cheekyboy Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 it wont be secure enough for UK visitors as there are millions of wannabe terrorists who will find ways round it .The UK has more potential threats than Iraq and Pakistan all hiding in the woodwork waiting to strike . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangkoktraveler Posted January 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 it wont be secure enough for UK visitors as there are millions of wannabe terrorists who will find ways round it .The UK has more potential threats than Iraq and Pakistan all hiding in the woodwork waiting to strike . I don't know where you get your figures, but I doublt if the millions you claim are no more then 10 at the most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mainsail Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 "..I will welcome the day when any human being can travel wherever he or she wants .... " Same here... This new policy is ridicules. Of course, I don't really consider the USA tourist friendly. I do think the Americans who do actually leave the USA upon occasion, are a different lot. I think this is true. If for only the fact that traveling internationally opens your eyes and mind to what is out there. So they may have not been different before they left but they surely are upon their return. As for the new policy, what about people with no web access? What do they do? The digital divide will become even bigger I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangkoktraveler Posted January 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 It used to be people could travel from one country to another without any interference. Passports are a relatively new thing. Even the Border Patrol in the USA has its roots in the early 1900's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted January 7, 2009 Report Share Posted January 7, 2009 This new thing is a pain in the ass but I'm not so sure of the amount of people that will not come due to that and that alone. There are tons of Japanese and UK tourists (amongst other places) who want to come to Disneyland or Disneyworld or where ever. A trip to the internet is not gonna stop that. Same with others who are planning to come. The person who was lukewarm in the first place, sure, they may think twice but living in LA, I doubt the people I see who come would have been turned off by this latest additional step. For different reasons, we wouldn't stop coming to LOS if they did that. If you have a mind to go bad enough you'll do what it takes. That said, I echo the sentiments regarding ease of travel. Maybe today's world of terrorists, etc. has changed it but its certainly not welcomed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted January 7, 2009 Report Share Posted January 7, 2009 Speaking of TSAs and airport and customs security in general, there was a show here that did a feature on it. The security experts say that the vast majority of it is for show. Said the real security against terrorists is done BEFORE they arrive. Knowing who they are ahead of time. Terrorist morph and change. If you end one route they work on another. Making a show of stopping a route or two (taking off shoes--the shoe bomber, dumping liquids for that other bomber with the liquid bomb) is pretty much a waste of time this expert said. Its the government's way of making us feel secure, even if they piss off in the process he said. He mentioned how the Israeli security at Tel Aviv does profilign. He said that is far more effective than making people take off shoes and dumping their shampoo. He said getting rid of more than a few of those TSAs and geting quality profilers would go a long way in really helping to keep us secure. We do have a few. I usually get stopped at least 2 or 3 times from the minute I walk down from the plane. There are a few guys standing down the ramp and one will always ask for my passport, ask where I was coming from and then let me go and later on I get singled out again for some reason. From the little I know the first guy is looking at your demeanor rather than your answer. Are you nervous, sweating, fidgeting, etc. I must have nervous tic because it usually takes me about 2-3 hours to get out of LAX! :smirk: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted January 7, 2009 Report Share Posted January 7, 2009 I once got a song and dance routine from an idiot at Customs in Seattle. It sounded like a Joe Friday dialogue on Dragnet. When I stared him in the eye and stayed cool, he let me go through. Effing wanker the feds must hire the mentally handicapped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waerth Posted January 7, 2009 Report Share Posted January 7, 2009 This new thing is a pain in the ass but I'm not so sure of the amount of people that will not come due to that and that alone. There are tons of Japanese and UK tourists (amongst other places) who want to come to Disneyland or Disneyworld or where ever. A trip to the internet is not gonna stop that. Same with others who are planning to come. The person who was lukewarm in the first place, sure, they may think twice but living in LA, I doubt the people I see who come would have been turned off by this latest additional step. For different reasons, we wouldn't stop coming to LOS if they did that. If you have a mind to go bad enough you'll do what it takes. That said, I echo the sentiments regarding ease of travel. Maybe today's world of terrorists, etc. has changed it but its certainly not welcomed. Hi Steve. It is for me not the formality on the net, I consider that to be the same as a visa application. It is the questions they ask. You have to lift your whole medical dossier basically. While my dossier is remarkably clean for a guy my size, it is stil no-one's business. At no visa application in my life have I ever been asked the questions the US asks of you ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mainsail Posted January 7, 2009 Report Share Posted January 7, 2009 When flying internationally out of Amsterdam they always interview you at the gate before going through the Xray. I think this is an effective method as it is one on one and I am sure they are trained for what to look for. They don't even do that in the U.S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waerth Posted January 7, 2009 Report Share Posted January 7, 2009 When I flew out of Amsterdam on November 30th no-one asked me any questions anywhere .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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