I took a flight from Bucharest to Tokyo with a connection through Charles de Gaulle Airport, flights AF1089 and AF282. Due to the delay of the first flight, we had to hurry significantly in order to catch the connecting flight.

At passport control, I encountered a situation that I would like to bring to your attention. The police officer who checked my passport, after completing the verification and handing my passport back to me, I hurried toward the door on the right side of the officer’s booth. That door was closed, and I looked at him through the glass, not understanding what was happening.

Instead of guiding me, as would have been professionally and morally appropriate, toward the open door on the opposite side, he began laughing and made a gesture with his finger toward his temple, insinuating that I was stupid or lacking intelligence. I considered this attitude extremely inappropriate for a uniformed officer.

I told him that I was going to miss my connecting flight, and he shouted at me, “I don’t care.” I replied in Romanian, “Damn it, I’m going to miss my flight.” He then came after me shouting, believing that I had insulted him (I was speaking Romanian and did not insult anyone).

After that, he detained me, kept my documents, and as a result I missed my connecting flight. Air France compensated this by rebooking me on the first available flight, more than 8 hours later.

The attitude and the retention of my documents by the passport control police officer caused me damage and go beyond the scope of his authority.