ago, Joan, her late sister, Marjorie, and I went to Canada via taxi ride from Detroit, US.

The immigration official was the rudest, nastiest individual I have ever met. All three of us were as pleasant during the exchange.

He examined all three of our passports for over 2 minutes each, examining every page, asking us how long we had lived in the Cayman Islands? He examined all three of our faces for over 30 seconds continuously staring into our eyes. We then had to get out of the car and when Joan stumbled he yelled at her to stand still.

He then ordered us back into the taxi cab and told the driver to take us down to Customs.

The taxi driver said he has been bringing foreigners over the US/Canadian border for over 10 years and never has he had an experience like that one.

The customs officers were waiting for us and one of them expressed their surprise at why we had been singled out.

All three of these officers were pleasant.

However, Joan and I have never gone back to Canada and I never will again. The whole experience of feeling like a criminal has never left me.

Yes, first impressions really do last the longest – this incident happened 25 years ago!