Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/07/16
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Tampa is imigration hell.They have a training school for immigration officers there. The oddest thing that ever happened to me there was an officer drawing his gun and threatening to shoot if i didn,t tell him my income.The customs people in the row behind immigration were ready waiting with complaint forms. Strange things happen there. simon jessurun amsterdam > Don't you know that all Irishmen are members of the IRA? ....JUST > KIDDING!!! ...but this is the mind set of those without minds. > > On the note of what all this (and the discussion about the poor guy in > Seattle) I have come to the conclusions that the terrorists have won. > > Not that people are afraid to move for fear of terrorist attack but because > people are now being terrorized by there own governments (not singling out > the USA, either. Canada has been doing some nasty stuff to its citizens, > albeit, those with brown skin)) and travel is no longer convenient. > > I, for one, will now drive where I used to fly if at all possible. > > I even turned down an assignment in the USA recently because I just didn't > need the hassles of travelling with cameras and film, dealing with being > arrested at the border for not having an obscure piece of paper. It's just > not worth it. Its no fun and it ruins both business and vacation travel. > > A few years back I was taking my family (wife and two children) to visit > relatives (US citizens and Republicans) in Florida and do the Disney World > thing with the kids. As the nice immigration man (and he was very polite and > congenial for an immigration officer) at Tampa was checking my passport his > eyes fell on the stamps for Croatia, Rwanda, Zaire, Bulgaria, Schipol, > Heathrow, Kenya, Turkey, Burundi, Haiti and I could see his eyes go wide and > the questions began. > What do you do, why were you there, was it business. I'm a journalist ...do > you have a journalist visa? I'm on vacation see, wife and little girls. > > This man sees pasty white Canadian tourists year round but my passport > through him. Thankfully, I was only carry a couple of Leicas and my charming > three year old came to the rescue and we all got to see Mickey. > > It was no big deal, and he was a decent guy, but that mixed with the current > insanity I now avoid travel to the USA if at all possible.... Even to visit > my aunts, uncles and cousins. > > Osama and his boys must be laughing their faces off in delight. They > succeeded. They have brought "western civilization", especially the USA, to > the point where they may cease to function as free states ...or with what > little freedoms we used to enjoy. > > They never have to carry out another attack to perpetuate terror. Our > governments are now doing it for them. Its OUR governments that are > restricting our movements, searching and detaining innocent people, > restricting whatever civil and human rights we have in our respective > countries. > > > Greg Locke > St. John's, Newfoundland > (the place where I hide when not visiting the world's misery) > > --- SOUND SYMPOSIUM XII -- > International Festival of New Music and Art > Daily photo coverage at > http://blog.greglocke.com > July 8 - 18, 2004 > St. John's, Newfoundland > > > > > > > Any you appear to be so terrorist-like. > > > > Last time I went to Washington DC, the fellow traveling with > > me (67 years old, 140 pounds, Irish, conservative > > accountant-type looks, charcoal gray suit) got detained at > > every single point possible. Perhaps the least likely > > terrorist if we are counting looks. > > > > Jeffery Smith > > New Orleans, LA > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >