Much of the discussion on this topic concentrates on the hassles of the passport and TSA procedures. Yet since 9/11 there is an increasing feeling for us visitors to the US that the hosile attitude is spreading into the general public and across all walks of life. Things like restaurant service, which always used to be held up in the UK as an example to follow, has really gone downhill for visitors. We are aggressively criticised for being inadequate tippers. Car rentals that used to explain things to visitors from overseas now take a "well you should know" attitude to questions. Fellow airline passengers are more intolerant. And so on.

It wasn't apparent immediately after 9/11 (I can remember being very much welcomed to a deserted Florida a couple of months later), but has grown over the years since. The "damned furriners" attitude of government and politicians is extending across the country.

OK, we can go somewhere else (and are doing so). Not a big problem for us to be honest. But those in the US will hopefully see it. For goodness sake, Boeing are now having difficulty training pilots of their customer overseas airlines because of all the immigration red tape for coming to the training courses. So the airlines look to Airbus. A minor detail but there are many instances and it all adds up.