Welcome to America, bitch!

[Flashermac]

p.s. Hey, it was customs at NYC. They have to preserve their reputation for surliness and nastiness.

 

 

[Mekong]

CS Said

Interesting that the U.S. is still the number one place for people to try and get to and live in. Okay, a lot of them are from developing countries but there are tons..or should I say 'tonnes' of UK and Europeans here on overstayed holiday visas trying to live here. Craigslist is full of ads from euros looking for someone to marry for money so they can stay. At the pub I go to a good many of them are on overstayed visas.

 

A bit late back on this thread, I tend to stay away from threads about the US since in a lot of cases they dissolve in pro / anti arguements. I left the UK nearly 20 years ago because I was dissillusioned with the Goverment and all the Goverment agencies that were allegedly working on my behalf, so I will not get into arguments relating to other foreign goverments.

 

Steve, I'd like to say that what you posted was probably one of the best witten and well balanced arguments / statements of fact on this issue I have read in a long time amd I am sure it represents the mainstream thought process rather than the radical extremists mindset that is stereotyped and wrongly percieved amongst non-american nations.

 

I have crossed many borders in my time including flying in and out of the States, whilst US Immigration may not be the most convenial bunch of people I have encountered they are far from the worse. As you stated it is the "Pedestal"syndrome, try to knock off their (percieved) position of the number 1 country, so any incident such as this is seen as a chink in the armour and an excuse to attack.

 

For the record, I worked in the States for 18 months 2000 / 2001, 3 months working 3 weeks home in Thailand, in contracting as long as the travel time paid covers the time taken, an overseas assignemnt is overseas assignement and I was offered permanent wotk there which required me to get a green card and relocate. I declined the offer, not because of the country or the people but more due to how the country and people were / are administered by the goverment, I was not prepared to leap from the frying pan (UK) and end up in the fire (USA)

 

I still visit the states annualy now, my wife has family in Vancouver who we visit and we drive down to Seattle for a few days whilst over there and meet up with her old Uni friends, OK to visit for a few days, after which I want to get back to the Chaos theory that is Thailand.