Kaffy Mintcake

[QUOTE=Elvira;5815081] Yeah - two govt. groups working toward programs that work against each other.

snowbunny

Would some of you who've been to American consulates or embassies abroad comment on the following?

In the Amsterdam consulate, the glossy posters and beautiful posters of Our Fair Land only graced the *US citizen services* room -- and were not visible unless you were in that room. The non-USC room -- where people would apply for non-immigrant visas to enter the US for example -- was bleak and austere. Not a single poster anywhere. Granted, the Netherlands is a VWP country, but there were a LOT of people in the non-USC room.

We don't advertise tourism as a country; perhaps it would appear too jingoistic if we did? Other countries do. Disneyworld is a company, not a country. Has anyone seen advertising for US tourism when they've visited or lived abroad?

I get the serious impression that the US doesn't want any tourists!

We'll do our bit in March: www.sxsw.com

Elvira

Sore point this. When we went for visa stamping in London, we queued for over 2 hours outside, and another 2 hours inside. Luckily this was in the summer, and the weather was nice. But there was no place to get any refreshments and (whilst outside) nowhere to go for a pee. There were families with young children in the line who got quite distressed. I can only imagine what it must be like when it's cold and/or raining...

And yes, the room where we waited inside was *very* austere.

And this was just for visa stamping, i.e. not a new application or anything requiring any kind of interview.

I wish our government would indulge in some quid-pro-quo

meauxna

Amy, I did notice some jingoistic signs in the airport in Puerto Rico. They were from the US gov't ans were promoting the fact that a US citizen did not need a passport to visit PR.

Of coure, by virtue of the fact that the signs were in the airport IN Puerto Rico, I'm not sure of the sense of all that.... (if you're already there, do you need to know that?)
I guess they are for the benefit of USCs transiting through from other islands. It just seemed silly to me.

And no, no 'Visit America!' posters in evidence in the US Embassy Athens.

Rushman

""It claimed he had suggested to the British government that British Pakistanis would have to apply for visas before travelling to the US.""

What a fool this man is....there is obviously nothing to worry about in Britain whatsoever.

meauxna

In the version of the story that ran in my local rag, Chertoff told us we (Americans) needed to 'grow up'.

They're getting ready to riot on the Canadian border.. DHS has no clue of the impact of their decisions.

snowbunny

Rioting Canadians?

Who's bringing the doughnuts and beer?

Rushman

Hopefully not Willmore.

Xebedee

An angry Canadian.
(Attitude as cute as she is)

Redlippie

Avril Lavigne? She rocks.

Xebedee

She doth.

lofty79

There's a tv commercial currently running in the UK advertising the US as a tourist destination. I think it's a re-run of an old commercial - at least i'm sure i've seen it before somewhere. It consists of a number of movie clips from such films as Maid in Manhattan and Sweet Home Alabama, with the closing line - "you've seen the movie, now visit the film-set" or something along those lines.

I think it may be from Visit America. So it appears at least someone somewhere is trying to drum-up trade.

Bob

The UK consulate, have to say the shitter was one of the nastiest places I've seen for a public loo...saying that, only matched by the doctors they used for the medical up the road

cindyabs

I remember seeing the pics of the doc's toilet-it was odd............

Giantaxe

The question is really whether requiring visas woud meaningfully add to security over and above current measures. I'm doubtful. And how are you going to define "British Pakistanis"? Additionally, it's likely to add to anti-US resentment, which is obviously already at extremely unhealthy levels.