Europeans are required by law to carry a State / Country ID which can be sighted anywhere within the EU by Police or Customs (the Zoll - you will see them quite often on german roads especially checking trucks) There may not be as many border controls anymore but believe me there are lots of other checks going on in areas where you wouldn't think to find them. Little example I have a dutch collegue with a dutch numberplate who travels to germany on a regular basis. One day while travelling between 2 clients on a road between 2 villages he suddenly disappeared out of my rearview mirror and about 2 min later he called to tell me to pull over & wait for him as he had been stopped by the drug squad - oh & I guess I should mention the nearest border was about 250 km away. It was simply the number plate dutch numberplates are often stopped as well as germans near the French & Netherland borders.

If you leave the EU our Passports (the red EU ones have always been machinereadable) are swiped and it happens so quickly I didn't even see it the last time I came back so I asked if it had been done. Sure enough I was registered as having returned to the EU.

We are actually regulated to the teeth the only differance is we know we are. In the US I am often under the impression that people are not really aware of just how much Big Brother is really watching you!! Even this post will go through some kind of screening before it leaves the german web knot in Frankfurtand is transmited to the Flyertalk server in what ever part of the world.

Those of you who deal with top secret / industrial secrets will know not to email / Fax or phone an details to anyone for the fear of industrial espionage and it happens everyday!!!!

Why?

In some limited fashions, it does operate like a country. So if you don't have to pass an internal border to go from New York to New Jersey, why should you have to pass one to go from France to Germany?

If someone isn't a security problem when they land in Paris, why would they turn into one upon hitting the border to Germany?

Anyway, free movement is more important an illusion of security. If anything, there are a number of borders (physical and otherwise) that need to be loosened up.

I've never heard of this before. Can they point to any legitimate evidence that this is going to be worth the cost?

I've done this a few times, but been caught in Austria (ignorance) and the Czech Republic - and fined both times.

Oh, come on! You really think there’s border security? For the most part, they have absolutely no idea who’s entering they country after the initial point of entry.

Just look at all those terrorists in Germany before September 11 and the freedom of movement that they had … who knows what they could have done!

Unlike Europe, the American states are not sovereign countries and have absolutely no authority to have border checks. European nations are sovereign and it’s quite unfortunate that leftist politicians have destroyed security in a move towards a People’s Republic of Europe.

(Edited post to remove a typo, new word is in bold)

That's not true at all. The U.K. does not have ID cars and I believe a couple other countries don't as well.

I think the cost is moderate - a few pounds. Visibility is enhanced, especially in poor weaher or at night.

From the UK's Automobile Association (www.theaa.co.uk):

Austria: From 1 May 2005 every car driver has to carry the reflectorised jacket/waistcoat which has to be used in the case of a breakdown or accident and even when setting up a warning triangle on the road.

Italy: The wearing of reflectorised jacket/waistcoat compulsory if driver and/or passenger(s) exits vehicle which is immobilised on the carriageway at night or in poor visibility.

Portugal: From 26 June 2005 the wearing of reflectorised jacket/waistcoat compulsory if driver and/or passenger(s) exits vehicle which is immobilised on the carriageway of all motorways and main or busy roads. The jacket must be carried in the passenger compartment of the vehicle (not the boot).

Spain: From 24 July 2004 the wearing of reflectorised jacket/waistcoat compulsory if driver and/or passenger(s) exits vehicle which is immobilised on the carriageway of all motorways and main or busy roads. Be aware however that Car Hire Companies are not under legal obligation to supply them to persons hiring vehicles, so often don’t.

DON’T forget reflective jacket/waistcoat when visiting Italy, Spain, Portugal and Austria. The AA recommends that each vehicle carries at least two jackets/waistcoats in the passenger compartment – one for the driver and one for passenger who may need to assist e.g. changing a wheel. Jacket/waistcoat, which must conform to EU Standard BS EN 471: 1994 Class 1 or 2, available from AA Dover and Folkestone shops, by mail order from Summit Accessories on 01295 220 050 or from motor accessory stores.

I guess they could have gone from country to country. So, what's the point? Europe doesn't have a terrorism problem, at least not to the degree that anything has to be done about it.

The border security you propose is a solution in search of a problem.

Spain would be surprised to hear that. They arrested 16 terrorists today.

Are you kidding?

There’s ETA in France and Spain, the IRA in Ireland and the U.K., and countless other groups. Not to mention drug and human smugglers that get into Italy and then have easy access - thanks to Schengen - to all the other countries.

:D

Don't hold back. Tell us what you really think :D .

Such a generalisation about a community with a population significantly larger than that of the US and where some countries have governments even further to the right than the current administration in the US is laughable.

Where my parents live in the US, they have had a road toll on the major highways for something like 30 years. The press reported that the roads were fully paid for something like 12 years ago, but of course the tolls continue (the money now gets spent on other things, as is always the case with taxes of any sort). Once you pay Danegeld, you can never get rid of the Dane, or so the saying goes.

That's one of my biggest problems with the EU ... they always seem to dream up something that requires a cash outlay by everyone in the name of safety (or whatever other excuse). Like requiring pig farmers provide toys to their pigs (this got really ridiculed a few years back IIRC). Everything is "for your own good." Of course, this isn't a problem localized to the EU...

I am a political science student with previous employment experience in Europe and Washington, D.C. and I feel my statement is quite accurate.

Many in the E.U. wish to ditch the respective nat’l identities and move towards a one-nation Europe Thankfully, the public doesn’t want that, as evident by the recent no votes in France and the Netherlands.

Moreover, most of Europe’s governments would be quite leftist compared to the U.S. administration.

(Edited message to fix typo ... I really should use a spell/grammar checker)

And they managed to do so WITHOUT the draconian 'security' measures some people seem to enjoy.

Could be a lesson there ;) .