I could tell you boat loads of stories concerning officials at airports, embassies and immigration offices around the world and there is a huge difference in attitudes before and after 9/11. The world has changed since and we must all expect no favours. If you make a mistake-tough!
This first incident happend in 1990, well before 9/11. My friend, a white South African citizen forgot to take her green card with her when she flew home to Cape Town to see her parents. On her return to LA no one checked her at CPT airport. However whilst in transit at Zurich the blunder was discovered. She was married to a Marine so she did have her military ID with her and I guess this was a redeeming factor. Anyway, I had to drive to the offices of Swissair at LAX airport and show them the actual GC and they faxed it over to the official in Zurich who did allow her to fly the next day after waiting the entire night at Zurich airport. Who knows if they would let anyone do that today!
In the case of the Indian couple, I feel for them but rules are rules and really it has nothing to do with white skin as they seem to think. Of course people make mistakes but then you have to pay for them. I don't think they are morons and neither am I. I made a mistake too and I am a travel agent who should know better. I had just received my US passport when the news arrived that my dad had passed away. In my distraught state I made arrangements to fly out the next day from LA. Woke up sweating in the early hours of the morning with Indian visa on my brain. Luckily had friends at BA who changed my ticket to fly out of SFO the following day instead of LA as the rule is that you can never make changes to the point of origin of any ticket. Also had to buy a ticket to SFO to get a visa as it was too late to make the flight that morning. Since I bought a one way ticket online to SFO at 6 am and this was in April 02 they made me go through all kinds of security checks at LAX at 3 am, even checking my open toed sandals minutely much to my embarrassment. Finally at SFO got a limo to take me to the Indian Embassy which was really a tiny house in a residential district. I had paid $50 extra for an emergency visa and my limo was waiting to take me back to catch my India flight at 2 pm. They made me wait forever and literally handed me my passport after 2 hours only after I screamed that I was going for my dad's funeral. The woman at our Embassy had my passport in her desk and was waiting for the clock to strike 11 to hand it to me since that was the designated collection time. No thought about my emergency or the $50 extra I paid! Despite living and working in the US the people behind the counter at the Indian Embassy in SFO could have just got off the plane from Jhumritalaya and you would never have known - they were so out of touch with customer service! Missed the funeral and never made the Shradh either- the price I had to pay!