High-flown nonsense over terror (The Times)

THX1138

The solution to this non-existent problem is straightforward. If you don’t like America’s terms of entry, don’t go." And lot's of ordinary people I know have already stopped going (I doubt It's put off any terrorists) It's not a non existent problem if your stuck on the tarmac at Heathrow for three hours while someone checks the data in the US & you then have to wait six hours to go through immigration at LAX due to some tiny passport irregularity as happened to my wife recently. One might start to think that your not wanted and going to the USA is more hassle than It's worth and start taking holidays & doing business elsewhere. Maybe that's OK- but I doubt that businesses catering to tourists in the USA & airlines share your views on this. On the flip side we in the UK are benefiting from draconian US immigration policy. My wife works in a very senior position for an Anglo US entertainment company and used to to travel to the LA on a regular basis but got sick of the delays and down right arrogance and rudeness of US immigration staff that she now insists that the Yanks come here. Good for the Covent Garden Hotel bad for the Four Seasons in Beverley Hills.

Verity

The oversight in failing to address your convenience is shocking. You realise that the gigantic economy of the US depends on your going over there every once in a while! Warren Buffet is just a wreck of nerves! What a pretentious piece of rubbish. If Britain guarded our borders that well, there wouldn't be around 40 terrorist cells in our country because none of those young British-born men's parents would have been let in. Nor would the nutjob imams. It's their country and they can guard it any way they feel will be the most effective. They care more about their own than they care about you.

THX1138

Verity- How do you know this isn't effecting the US economy? Looks to me like it's in recession and every little bit of disincentive to not travel there and do business and spend money can't be helping. They have just lost my tourist business this summer and a least two other families I know have opted for European holidays this year even with such a cheap dollar because of the nightmare Immigration hassle. The 7 July bombers lived here draconian immigration controls would have made no difference no something you have to worry about as I remember from previous posts you have left the UK. One of the pieces of data the US authorities check is airline meal choice so don't have the Halal or Kosher meal if you don't want to be singled out for special attention at the other end. My point is that it's a scoring system and I'm sure any terrorist worth his salt has already worked out how to pass under the radar. So not only does this inconvenience travellers, almost certainly hurt the US economy and make no difference to the terrorist threat apart from that it's a great idea and will surely be dropped when we have a sane president in the Whitehouse. I wonder if Stephen P would be so happy if he had a huge and regular delays on his beloved Eurostar if Belgium brought is such over the top checks? He might just think the trip wasn't worth the hassle and make a phone call instead. Pretentious me.

Stephen P

As it happens, I fly regularly to the US - not quite as often as I get the Eurostar but regularly. In fact I'm off there next week again. Yes, immigration is a hassle. So what? And I can't for the life of me see why I shouldn't tell the US authorities the information about me they want to know.

THX1138

Stephen-The PNR Passenger Name Record contains 51 pieces of information & Is collected each time you fly to the US & kept for up to 15 years. The PNR is collected by your booking agent. How do you know that you are happy for BA & the US government to hold such information about you? Have you seen what they collect ? You might not be so happy if you did. You have no right to see the data and make any corrections and errors are common. What if they have you down as a Muslim (they collect religion) by mistake you might be so happy when you were held for 6 hrs in side room a JFK every time you fly to NYC. Of course it is unconstitutional to hold this data on a US citizen. This is a typical knee jerk reaction that does nothing to make the travelling public or the US safer & just inconveniences travellers & hurts the US economy & will dropped quietly with a change of Government. For all those who say if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear I say two words hacking & errors. You are wrong about this we should fight these state & commercial databases at every turn. Have a good trip and lets hope they get your PNR correct. I would miss your blog if you were rendered to a black site in Romania.

Verity

THX1138 - It's their country. They can let in or keep out whoever the hell they feel like letting in or keeping out. Would that we were so fussy and staunch guardians of our national borders. The holidays you will no longer be taking, and the holidays your friends will no longer be taking are not a drop of water in the Atlantic ocean of the American economy. Most Americans travel around their own country rather than go overseas, so the tourist industry is geared to other Americans anyway. Not indignant foreigners. You elevate the status of your own contribution to the American economy. You don't like their entry requirements; you and your indignant friends have decided not to go any more. So what?