The stupidity of our government (and why tourism is down)

[nadinbrzezinski]

It is partly the economy, people cannot afford to travel... but....

We came home last night from my dad's funeral, which happened in Mexico City. Our port of entry was Houston.... and I was ready to see once again a waste of money.

So in order to get to our flight in Mexico City we went into an airport where we had to go through security and our bags had to go through security, that includes what went into the belly of the plane... (yes they do stupid shit like run explosive dogs and randomly test bags, alert is down... so it is not 100%)

We went though a secondary checkpoint, your TSA... and a random tertiary check before getting into the aircraft. Oh did I mention the actual cops IN THE DAMN TERMINAL?

So we fly into Houston and we go through immigration... customs AND TSA... never mind we NEVER, for once second, left the secured (sterile) area... But we had TO GO THROUGH TSA... why? I guess that security abroad, which incidentally is BETTER... is not enough, or rather TSA needs to justify it's existence.

For the record there are a few airports around the world where yes, it would make sense... quito comes to mind... but not all.

This is a waste of time, and yes, resources... and by the way insulting too.

Oh and here is the best part, if TSA got your vanilla bottle (mine was in the luggage) guess what they sold at the airport? Care to guess what size too?

Just a general rant... we also did a little touristy stuff, and I hope next trip with hubby is NOT for a funeral... so far he's batting 1000.

[villager]

1. Don't know why the fuck somebody *unrecs* a post about someone going to a funeral, for Crissakes

But the heartless here can hide behind the anonymous unrecs, as they've been doing.

Meanwhile, condolences on the passing of your father, Nadin...

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. I got fans, they can do whatever they want

as to my dad, it wasn't unexpected, and thank you.

As the euphemism goes, he is finally resting. The last year was very hard on him and mom.

[madrchsod]

7. yes you do have fans ..on this site and at least one other i found!

sorry about your dad....

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. I know of three sites

and one mostly former site... I used to think it was me. These days I really... well you know.

I suspect some folks are attracted to this regardless. Given I have known well... bullies, since I was in kindergarden... I have made a conscious choice to well... ignore them.

[Anakin Skywalker]

3. Probably some Homeland Suckurity fans. TSA is a touchy subject even here on D.U.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Well there is that too

them fans, in many ways, would not know real security if it bit them in the ass.

Of course the Murican tourist (two of them in fact) complaining were funny.

Number one as we went through secondary security. No, they don't make you take your shoes off down there, but metal detector should have told swifty to take off his belt... with large belt buckle. It went off... so they did a pat down, nothing as intrusive, AND screened for explosives. Oh he was angry because they were picking on him... no swifty... take any and all metals off and let the x-ray machine deal with it.

The second, was complaining over the tertiary screen. Quickly shut up when hubby pointed out that they did not want to smell our smelly shoes, but was required by OUR GOVERNMENT.

On the bright side they did not make us sit quietly an hour before landing. After the christmas bombing they were doing that... ANNOYING and useless as hell.

[madinmaryland]

4. Un-reccing this post for whining about the rec/un-rec function.

[villager]

8. it's always those whining about unrecs being called out... who whine the most!

No coincidence, methinks!

[madinmaryland]

9. You just described yourself to a tee.

:wtf:

[villager]

12. the other predictable personality trait: snarky retorts in lieu of discussion

it goes along with the canned "whining" response -- all of it a way to avoid substantive conversation about the actual post

[madinmaryland]

15. See post #5...

And BTW, you continue to project your posting traits onto me.

[villager]

19. ...and then finally, an absolute refusal to have anything other than the last word...

for to allow otherwise is to feel, somehow, bested or belittled, as the use of "whine" is intended to do to the recipient...

[madinmaryland]

21. Is it possible, at all, for you to stop being your own worst enemy?

Thanks.

[villager]

24. .

;-)

[carolinayellowdog]

10. whine/whining is a word choice that reveals bullies

infantilize your perceived enemy/opponent's written comments/complaints by imagining a tone of voice

[villager]

13. well put -- you're right, it's hostile language masking as "maturity"

n/t

[madinmaryland]

16. What I find interesting is that people are coming out of the woodwork,

and yet only a few have actually caught the real gist of the post.

AND THIS IS WHAT PISSES ME THE FUCK OFF THE NO-ONE is getting:

The OP lost her father and there is argument over the rec/un-rec forum. Get over yourself.

[bigwillq]

14. Seriously? You call someone heartless because

they unrec a post on a freaking message board? WOW :rofl:

[madinmaryland]

5. Condolences to your family on the passing of your father. I lost my mother

last year after a long battle. Losing a parent is tough.

Take care.

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. Thanks, but to be clear

the OP was a rant on the security theater that truly is TSA and how having to go through them AGAIN when coming to the US, has driven down tourism.

Canadian tourists, for example, will fly direct to Mexico City any longer due to that stupidity. And take my word on this... IT IS stupid.

I will write yet another useless letter to congress pointing out this... and yes, I feel far safer flying out of Mexico City Juarez Airport than Lindberg Field. Why? They do some of the security theater, but they have REAL security.

[madinmaryland]

18. I can't disagree with you on security. I have pretty much given up

on talking about the TSA and Homeland Security (god I hate that name). There is just not much consistency.

The funny thing is the last time I went to Canada they gave me a real hard time because I did not have my passport, but coming back to the States, they waved me back in.

Again, I want to send my condolences to you and your family on the loss of your father. I am glad that you were able to make it to his funeral.

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. We were lucky that shavuot was in the way

so we were able to take parrots to... vet where they staid... and literally had time.

Thanks

[Jokerman]

22. "immigration... customs AND TSA"

That combination caused us to miss a connecting flight in spite of an hour-and-half layover in Charlotte. Immigration & customs actually moved us through fairly quickly but TWELVE customs lines all poured into ONE TSA line that crawled while our connecting flight left us behind.

We got screwed but the airport got to sell us another over-priced meal while we waited for the next flight so they have little incentive to change.

I used to enjoy traveling by air but now it's more like having a tooth pulled.

[nadinbrzezinski]

23. On purpose, after almost missing a connection

at Phoenix, I made a reservation with three hours

We would have been able to make it mind you... Murphy... and it was also ONE line. So we had a relaxed lunch at Bordeaux... good, if not necessarily cheap, sea food restaurant.