medic51vrf

I promised some of my American friends and family that I would fly back and visit them this year. Recently I told them that I wouldn't be doing so but that they could feel free to meet me in Europe or Hong Kong if they'd like. When asked why, I responded that I didn't feel the need to go through all of the BS entering and leaving the country.

It's an interesting world when all of a sudden an American would rather go to China and (the former) East Germany and Soviet Bloc countries than back to America because he's tired of dealing with pseudo-fascist government representatives....

Ysitincoach

Personally, I'm not going to let them deter me from the wonders of international travel. I've had a mix of experiences with CBP from not asking a thing to being needlessly sent to secondary. Both times I survived.

When I'm standing around an arrivals hall and looking at all the others in the unwashed masses I'm inspired. If they can do it, by golly I can do it too!!!

quick_dry

Is it really as bad as all this though?

Maybe I got lucky, but as an Aussie, flying in and out of the country from Colombia, it was not the big affront to my dignity that seems to be posted about here regularly. It was a bit of a PITA, but the security theatre going on was certainly nothing that would come close to dissuading me from traveling there.

catocony

I've had 3 secondaries in my last 8 returns to the US over the last 11 months. In the previous 200+ over a 15-year period, I had 2 agricultural quick-check secondaries and 1 regular secondary, which was a retaliatory one in MIA where I was talking on my cell.

So yeah, in my experience over the last year or two, it's getting progressively worse. Lots more questioning, lots more secondaries, just a general pain in the butt.

medic51vrf

I suppose whether it's "that bad" is a matter of personal opinion. If I had to go back to the US (IE for a funeral, wedding, etc) I would and I'd do so without hesitation. However, when it comes to flying somewhere for pleasure there are now many, many places I'd like to that don't involve the TSA, CBP, etc.

As I've said in previous posts, I don't get terribly angry when I get asked stupid, intrusive questions or have my testicles grabbed by the goon squad, but if I can avoid it I will and the best way to do so is not to be there when they do it.

If a terrorist's job is to raise fear within a population, they have failed with me. I have no fear of them, a terrorist attack, etc. If their job is to disrupt a nation's normal activities to the point that the population now devotes extraordinary resources to a paranoid desire for self protection (even to the point of self destruction) then I'm afraid I believe OBL accomplished his goal.

We have the power to hunt down and destroy every terrorist, but do we have the power to keep from destroying ourselves?

catocony

Osama never dreamed he would be as successful as he was. The 9/11 attacks have turned out to have the best return on investment of any enemy activity in modern history.