> It's really
strange to hear
about this to us
Danes Us and Canada
is almost the same
country.

Unfortunately, the
US givernment has
decided that the
best way to clamp
down on an almost
non-existent
terrorist threat
isn't, for example,
to stop known
associates of
terrorist groups
from coming into the
country, alter its
foreign policy to
make itself less of
a target, and impose
sanctions against
those countries
connected with the
September 2001
attacks, but rather
to harass innocent
travellers from
friendly countries.

US
Customs/Immigration/'Homeland
Security' people are
getting more and
more ludicrous. The
first time I
travelled to the US,
to do some
recording, was just
in the aftermath of
the attacks
(mid-late October
2001). I had no
problem entering the
country, and when
leaving I was taken
to one side because
of how I look (I
have a very long
beard, and for a
'white' man from
England a fairly
dark complexion, so
I looked enough like
the stereotype of
'evil Moslem
terrorist' that it
was understandable
at the time), but
allowed on the plane
after roughly two
minutes of
questioning (I
showed the customs
people my DAT
masters - they
seemed to understand
that people with
beards could fall
into the categories
of 'terrorist' or
'musician' and once
they'd put me in the
right pigeonhole I
was no danger). That
was understandable -
I look more suspect
than many
travellers, and as
such at a time when
there appeared to be
a serious threat, I
didn't mind a small
amount of
inconvenience. If
anything I was
reassured - it
showed they were
doing their job.

The last time I came
over however, on a
personal trip to
visit friends last
September, I was
kept for more than 2
hours in custome,
missing a connecting
flight and having as
a result to sleep
that night on a
chair in the
airport, and being
asked all sorts of
absolutely ludicrous
questions such as
'this couple you're
visiting, they're
not a same sex
couple are they?' (I
would have thought
their names, Damon
and Leighann, would
have been a clue to
that, but apparently
not). It's getting
even worse as well -
as of November,
tourists to the US
from the UK are
going to have to
travel to London or
Glasgow, to the US
Embassy, pay £75 to
apply for a visa to
visit, and submit to
an interview... and
that's just the
experience of
*tourists*. I can't
begin to imagine
what it's like for
people in Jaimie's
position, who are
travelling for
business purposes.

This may seem
off-topic for this
list, but the
current US
isolationism means
that the USians on
this list simply
will not get a
chance to see a
large number of
artists from other
countries, because
the time and
inconvenience  to
get into the country
is making it not
worth it.

Me, I'm just glad
this is only a
one-way problem, so
I can look forward
to seeing people
from all over the
world at the next
IPO Liverpool
(assuming that's
going ahead again
this year, I'm going
to try to make a lot
more of the shows).

BTW apologies for
the free verse
formatting - Lycos
UK is behaving very
oddly. I'm looking
into changing email
providers ASAP.

--

Lycos recommends Cheapflights for all your travel needs. Go to http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/?source=lycosgen