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https://x.com/jburnmurdoch/status/1910770466018427014?s=46
Some recent data for those interested.
People being carted off by ICE for writing a blog is clearly very un-American, but shooting Brazilian plumbers in the head and jailing bloggers is not overly British either, but yet it is.
Something like 40 million people pass through the US borders each year. “I had a longer chat than expected about my tattoos” is hardly Midnight Express.
I appreciate we all have a risk threshold, but US immigration is way down on my list of threats.
What if that ‘longer chat’ lasts for days?
They are deporting people because of their tatoos. Someting about a crown means you’re automatically a+a gang member! It’s hardly an indepth investigation or due process is it?
The guy they sent back to El Salvador was under the protection of a court order saying that shouldn’t happen because he was at risk of harm and the Feds just ignored it. It says something abut the current situation that the administration is actually fighting court orders on this -including one yesterday from the Supreme Court.
Going next week for 6 days to Florida from a holiday that started in Mexico. Im getting the feeling I should getting my funeral preparations in order. Just joking but I wouldn’t go as far as cancelling. If for political reasons we would choose not to go anywhere, heck, we wouldn’t leave the front door.
It’s easy to get excited about USA border control, but nothing has really changed under Trump except the headlines. A Muslim colleague was refused entry at JFK back in the early noughties because he was travelling with two male friends, and border control assumed that meant he was obviously a terrorist.
There are lots of reasons to want to visit the USA; equally, there are lots of reasons not to go there. But don’t blame Trump for what’s been happening for decades.
@Aston100, it’s always good read a moderate, intelligent, well reasoned contribution to a conversation that refrains from name-calling and sweeping generalisations.
Oh, wait…
I’d have GE for $20 with even one visit per year, it is magic. Pre check can occasionally be good as well, but that’s just a bonus.
It is $120 for the US bit plus £42 for the UK background check – but still worth it in my experience. Without it, if you are one of the first into the immigration hall you’ll probably be ok, but arrive after an A380 and you will be waiting a long time.
I’d have GE for $20 with even one visit per year, it is magic. Pre check can occasionally be good as well, but that’s just a bonus.
It is $120 for the US bit plus £42 for the UK background check – but still worth it in my experience. Without it, if you are one of the first into the immigration hall you’ll probably be ok, but arrive after an A380 and you will be waiting a long time.
I’m with you on that. Work bought mine, but we stumped up our own cash for the OH. Given how many people drop £600 a year on platinum and then contort themselves into saying it pays for itself, I’m surprised more people don’t just see it as paying for fast track.
We were in Washington DC and on the Atlantic Coast of Florida last month and had a great time, people we spoke to were friendly and happy to chat. We tend to stay in owner managed B&Bs as much as possible and have always found them to be very appreciative of our visit and we are always made to feel very welcome. We genuinely find a lot of people are actually quite pleased that you actually travelled to visit their country.
I’ve been travelling to the US since the 1980s and tipping has always been part of the US culture. I’ve never tipped 30% and never been asked for more or made to feel awkward. US restaurants usually swipe your card and give you a paper copy to sign and add your desired tip – they put suggested percentages but I usually just add a set amount and that’s always been fine. I leave a set amount as I think that ordering an $8 glass of wine requires the same service as ordering a $12 glass, but that’s me. There are plenty of restaurants in the UK that will add a 10% to 15% tip when they present you with the bill meaning you need to ask if you want to leave less which could make you feel more awkward.
I don’t find that we spend a fortune on food either as our B&B accommodation always provides a substantial breakfast which keeps us going through the day with just some fruit or a snack at lunchtime. Dinners are pretty substantial so we tend to just have a main course each or have a selection of appetisers. A lot of places also do happy hours if you don’t mind eating a bit earlier. Restaurants will always give you a box if you want to take any leftovers away. We don’t go hungry and we don’t feel like we are compromising either. It’s very easy to avoid Starbucks too as there are plenty of good independent coffee shops to find.
