Really True
 

My sister is visiting from England next week and I recieved a frantic call from her today.
I had to send an email that they could print off and show at the London airport that stated I knew them, when they were coming, and that they would be staying at my house while here with my full name, phone number and address. Things are getting out of control in the UK.:doh:

That is odd bradclark1. How do they know that you or your sister are legit via e-mail?
On another side the problem could have originated on this side of the Atlantic. Still odd though unless the powers that be (who ever they are) can track your e-mail.

More likely to be a US requirement than a UK one, our airports are carefull to follow US immigration rules to filter out hassle before it gets to your end.

Seems strange. I will be visiting the USA next month and, although I do have friends there, I am not staying with anyone. I will be travelling around and crossing the Canadian border at least twice. I have done this kind of trip many times and all I have ever had to do is list where I am staying on the first night of my trip.

I am now going to check if there has been any change in the regulations.

Bush abviously thinks that England is controlled by the Taliban... does the Queen wear a Turban? :rotfl:

Bush wishes the US of A were a prison, nobody comes in, nobody goes out so finally the us citizens are protected 100%. :rotfl:

Well I saw her on the news a couple of days ago and I can report no she was not wearing a turban.

Silly foreigners. Bush doesn't decide such small details.

Should I have written a disclaimer about being sarcastic ? ;)

Let's not confuse sarcastic with not funny.

Foreigner?, when did Wisconsin get sold to Canada?:p

Wisconsin? I thought you were beneath someones girlfriend which, as we all know, is somewhere northwest of the Med coast.

Yeah, thats what struck me as a bit ridiculous.

Yes, it's a bit silly, but it is something of a US INS requirement.

I had to join a ship outside of the country for the first time last year. Now, the ship was in Europe, but is owned by a company that mostly trades in the US - Beside, like most shipping companies, their travel and documentation policy is geared solely at meeting US requirement, since they're essentially the strictest (And most annoying) in the world.

Anyhow, they sent me a word document of a letter stating who I was, why I was travelling through the country, which ship I was joining, and giving a guarantee that the company would pay for my repatriation.

Via email. I had to print it out, and the logo didn't even come out. I could have changed the name and date in seconds on that thing... Yet it worked.

That, and my discharge book, got me through customs faster than I've ever gone through any custom... But it wasn't in the US, admittedly.

Now, when the ship got to the US, that's when the major immigration crap went down. Only time in my life I've actually been fingerprinted. I still wonder if that was legal.

Anyway, back on topic, it's alway good to have some document stating why you are travelling, where you will be staying (Hotel reservation, etc.), and YOUR RETURN TICKET! I can't believe it when people don't have that handy when they go through customs...

I thought he was The Decider??