Welcome to the United States of America, YOU F**KING FOREIGNERS!

[marmar]

SURVEY: USA WORLD’S MOST UNFRIENDLY COUNTRY TO VISIT

According to Reuters, a survey published today, which was conducted among 2,011 international travelers in 16 countries, points to some alarming image problems for the United States: USA was perceived to be the world’s most unfriendly country to visitors. Rude immigration officials and long delays in processing visas were cited as the main reasons.

More than 50% of the respondents said U.S. immigration officials were rude and two-thirds said they feared they would be detained on arriving in the United States for a simple mistake in their paper work or for saying the wrong thing to an immigration official.

The survey, which was conducted October 19th to November 9th this year by the polling firm RT Strategies for the Discover America Partnership, a group launched in September by some business leaders to promote travel to the United States and improve the country’s image abroad.

Security is of course extremely important, but should we allow it to become such an obsession that we forget about hospitality altogether? Does having rude immigration officers who instill fear in foreign visitors improve security? Or letting our bureaucrats treat foreign visa applicants with arrogance, hostility, and slow process? Well, probably not. But it could lead to a serious image problem that once it takes hold might become very difficult to change.

And we should also remember that what goes around comes around, so in addition to hurting our tourism industry, hostile treatment of foreign visitors could also make foreign territories less friendly and welcoming to American travelers. And really, do we want to be lumped into the same category as North Korea as far as immigration procedures for visitors go?

If nothing else the results of this study should be a huge red flag.

Reuters

http://www.exploringtheglobe.com/?p=616

[valerief]

1. France is gonna have to up its game now. nt

[Rufus T. Firefly]

6. They're eliminating smoking in public places.

So what will they rudely blow in your face then?

[scarletwoman]

2. Aw, hell. I was hoping you were posting as an American Indian. (nt)

[marmar]

3. LOL. Perhaps American Indians should have been a little less hospitable...

:think:

[John Q. Citizen]

4. From my own visits to Mexico and Canada, I would have to agree with the

study. Coming back home is generally to be subjected to rude and arbitrary treatment by border and customs agents many of whom seem to thrive on being as rude as possible.

Not everyone and not always, but usually, and way too much to be a fluke.

On the other hand, I've had my car searched by both Mexican and Canadian border control agents and they are almost uniformly pleasant and professional while doing thier jobs.

[Kutjara]

5. This is not a new thing.

US Immigration officials at borders, ports and airports have always been mini-Mussolinis, drunk with their petty power and in love with the image of themselves in a uniform. As a frequent traveler, I've lost count of the incidents I've witnessed of rudness, abuse and verbal assault.

Just last year, I was waiting for my wife to come out of the 'non-US' line at SeaTac immigration. One self-important gauleiter in charge of pointing at people saw me waiting in what was (I guess) an incorrect place and barked, "get out of here." I was naturally taken aback and replied, "what did you just say to me?" He responded, "I said, 'get out of here.' This line was delivered with a pointed resting of his right hand on the hilt of his gun (a nice touch, I thought, in the land of customer service). I explained that I was waiting for my wife to come out of the other line, to which he responded, "well, if you don't want to see her put on the next plane back home, you'll move your ass down the escalator and wait there.

Fucking charming. What would he have done if I'd refused? Shot me?

The 'post 9/11 world' only exacerbated the problem. People that were only a miserable nuisance before have now been turned loose with the keys to the kingdom.

[marmar]

9. Yup, I got in the line of an overzealous customs guy at Detroit Metro last week...

After returning from London. He was clearly having a bad day, and decided I needed more intensive customs inspection. I just smiled and remained pleasant, and went over to the area where they actually go thru your bags. The guy at that station was much nicer, barely peeked into the bag and said "you're good to go." I then peeked back at the initial prick, gave him a look and kept walking.

[acmejack]

10. Wow.

Actually I had never negotiated customs without the benefit of an official Government passport (the red one, not to be confused with the diplomatic one) which provided easy clearance through customs of any variety, the only ones I ever had a hassle at was the Brazilians and that was during the Falklands so they were predisposed to be hostile. Britain had just sunk the General Belgrano. I had never realized the perception that American customs were boors, so this is a real surprise-but then all things considered, perhaps it really isn't. It is just a sad realization along with so many others.

[treestar]

11. And since the 96 law they have unreviewable power to exclude people

I just don't like the idea of them, as executive branch, having the last word. They'll like the power too much. But half the immigration provisions we have now provide for "no judicial review" of the bureaucrat's decisions.

[Porcupine]

7. Welcome to America, heres you anal probe, thank you for spending

considering that we no longer make anything of note to export we had better be freaking nicer to tourists.

[Kelly Rupert]

8. Hey, if you don't want to learn English, you can just go back to where you came from.

The Indians all spoke English--just look at Tonto and Pocahontas. The Americans spoke English. If you don't want to speak English, just go back home, and take your tourism, business, and tech dollars elsewhere. We don't need your fancy "culture" and "business" when we have bombs, baby. When we want to talk to your foreign, probably-brown ass, you'll know it because of the F-22s in the sky and the GIs knockin' down your doors.

USA! USA! USA!