We have two further Trans-Atlantic trips this year; an Atlantic Canada road trip visiting Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Toronto and another road trip visiting the National Parks between Phoenix and Salt Lake City.
We’ve found Global Entry really efficient and having TSA Pre included helps too – well worth the money in my view.
I’d have GE for $20 with even one visit per year, it is magic. Pre check can occasionally be good as well, but that’s just a bonus.
It is $120 for the US bit plus £42 for the UK background check – but still worth it in my experience. Without it, if you are one of the first into the immigration hall you’ll probably be ok, but arrive after an A380 and you will be waiting a long time.
Oh, didn’t realise the price had gone up – $24 per year then, not $20. Still a bargain! IME 75% of the time you can get through immigration in less than 30 minutes without GE, but the other 25% of the time it can very easily be 1 or even 2+ hour waits, which are not much fun.
120 + (42*1.3)= $174.6 /5 = $34.92
As I haven’t been invited to Mara lago or the white house, I have as much chance of meeting Trump as any other President, ie zero. So whoever is President doesn’t effect my choice of holiday.
America has always been very expensive if you go to upmarket hotels especially big cities. or very good value if you go elsewhere. I don’t find upmarket American hotels have character, they are not what USA is about. If you want good food go to Italy, if you want a great breakfast find an authentic American diner.
Once you get out of big cities Americans are friendly people. Even Trump supporters. However nowadays the old adage of don’t talk politics is even more important.
+1 for owner-managed B&Bs. They are ways my first choice too. So many fun conversations had over breakfast. Sort of like rocking up to an American bar but eggs instead of bourbon.
+1 for owner-managed B&Bs. They are ways my first choice too. So many fun conversations had over breakfast. Sort of like rocking up to an American bar but eggs instead of bourbon.
Look at Mr Millionaire over here.
We have global entry, but will not be visiting any time soon.
Like BA has forced us to look at different airlines, Trump has forced us to look at different countries.
So not all is bad.
@Aston, I’m very fond of you, but I’m pretty sure you’ve also flown on QR and visited a couple of nations with pretty dodgy human rights records!
Couple of snide comments about a particular person. Lay of the insults.
We should be better than this!
Disagree but don’t be disagreeable!
So its fine for someone to badmouth brexiteers in your world, but not the other more light hearted parlance in response, I think you will find it was 4 comments not two, but you have only reported two of us?
As you have said Disagree but don’t be disagreeable, oh the irony.
So its fine for someone to badmouth brexiteers in your world, but not the other more light hearted parlance in response, I think you will find it was 4 comments not two, but you have only reported two of us?
As you have said Disagree but don’t be disagreeable, oh the irony.
I’ve not bad mouthed anyone.
I didn’t report any comments. Not one. Zero. Don’t assume. Because that comes back and bites you.
I think that the (now deleted) expression, ‘orange imbecile’ and an unnecessary insult to 51% of the voting population in botj the UK and the USA were the first snide comments made in this thread.
Personally, I won’t be cancelling the USA regardless of what I think about its president or politics. Many countries have much worse governments, and the USA is an incredible country full of incredible people and incredible places to visit. And I can cope with tipping through mental maths (+20% isn’t a hard sum).
Having said that, it’s currently an expensive place, and service seems to be patchy, so I’m inclined to visit other countries until the currency sorts itself out and businesses need to compete properly for custom.
I think that the (now deleted) expression, ‘orange imbecile’ and an unnecessary insult to 51% of the voting population in botj the UK and the USA were the first snide comments made in this thread.
Personally, I won’t be cancelling the USA regardless of what I think about its president or politics. Many countries have much worse governments, and the USA is an incredible country full of incredible people and incredible places to visit. And I can cope with tipping through mental maths (+20% isn’t a hard sum).
Having said that, it’s currently an expensive place, and service seems to be patchy, so I’m inclined to visit other countries until the currency sorts itself out and businesses need to compete properly for custom.
+1
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