Subcultural engagement for the 21st Century...
Barbelith is a new kind of community (find out more)...
You can login or register.

Underground > Switchboard >

Visiting USA

11:28 / 31.07.03

I might flight on business to US in a couple of weeks. I hear they are back to alert, and I am thinking of getting a life insurance, or changing business.

What's the current status as far as you know?

14:33 / 31.07.03

We honestly don't pay attention. I think it's yellow, but I'm not sure.

14:34 / 31.07.03

Um, wear shoes that are easy to remove. If you're a foreginer, don't bring absinthe into the country. You'll probably be searched and they'll take away your absinthe and make you pay a fine.

Seriously, I returned to the U.S. (New Orleans) for a few days last week and didn't notice any extraordinary precautions.

14:56 / 31.07.03

Oh, if that doesn't make sense... we're ALWAYS on alert. I don't think the color code has gone down to "green" since Sept. 11, 2001.

The color code is explained here.

The more thorough Homeland Security explanation is here.

Green-blue-yellow-orange-red.

14:57 / 31.07.03

yeah, we're always either yellow or orange.

We're The Great Old Ones Now

15:58 / 31.07.03

Do not under any circumstances make jokes at immigration.

19:01 / 31.07.03

It's perfectly safe to visit the U.S. Any risks you face from terrorism or violent crime are almost certainly overshadowed by the risk of a traffic accident. Getting here might be a bit of an inconvenience, because of added security, but our country still needs to be part of an international marketplace and you just can't do that if you put people through hell on each business trip.

Unless your name is David Nelson, of course.

19:28 / 31.07.03

Very mindful answers. Appreciated. I just don't want any guy on board to decide we go smashing a few buildings with the plane's nose. Mind you. Because then someone would have to pull my teeth buried deep in his neck.

Anyway, I figure by now US airlines are probably the most neurotically safe in the world, with 22 fed thugs on board pretending they go visiting aunt Susie.

Grant, I'll let you know if I change flights in Miami, might stay around for the weekend.

19:40 / 31.07.03

the last time i flew domestically they put everyone on my outbound flight through the ringer at security. this was about a month and a half ago on a flight from San Diego to Newark.

every single person had to take off their shoes and allow them to be sent off for some kind of extra scanning. every carry-on was searched thoroughly. everyone got searched with the handheld metal detector and got interviewed by one of the new federal airport security agents. i saw a few bags which went through the x-ray machine attact some kind of attention, and the unfortunate people who owned them were taken off to god-knows-where. etc etc etc.

needless to say, it was a massive clusterfuck. it was really backed up and it took for-fucking-ever to get through security. i barely made my flight. the people right behind me missed theirs. it was a total nightmare.

it wasn't nearly as bad on my return flight, thankfully, nor has it happened any of the other times i've flown since 9/11. however, the experience has led me to take the warning to allow two hours for security very seriously, just in case it happens again.

it probably won't happen to you, but it might, and i'd plan around the possibility if i were you, especially if you're on a tight schedule.

20:04 / 31.07.03

Getting around the Miami Airport: go to LEVEL THREE -- there are moving walkways there that nearly no one uses because no one knows they're there. There are elevators to every gate from the walkway level.

Also, for a small fee, you can use the steam room, sauna & pool at the top level of the airport hotel, the shiny building opposite gate E.

It's nice.

Email me if you're in town for a while.

00:57 / 01.08.03

Green-blue-yellow-orange-red.

Is that the order? Surely it should be blue-green-yellow-orange-red...

...no, I won't think about it. I'll just drive this out of my head right now. With a song, la la la.

07:07 / 03.08.03

There is far more for you to fear from the citizens of our fair country than the terrorists who want to kill us. Hell, I'm far more frightened of the police than any terrorists. Not that you'd need to fear the cops either; they're just more likely to kill you than are any terrorists.

Also, the color scale is complete bullshit. It's a system designed to simultaniously create fear as well as a sense of government protection. It also gives Fox News something to put on their ticker every fifteen seconds. As for the correct order, it's yellow, orange, red. Supposedly there are two colors before yellow, but they've never been used and likely never will.

Enjoy your trip!