Would you Visit Jamaica After the Hijacking?

[stunna]

Would you visit Jamaica after the little Hijacking incident?

[Twinkie]

Not recently just out of caution, but no I would not be scared away by some hijackers. There is so little chance of it happening, smaller now that it has happened. I bet the airports are full of security, biometric scanners, and everything they could deploy.

Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.

[stunna]

Amen to that lol.

[farscapeone]

Of course I would. Some idiot thinks he can hijack a plain and I suppose to be scared? That's just silly.

[thebabyhater]

While I'm in no hurry to visit anytime soon, I definitely wouldn't let it deter me. Do people stop taking planes to the US after 9/11? Nope. A hijacking is a single, VERY statistically improbable event that is overblown to a massive scale by the mass media.

[zen-r]

While I'm in no hurry to visit anytime soon, I definitely wouldn't let it deter me. Do people stop taking planes to the US after 9/11? Nope. A hijacking is a single, VERY statistically improbable event that is overblown to a massive scale by the mass media.

A few, isolated incidents of terrorism wouldn't put me off travelling to the Jamaica or the U.S.

What has put me, & many other people off from travelling to the U.S. since 9/11, though, is the massive over-reaction by the state, all in the name of anti-terrorism. We're not prepared to subject ourselves to the ordeal inflicted on numerous occasions by U.S customs officials on innocent travellers ; prolonged detention, strip & cavity searches, tough questioning, the right to examine & copy any sensitive business or other data kept on laptops etc. Innocent travellers, once "suspected" of something minor (later proven to be incorrect), have even on occasion been locked in hand & leg shackles & held for many hours, without access to water, while waiting for the next frightening event to unfold upon them.

No thanks to this. I can think of much nicer, more welcoming places I'd like to travel to.

[library]

A few, isolated incidents of terrorism wouldn't put me off travelling to the Jamaica or the U.S.

What has put me, & many other people off from travelling to the U.S. since 9/11, though, is the massive over-reaction by the state, all in the name of anti-terrorism. We're not prepared to subject ourselves to the ordeal inflicted on numerous occasions by U.S customs officials on innocent travellers ; prolonged detention, strip & cavity searches, tough questioning, the right to examine & copy any sensitive business or other data kept on laptops etc. Innocent travellers, once "suspected" of something minor (later proven to be incorrect), have even on occasion been locked in hand & leg shackles & held for many hours, without access to water, while waiting for the next frightening event to unfold upon them.

No thanks to this. I can think of much nicer, more welcoming places I'd like to travel to.

I went to America recently and security isn't that bad. All they did was take your photo and a fingerprint, stamp your passport, and you're on your way.

[zen-r]

I went to America recently and security isn't that bad. All they did was take your photo and a fingerprint, stamp your passport, and you're on your way.

Hmm this proves what exactly?

There was a time when having one's photo & fingerprints taken was only allowed to be done to you by the UK police in very particular circumstances. Now we have to take it for granted, as part of going on holiday to the U.S? That data stays on file, & can leak to other people/ departments, you know. You may not mind it, but I wouldn't enjoy being treated like a criminal.

And whilst you may not have had an ordeal this time, it does not excuse those people who have, & do get treated badly on a frequent basis since 9/11. (I'm not referring to myself, since I haven't travelled to the U.S. for years ) Dealing with terrorism is important, but I feel the U.S. & U.K. governments have tried to blow it out of all proportion & generate a climate of fear & paranoia in order to push through many unpopular policies, spending programs, & erosions of civil liberties.

It does sound though as if the US is trying to get a little better at Customs, given all the bad publicity regarding their behaviour over the last several years, & the good will & visitors it has cost them as a result.

Here's one such story on laptop data harvesting, to illustrate a point I made earlier ;

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/09...rch_authority/

[library]

Hmm this proves what exactly?

There was a time when having one's photo & fingerprints taken was only allowed to be done to you by the UK police in very particular circumstances. Now we have to take it for granted, as part of going on holiday to the U.S? That data stays on file, & can leak to other people/ departments, you know. You may not mind it, but I wouldn't enjoy being treated like a criminal.

And whilst you may not have had an ordeal this time, it does not excuse those people who have, & do get treated badly on a frequent basis since 9/11. (I'm not referring to myself, since I haven't travelled to the U.S. for years ) Dealing with terrorism is important, but I feel the U.S. & U.K. governments have tried to blow it out of all proportion & generate a climate of fear & paranoia in order to push through many unpopular policies, spending programs, & erosions of civil liberties.

It does sound though as if the US is trying to get a little better at Customs, given all the bad publicity regarding their behaviour over the last several years, & the good will & visitors it has cost them as a result.

Here's one such story on laptop data harvesting, to illustrate a point I made earlier ;

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/09...rch_authority/

Believe me, the U.S isn't the worst in the world. I've had much worse experiences with security elsewhere in the world. And how can you possibly judge a country you haven't visited for a long time? You're basing your grudge on the experience of a few people. Everyone that goes into the U.S isn't strip-searched and put into detention, it only happens to a rare minority. I found the staff at the airport friendly and very helpful. They did not treat me like a criminal and the security precautions were understandable given the circumstances. Until you go to America, get suspected of terrorism, put into detention and questioned, you have no right to preach about how bad a country's airport security precautions are.

[zen-r]

Believe me, the U.S isn't the worst in the world. I've had much worse experiences with security elsewhere in the world. And how can you possibly judge a country you haven't visited for a long time? You're basing your grudge on the experience of a few people. Everyone that goes into the U.S isn't strip-searched and put into detention, it only happens to a rare minority. I found the staff at the airport friendly and very helpful. They did not treat me like a criminal and the security precautions were understandable given the circumstances. Until you go to America, get suspected of terrorism, put into detention and questioned, you have no right to preach about how bad a country's airport security precautions are.

Actually, I have the same right as everyone else to form my own opinions, based on what info I have available to hand. Saying that one has to go to America oneself before one is allowed an opinion is nonsense.

I am prepared to accept other people's opinions, & am pleased that you didn't have any problems - but that doesn't mean that the widely reported issues with US customs are all incorrect. I will bare your own good experiences in mind, but will also take into account the terrible experiences of the "minority" as you put it. Things may be better now, but that doesn't mean they are perfect & shouldn't be allowed criticism such as mine. And don't be fooled into thinking that everything done in the name of anti-terrorism is necessary, or even really for that purpose sometimes.

U.S may not be the worst - I can easily believe that. But they are the most powerful & influential "western" country, & so their behaviour reflects on & affects everyone else.