American Views Abroad

 
It takes time before things begin bubbling up to the surface. There is an eerie disconnect between having your ear on the ground, listening to people's experience and trying to find reports in the media. A year ago a US friend living here had to travel to the US for her daughter's wedding in Utah with her German husband. There wasn't all that much time to catch their connecting flight at JFK airport. Her husband has often been to the US, in fact they got married over there. Yet, for no reason at all when presenting his passport, suddenly without any explanation he was taken away and put into a 'holding pen'. Understandably she was very upset not only at the delay and perhaps not catching a late connecting flight for an early wedding the next day, but he has heart problems and suffers from anxiety. She found trying to ask questions, or explaining why it was important not to miss the flight was comparable to hitting a stone wall. Just in the knick of time he was released. The reason given was the finger printing machine at that counter was not functioning. These days one is probably elated to get an explanation for actions that in previous times would have been a source of outrage. Whatever happened to politeness, for example, simply stating our machine is out-of-order, please go to the next line? More to the point, whatever happened to putting out a welcoming mat? Is everyone these days subject to suspect?

There was an interesting, very complimentary article about Boston in a Berlin Sunday paper a few weeks ago. What stood out was in the column How to Get There. Right on top was the caution: cross your fingers and hope to get an immigration officer who is in a good mood upon entry. A German couple, both with Green Cards and who live permanently in Pennsylvania never travel back via JFK, but prefer Chicago because of how they are treated upon entry. If fact, they have drawn up a list of preferred airports.

The dollar has now hit 1.40 to the euro which should mean flights over to the US are now crammed with European tourists. Once upon a time it was everyone's dream here to travel over there. Yet a flight to and from Newark was only about half filled in May and June. Ditto for a flight to and from NYC in June. Comments sometimes heard run along the line of: be there, done that. Wait for better times.

Yesterday's IHT ran Welcome to America: Hope you're not in a rush at www.iht.com/articles/2007/09/18/business/entry.php. '...if foreigners had not visited the United States since Sept.11, 2001, or had never visited, the stories they're reading or hearing about the poor entry experience are discouraging them from visiting....'
- posted by Gloria @ 11:08 AM