US citizen arrested for 88 days in the previous 180
At 77 years of age, I had gotten through life never arrested and then Austrian police arrested me for residing in Austria illegally. I had been in Austria for 4 nights. The reason was my time in the Schengen Zone which I stated was 88 days in the 180 days. As the officers were going through my passport stamps, when I asked repeatedly, how many days? She repeatedly said we are trying to figure that out. Too which I responded 88 days. Because the officers (4 of them) could not figure out the number, a couple of hours later, 2 border control officers were brought into the case. Having been voluntarily ( I thought in the office, trying to help them with the stamps and numbers), it was with hope, I greeted whom I thought would be knowledgeable on 90 in 180 day rule. A few minutes later, I understood they had not been properly trained in the 90 in 180 day rule; Austrian border control officers. The arrest was announced; strip searched to underwear, mug shot, and fingerprints. An hour later, they had the answer of how many days. 88 days! They unarrested me! Then the head border control police person said I must leave in 2 days, I will be overstay in 3. I said I will be at 88 days tomorrow and the next day and my 90th is in about 4 weeks. The officer went wild with threats. Said that cannot be. I am not here to educate anyone on how that can be. I did get through to 2 of the 6 officers involved. One said; I believe you are correct. The other border control officer seemed rather embarrassed about the be gone in 3 days threat. I do not blame the border control officers! Officers lacking in training are a danger to us all. Put into more serious situations, the result can be deadly.