Entry Reg's n Rules

[Blue Stocking]

Alternatively he could simply wave his Passport and state loudly: "I have nothing to declare except the fact that I am British - now, let me pass "....possibly also muttering something about a gunboat arriving in the morning .[/QUOTE]

Gunboat diplomacy, works every time

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by matauwhi

G'day, mates. It is our own (U.S. citizens that is) fault that clearing U.S. customs & immigration has become what it is today. President Eisenhower specifically warned us as he left office:

"In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together."

Cheers.

Again, as a non-U.S. citizen who also has to deal with U.S. politics due to its disproportion effect on my own country, I have often thought that Eisenhower was severely underestimated as a President. He may have been the last American politician at that level to actually "give it to them straight".

The contrast with today's millionaire panderers, sycophants, ideologues and con-men vying for the American presidency could not be sharper.

Of course, "Homeland Security" in all its under-documented forms is just the military-industrial complex in different uniforms. If the public tires of foreign wars and the expensive weaponry needed to fight them, concoct a nice domestic war to keep them distracted...and to sell scanners, vests, computers and spy gear directed inward. The emergency is permanent.

Hell, it's the plot of 1984.

[AiniA]

Having passed into and out of about 20 countries in the last few years ranging from southern Africa to the South Pacfic to western Europe I really have problems with US border officials in two respects. One is that they do not know the rules that they are so keep to enforce. If you enter one place you will get a totally different set of rules then in another place. Once you are in the country the rules are enforced differently. If you are on the north side of Long Island Sound (RI and CT) you have to call in everday if you move your boat. If you are on the south side (NY) you only have to call when you enter the district. I guess people in CT are much safer than people in NY. My other beef is how rude some of these guys are. I had one guy calling me by my first name - I am more than old enough to be his father. Is it to much to expect basic politeness?

Someone mentioned China - when you fly into Beijing airport each of the immigration booths has a set of five buttons on it ranging from a be smiley face to a big frowny face. After you have been checked in they ask you to push the button (out of sight of the officer) to indicate your level of satisfaction with how you were treated. More than a few times I have wished for such buttons in the US.

[Greenhand]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

My two cents is to arrange your boating affairs so they don't look any different than any normal tourist traveling: have all your addresses on your various documents matching, have a normal driver's license in addition to your passport, have whatever tickets a normal traveler would have, etc. If you look and act like the everyday you will breeze through wherever you are, but if you arrive with some odd set of papers, some strange garb on, carrying something different or in your luggage, etc. you get the third degree. Don't stand out and things go smoother, and if you are asked some dumb question just answer it with a response that the average Joe would make.

Even before 9/11, my mother once had trouble getting back into the US because she had sent her luggage back with Dad. Someone traveling for two weeks with just a handbag set off the alarms.

[hellosailor]

It really is all a dog and pony show in the US, don't mistake it for any kind of real security.

One day I asked the airline counter to change my seat, they gave me a new boarding pass and I didn't look at it, who would? At least two TSA agents verified the new pass against my photo ID and when I got on the plane...we had a slight problem because the boarding pass WAS NOT IN MY NAME not even close to it, and they had seated two of us in the same seat.

Ooops? TSA can't match the name on two pieces of paper, as they are trained and required to do?

Then the TSA and the airline each said the other was responsible for those agents, not their problem, when I complained about the security lapse.

It was neither the first nor the only TSA fumble I've seen. Those guys are really only there to make the masses feel re-assured that "it can't happen again". Well, it can, it will. Playing whack-a-mole and placating the masses isn't security. But it keeps the voters happy, and sadly, that's all that counts.

I find that Customs officers in general are underpaid and bored, and if you can entertain them with a bit of humour, it goes a long way. You try asking "What is the purpose of your visit?" a thousand times a day.

FWIW there still are FULLY REFUNDABLE airline tickets sold. Now, it may be cheaper to buy a round-trip non-refundable and throw away the return than to buy two one-ways (one refundable)...but that's the airline pricing game. Not so long ago, you bought a ticket and anyone could use it. Then folks started selling their airline miles, which the airlines couldn't stand because they profit from the ones that go unused and expired. So now a ticket is valid for your name only, as a security measure. Security? Horsepucky! That's to prevent you from reducing their profit, security has no role in the matter. Hit 'em where it hurts, and ask for extra peanuts.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by S/V Alchemy

... I have often thought that Eisenhower was severely underestimated as a President. He may have been the last American politician at that level to actually "give it to them straight" ...

