Innocents abroad.

In the Letters column of today's Mail on Sunday, appears this touchingly innocent letter on the Brave Neo World of the USA:

US treated us like terrorists... at 70

My wife and I recently travelled to Miami. After waiting an hour in Immigration, I was told my fingerprints didn't match and I was held for two and a half hours. As two senior citizens over 70 this was extremely upsetting - did we really look like the perfect terrorists? It turned out that they had mixed up my prints with someone else's. I thought an apology might follow but I'm still waiting. The attitude was was arrogant despite the notice saying 'Welcome to the USA'. My advice to anyone thinking of going there is DON'T.

As a former resident of Florida, I join the Brit tourists in advising anyone thinking of going to Miami, "DON'T". High crime, high prices, crowded streets, overdeveloped, high humidity, minimalist and overcrowded beaches- read a Carl Hiaasen novel about Florida to get the flavor of the place.

Go to the nearby Bahamas, or one of the lovely British Virgin Islands (Tortola - Anageda - Peter - Cooper - Virgin Gorda, etc.) If I were a Brit, I would head for Cuba - something we Americans cannot do.

On edit: By the way, OP, one of my vacation wishes is to visit the Aigas Field Centre. Unfortunately, the exchange rate is prohibitive, plus they've raised their rates considerably.

Love those beavers. Hilarious, aren't they?

Sorry to hear about the difficulties. As they say, things can only get better. Roll on November, eh?

Santa Fe is a big destination for foreign tourists who want to see the American West before it disappears under oil wells and strip malls. They've been dwindling the last few years, mostly because of word of mouth about the American Gestapo at the airports.

The first action of any incoming president has got to be to rein in or better, to disband DHS. It's a useless agency whose functions can easily be assumed by the FBI and other agencies, and they should be.

Ending harassment of tourists at the airports has to be done, both internal and overseas tourists.

The biggest disincentive I have to traveling now isn't the pickpockets on the transit system at the destination, it's the juvenile fraternity hazing of all passengers at the departure points in the US.

After all, fascists love to keep their citizens captive. What they've done to the travel industry has done just that for a lot of us.

at one of your airports, on her way home after a few days holiday in NY, was straight out of Iraq or Afghanistan. Though I suppose that would be when they are making nice with the citizenry over there, trying to win hearts and minds.

Brilliant quote from JK Galbraith, by the way. So much truth "in a nutshell" and so wrily expressed.

I haven't personally experienced the indignities my friends and colleagues have related to me so I feel quite fortunate.

:hi: Howdy!

KCabotDullesMarxIII

Your "Security" is something many have experienced as bad...

My foster mother was in the states a while ago, and the group she was traveling with, was treated as potential criminals.. The whole group was first rounded up and taken to a rom, and then the TSA was trying to get a grips with the names.. For the first they had a dialect many in other parts of the world just don't understand. And they was not going a very good job of trying to speak at all.
For the second, they had some REAL problems with the names, and the guide have to step in, and with a guard to se the guide, the person had to Pronounce all the names, first, middle and last name if possible, so the guards could manage to understand them.. After that, they was given all the permission, to come into the United States... Noe exactly friendly..

And, they could not even READ THE ELECTRONIC PASSPORT.. US demand that everyone that visit your country, have the possibility to READ IT ELECTRONIC.. But the airports, both in Memphis and in New Orleans, that they was wising, don't have that type of equipment.. And it was just "second"s away from that the guards have sending he whole group home again.... But thankfully they had some with "brains" in some office, and they was just working the computers.. And voila, they was given, by mercy by the guards the welcome to the US...

We as a whole family have been wisting many weird places, both side of the iron courting.. But the "security guards" in the TSA, are worse than the old soviet style guard system who was so important to "Protect the workers paradise" in the eastern europe... Even that the guards DO carried guns and was very strict, they treated us, as guest, and was not unfriendly as the TSA guards... I don't remember the guards, or that they was caring guns at the airports, but are told they was doing it... If I had understand it would possible be more scary I guess.. But I do remember that they had guards on the front end of where the hotels was placed, and the everyone who was coming in have to show some pass of another to get in... And that was AFTER the cold war was ended... So I guess old habits was not given away yet..

But anyway.. if the TSA guards of today, is worse than the old guards of the eastern block.. Then they might have a little problem in the States... I would not visit a country, who you are been treated as a terrorist or criminal.. US is an amazing place, with many interesting places.. But if it is to hard to get in, I know a dusin other country, who are more interesting to visit then the US.. And where the bordergueards are mutch more Friend, and know to treat your professional...

I'm for one is sad if they treated you as sutch... This is not welcome to the US... If I had been treated like this I would have send a official complaint to the supervisor at the Airports.. Even that I possible would never get a replay, I had given very clear words about the treatment..

Anyway, sometimes I guess I am glad I was not emigrating to the US as I once was thinking about in the young ages... This is not the US I was growing up to know, or to love... This is similar to the old soviet, where the guards was teatced to be SCARED about the rest of the world... Specially we in the WEST...

I do hope the next president would do someting to the TSA.. And the rest of the system the Bush regime have put into place.. I really hope that US could be an open nation again, and not overstretch as they are doing now.. It looks like the US are going from one extreme, to the other side this time.. First you was just coming by.... Good know my own name would be dificult to pronoce from an american.. And I am not that good in english,anyway... Better to wisit some european places then, or maybe other places than the US, for the moment.. Maybe in some years time, when you are getting your act together I can wisit your amazing country...

Diclotican

Sorry my bad english, not my native language

easy to understand, in terms of your English and the points you make. I am not an American, actually, but a Brit, and was simply copying a letter, written by a member of the public to a newspaper, here in the UK.

However, it is interesting that, like the rest of us, most honest Americans are more critical about what's wrong with their country than any outsider, since it means so much to them. And I agree whole-heartedly, it is an amazing country and the Americans are an amazing people. When you do get to visit it, I expect you'll have a great time.