Comments on: On the way to the airport….

By: hrugaar

hrugaar — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 00:02:00 +0000

Up until a few years ago, every time I travelled to and from the UK I used to get stopped and questioned by Security and Customs - and we count as a UK domestic flight! And no, I don't have a Police record, that's just life. So I guess the questioning part is par for the course for me la. And the division between domestic and non-domestic passports is an administrative practicality, I suppose.

Maybe it just bugs me when you have to apply in advance for visas and still go through the immigration interrogation on arrival, it seems like a duplication of effort. But I suppose governments are good at that.

And the EEC - the perpetual thorn in everybody's flesh, argh.

By: Glenda Larke

Glenda Larke — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 13:39:00 +0000

Oh dear, Kendall, I wish you hadn't mentioned hurricanes. It might give someone ideas about what to throw at us next time we travel...

We all love Lat here. He is so good on Malaysians and the Malaysian lifestyle. Doesn't do much on politics though.

Hrugaar - I remember the first time I came to UK, back in 1981. As we came to immigration at Heathrow, there was a big notice: UK and EEC (or whatever it was called at the time) this way; and then another notice saying "Others".

I just stared. The UK and EEC people just had to flash passports and they were through.

The "others" had to answer questions etc etc, and the lines were slow. That was the moment the whole idea of "Commonwealth" died for me.

By: hrugaar

hrugaar — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 07:24:00 +0000

Everyone seems to need visas to travel to Australia – even an Englishman like me (which, considering they’re supposedly a Commonwealth country, seems a tad unenlightened). I had to get mine at Heathrow, but the staff there were very obliging and it was sorted in a matter of minutes.

You planning a return visit to the UK sometime soon? ;o)

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 06:40:00 +0000

Yipes! A couple I know at work have been responsible for hurricanes and other natural disasters. I'll try to avoid your daughter as she travels through the USA.... ;-)

BTW, I saw this Unshelved comic strip and thought of you. (Unshelved is a funny comic strip about librarians; their Sunday strips are about books, frequently F/SF and/or YA books.)