I suppose it’s easier to adopt the mantle of a reasonable/temperate statesman as a retiring war hero president, than it is as a sitting executive.

Nearly all of Eisenhower's foreign policy “achievements” were negative in nature. He ended the Korean War, he refused to intervene militarily in Indochina (Viet Nam) , he refrained from involving the United States in the Suez crisis, he avoided war with China over Quemoy and Matsu, he resisted the temptation to force a showdown over Berlin, he stopped exploding nuclear weapons in the atmosphere.

Notwithstanding; Eisenhower’s record on nearby Latin America: ie Guatemala, El Salvador, Ecuador, and Cuba, was not quite so negatively positive. Here, he was a typical “cold warrior”, not so concerned about interceding in his neighbour’s domestic affairs.

Eisenhower approved PBSUCCESS*, the CIA-invasion of Guatemala that would remove elected President Jacobo Arbenz in 1954. Arbenz's removal and the closing of political space under the military governments to follow would lead to thousands of deaths.

Eisenhower also approved plans for the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion executed in 1961 during JFK's presidency. The failed invasion helped strengthen the Cuban government, which just celebrated fifty years of surviving the US embargo.

Operations PBFORTUNE and PBSUCCESS were the CIA code-names of the1952-54 attempts to topple the Guatemalan government under the democratically elected President Jacobo Arbenz Guzman

* ➥ http://www.foia.cia.gov/docs/DOC_000...0000134974.pdf

* ➥ Scribd

A successful politician must (to be successful) pander to the masses.
It’s up to the masses (of us) to educate ourselves, and to, then, demand “what’s right”.

[hellosailor]

"... Eisenhower...ended the Korean War, "

Eh, no Gord. Ignoring the question of whether it was a legally declared war or a UN-invoked Peacekeeping Action, it wasn't and hasn't been ended. There's this ongoing "truce" but there's been no formal end.

Ike's great accomplishment was giving the US the Interstate and Defense Highway System. Or maybe that was his greatest mistake, depending on your point of view.

[virginia boy]

Originally Posted by Johnny Cruiser

Sorry to hear that as IMHO it is an excellent non entry rule. DUI is a criminal offense in the states also. Know many people whose whole family or part of it were wiped out by a drunk driver. After 10 yrs and with pre notification incl background check on your nickel with no other occurances would grant provisonal entry. Needs to be a price to be paid for your bad behaviour not just more govt dumbing down and acceptance of it. IMHO
(And before you think I am anti booze there is 611 cases of adult beverages and 54 cases of imported beer on our boat now enroute from the Med via the Canaries to the states.)
John

65 Million Americans With Criminal Records

Published on Mar 23, 2011 - 8:16:40 AM

By: National Employment Law Project

NEW YORK, March 23, 2011 - More than one in four U.S. adults -- roughly 65 million people --have an arrest or conviction that shows up in a routine criminal background check, and a new report from the National Employment Law Project finds that these Americans are facing unprecedented barriers to employment. With the rapidly expanding use of background checks, employers are routinely, and often illegally, excluding all job applicants who have criminal records from consideration, no matter how minor or dated their offenses.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

... Ike's great accomplishment was giving the US the Interstate and Defense Highway System. Or maybe that was his greatest mistake, depending on your point of view.

Indeed.
It was the final nail in the coffin of public mass transit.
Yea Ike & GM.

[Johnny Cruiser]

Originally Posted by virginia boy

65 Million Americans With Criminal Records

Published on Mar 23, 2011 - 8:16:40 AM

By: National Employment Law Project

NEW YORK, March 23, 2011 - More than one in four U.S. adults -- roughly 65 million people --have an arrest or conviction that shows up in a routine criminal background check, and a new report from the National Employment Law Project finds that these Americans are facing unprecedented barriers to employment. With the rapidly expanding use of background checks, employers are routinely, and often illegally, excluding all job applicants who have criminal records from consideration, no matter how minor or dated their offenses.

