[ot] Travel to the USA

"Dan M" wrote in message
...
Anyway - off me soapbox and back to the cats - they are *much* nicer
:-)

They are indeed!

I'm sure everyone on the group suspects this, but just to clarify -
most
of us living in the US also think this is stupid, ineffectual,
intrusive, and a very bad idea. A lot of us can hardly wait for
November
for a chance to vote that Bush idiot out of office. Even the kitties
wish they could vote!

Sorry, I usually try to avoid expressing political preferences in
these
newsgroups. Just couldn't help this one.

Now on with your regularly scheduled kitty discussions

Dan

Okay, Dan. I almost wrote something to that effect, then decided not
to. However, since you've broken the ice, I'll chime in and agree with
you.

Joy

Jeanne Hedge wrote:

I know several people here are planning to travel to the US soon - did
you see this news item from Friday (2 April)?

from:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/TRAVEL/04/02....ap/index.html

U.S. expands fingerprinting program to closest allies
Friday, April 2, 2004 Posted: 2:32 PM EST (1932 GMT)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A program requiring foreigners to be fingerprinted
and photographed before entering the country is being expanded to
include millions of travelers from some of America's closest allies,
U.S. officials said Friday.

As though getting through U.S. Cuatoms didn't ALREADY take longer than
anywhere else - even when you're a U.S. citizen!!!!!

Jette Goldie wrote:

Way to keep your allies sweet, America - I foresee the various
resort parks in France and Spain getting an increase in
visitors next year..... many of whom have decided that
Florida isn't so attractive after all.

(if the US waives the visa waiver..... shouldn't we Brits insist
that US visitors to the UK get visas in return?)

Hopefully, most other countries are not so paranoid! It's kinda like
the required luggage inspection before boarding planes here - especially
if you're going overseas - IMO other countries are no less thorough,
they're just less obvious about it. (In fact, they're probably
considerably more efficient, they just don't feel they must be be
OBSERVED to be taking stringent precautions.)

dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers wrote:

Except that Britain WILL have to go to the US Consulate
(in London) and get a visa from September. So not only
will we need to get visas, we're now going to be fingerprinted
like criminals?

Way to keep your allies sweet, America - I foresee the various
resort parks in France and Spain getting an increase in
visitors next year..... many of whom have decided that
Florida isn't so attractive after all.

(if the US waives the visa waiver..... shouldn't we Brits insist
that US visitors to the UK get visas in return?)

There seems to be much resentment of this step by the USA government over here
from what I can see in the press. I'm sure the government of the Land of the
Free is turning itself into the government of the Land of the Paranoid. Please
note, I really do separate out the current USA government from *Americans* -
and in particular the Americans on this NG :-) Honest :-)

The next presidential election can't happen soon enough for some of us -
if America re-elects what we have now, perhaps we deserve it!

I fail to see why this is such a big deal. Regardless of what country is
doing the photoing and printing.

I just don't see the big deal either. Is it simply fingerprinting &
photographing? That can't be too terribly time-consuming; or are there
extensive background checks, too? Don't you have to do the same thing to get a
visa?

They do the same in a great many places just to allow anyone to cash a
check!

Yes, and most of us get huffy about that. I have to stop and think whether I'm
huffy over the *procedure* or the fact that I have been "insulted." This is
just my ever-so-humble opinion, but honestly I never mind the heightened
airport security. I'd rather spend an extra hour at the airport. After all, I'm
going to be the one on the plane with the *other* people they're using extra
security measures on, too. I don't think I'd mind being photographed and
fingerprinted, either.

Sherry

Bev wrote:

Jeanette wrote:

dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers wrote in
message ...
Except that Britain WILL have to go to the US Consulate
(in London) and get a visa from September. So not only
will we need to get visas, we're now going to be fingerprinted
like criminals?

Canada or Europe for me for holidays. I know that my sister has cancelled
her plans to holiday in Florida this year because of this.

I heard of this requirement on the radio. It seems that it is coming
in in September and we are travelling in August so it won't concern
us. The way I feel about it - if the powers that be think it might
save some lives, so be it.

You're assuming those "powers that be" are CAPABLE of thought - I'm not
so sure that's a safe assumption!

Jette Goldie wrote:

"Dan M" wrote in message
...
Anyway - off me soapbox and back to the cats - they are *much* nicer :-)

They are indeed!

I'm sure everyone on the group suspects this, but just to clarify - most
of us living in the US also think this is stupid, ineffectual,
intrusive, and a very bad idea. A lot of us can hardly wait for November
for a chance to vote that Bush idiot out of office. Even the kitties
wish they could vote!


Well, in the UK you'd find people who disagreed with
government stupidity writing to their MP to protest
said stupidity. Does it work like that in the US?

(ok, it doesn't always work that well in the UK either,
but at least they know we're displeased)

Unfortunately, the spoiled, petulant brat presently heading our
government doesn't really CARE what "the people" think - he claims to
know better. The thing that scares a lot of us is not differing
opinions, but Washington's current tendency to equate disagreement with
treason, or the next thing to it! (Also, the number of people who seem
to go along with that notion.)

wrote:

dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers wrote:

I'm sure the government of the Land of the Free is turning itself
into the government of the Land of the Paranoid. Please note, I
really do separate out the current USA government from *Americans* -
and in particular the Americans on this NG :-) Honest :-)

No offense taken, Helen. I didn't vote for this administration, and
neither did the majority of American citizens.

Unfortunately, if recent statistics are to be believed, the majority of
Americans in the past few elections didn't trouble to vote at ALL!
Let's hope that situation, at least, is changing - if we get the same
administration again, with everyone who CAN vote doing so, then perhaps
we deserve it.

Duke of URL wrote:


Just ever so humbly sorry if your tender little feelings get hurt by
security. Perhaps you'ven't noticed that there is a world-wide war going on
against civilization by the Islaminazis? And that Britain is providing some
of the Muslim murderers?

Funny - the rest of the world has had far more efficient security
measures in place for a considerably longer period of time, without
having to **** off foreign visitors to their shores! (If we are to
preserve ANY semblance of America as "the land of the free", we can't
get the Shrub out of power soon enough, IMO.)

Jo Firey wrote:

"Jeanette" wrote in message
...

dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers wrote in
message ...
Except that Britain WILL have to go to the US Consulate
(in London) and get a visa from September. So not only
will we need to get visas, we're now going to be fingerprinted
like criminals?

Canada or Europe for me for holidays. I know that my sister has cancelled
her plans to holiday in Florida this year because of this.


I fail to see why this is such a big deal. Regardless of what country is
doing the photoing and printing.

If it were efficently done, it might not be so bad - although U.S.
Customs ALREADY takes longer - even for citizens - than anywhere else in
the world. As to efficiency.... have you had occasion to check baggage
through airport "security" in the U.S. lately? Why should one have to
arrive two hours early for domestic flights, three hours ahead of flight
time for overseas? In Europe, if you arrive an hour before your
scheduled flight, you probably won't even find anyone at the check-in
counter that early to check you in!