Perhaps Virginia boy you should read a little more carefully from your quote...
"After 10 yrs and with pre notification incl background check on your nickel with no other occurances would grant provisonal entry"

An arrest is not the same as a conviction. So it would be wrong for someone to be denied a job /opportunity/consideration without a conviction.
But other than that is GREAT article. You broke the law, got convicted and now have a price to pay. Thanks for posting.

And if so many job applicants didn't lie on their applications so much money wouldn't be wasted in uncovering their lies. Over 95% from my personal experience.

We will not hire anyone with more than the lowest 2 classes of misdemeanors and # also is taken into account. Speeding ticket won't cost you your job but a DUI will for min 10 years. Our customers do not want convicted felons of any type in their homes and that is their lawful personal choice.
Do you want someone with single or multiple sexual convictions in your home with your young kids or wife??? Do your schools???
Do you want someone with 26 petty burglary convictions working at your widowed mother-in-laws multimillion dollar home or even 75k home???
You broke the law, got caught and convicted so quit whining, man up and pay the price. Had 34 companies and a couple employees incl my brother had to be fired by me for breaking the rules. Domestic Battery on his former wife became a sex crime. Fired them/him but went out and opened 3 new companies who only do commercial work and never work in people's homes and I put those employees in as presidents of those companies under different corp. names with a no residential work/felons policy. We have a no felons policy legally in the other 34 co and have twice been sued by states but won both cases. Have almost 40 years of history and over 130k letters thanking us from customers who feel safe with our drug testing and no felon’s policy thus becoming repeat customers. Give people what they want and they will pay extra for it. Our people are also paid min $1 hr more than the union rate in their area as we expect/demand more from them. (They are all also owners. ESOP's)
That is our written and published rules and policy like Immigration has Rules and Policy. Problem is most have no idea what all the rules are or how to interrupt them (shows some govts lack of training esp. USA) and most importantly blatantly poor customer service skills if at all. IMHO

cheers,
John

[Johnny Cruiser]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Indeed.
It was the final nail in the coffin of public mass transit.
Yea Ike & GM.

Correct GordMay,
Though it works pretty good in Germany, Itlay, and Japan.
sucks and never use anymore in USA.
cheers
John

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by virginia boy

65 Million Americans With Criminal Records ...

The USA likes to characterise itself as “The Land of the Free”; but it is actually a nation of the incarcerated - the most imprisoned country in the world; far outstripping China, which has the second highest rate of imprisonment as well as Russia, ranked third.
About 6.7 million adult men and women, roughly 3.1 percent of the total U.S. adult population, are now non-voluntary members of America's "correctional community."
1 out of every 32 Americans is either in prison, or on parole from prison.

[Johnny Cruiser]

Originally Posted by GordMay

The USA likes to characterise itself as “The Land of the Free”; but it is actually a nation of the incarcerated - the most imprisoned country in the world; far outstripping China, which has the second highest rate of imprisonment as well as Russia, ranked third.
About 6.7 million adult men and women, roughly 3.1 percent of the total U.S. adult population, are now non-voluntary members of America's "correctional community."
1 out of every 32 Americans is either in prison, or on parole from prison.

GordMay,
Originally Posted by virginia boy
65 Million Americans With Criminal Records ...
Is a very misleading number as an arrest but no conviction leads to a criminal record. Look at the CA protestors last month arrest over 300 prosecute 11?
If you are not going to prosecute them why bother to arrest them and why put a non conviction on their criminal record??? Either convict them or get it off their record as they were not convicted of a criminal offense. IMHO
John

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Johnny Cruiser

GordMay,
Originally Posted by virginia boy
65 Million Americans With Criminal Records ...
Is a very misleading number as an arrest but no conviction leads to a criminal record...

Nonetheless, 1 out of every 32 Americans is either currently in prison, or on parole from prison - I believe, the highest proportion of population, in the entire world.

[Johnny Cruiser]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Nonetheless, 1 out of every 32 Americans is either currently in prison, or on parole from prison - I believe, the highest proportion of population, in the entire world.

GordMay you are correct.
That is why our elected leaders tell us we are in the "Land of the Free" cause we ain't or are not currently incarcerated hence "We are Free!"
(at least till we get to the border or an airport)
John