really jarring coming back to the US after traveling to Asia for the last three weeks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m just back from the UK and I completely agree, it’s embarrassing. An hour in line at customs at Dulles, entering the UK at Heathrow took 2 minutes.

There was a train strike happening but we were still able to travel quickly via the underground all throughout London.

I was also just in the UK and the locals there were all talking about how ashamed they were of the shambles their country was in….train strikes, border force strikes (which necessitated bringing in the British armed forces to step in at Heathrow) baggage handlers strikes, bus strikes, ambulance driver strikes, and nurses strikes all taking place simultaneously last month.

In Frankfurt, Germany where we flew on to it was taking on average over 2 hours to clear customs at the airport during the holiday period.

That’s great that you anecdotally had a smooth experience, but to universalize as if Europe isn’t also subject to extreme (and in my experience far more frequent) travel disruptions is ludicrous.

I flew into Munich for Christmas and it took 15 minutes to clear the customs. Everything was organized and running smoothly. What did you do, went to the EU citizens' booths?

Frankfurt airport is a completely different beast than Munich. The US consulate sent out advisories warning of the extremely long waits throughout the holiday period. And yes even at Frankfurt of course there were times of day when the wait was much shorter but at peak times it was averaging two hours.

I can throw out plenty of anecdotes of having cleared customs at Dulles in just a few minutes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You people saying the US has given up on development and infrastructure need to get out more. You’re spending too much time in the Northeast. Head South and West, my friends.

Rail infrastructure is every bit, if not more important as type of infrastructure as roads.

Does Australia have an impressive rail infrastructure? I don’t see how a country as large as ours (similar to Australia) could have high speed passenger rail outside of the northeast. It’s like complaining one can’t sail a boat between LA and NY.

Sure you could, start by connecting major metropolitan areas. LA to SF (you could even expand that from San Diego up to Seattle). Houston-Dallas-Austin-San Antonio. Miami-Ft Lauderdale-Orlando-Tampa. Extend the Acela past DC through Richmond, Raleigh-Durham, Charlotte, Atlanta. Chicago-St. Louis.

You don’t have to connect the entire country to make huge changes.

Most people don’t want to take a train to then arrive and take a car. Few people are business travelers alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You people saying the US has given up on development and infrastructure need to get out more. You’re spending too much time in the Northeast. Head South and West, my friends.

Rail infrastructure is every bit, if not more important as type of infrastructure as roads.

Does Australia have an impressive rail infrastructure? I don’t see how a country as large as ours (similar to Australia) could have high speed passenger rail outside of the northeast. It’s like complaining one can’t sail a boat between LA and NY.

Sure you could, start by connecting major metropolitan areas. LA to SF (you could even expand that from San Diego up to Seattle). Houston-Dallas-Austin-San Antonio. Miami-Ft Lauderdale-Orlando-Tampa. Extend the Acela past DC through Richmond, Raleigh-Durham, Charlotte, Atlanta. Chicago-St. Louis.

You don’t have to connect the entire country to make huge changes.

Only reason people take trains in Europe is because they can’t afford to drive. Very few people would choose to take a train between Raleigh and Atlanta. They drive. Most people aren’t going to a central business district. A car provides the freedom to get where you want when you want. Americans value freedom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m just back from the UK and I completely agree, it’s embarrassing. An hour in line at customs at Dulles, entering the UK at Heathrow took 2 minutes.

There was a train strike happening but we were still able to travel quickly via the underground all throughout London.

Get global entry. It takes <30 seconds to clear immigration. Every time I’ve landed at Heathrow it’s taken at least an hour in a slow-moving queue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m just back from the UK and I completely agree, it’s embarrassing. An hour in line at customs at Dulles, entering the UK at Heathrow took 2 minutes.

There was a train strike happening but we were still able to travel quickly via the underground all throughout London.

Get global entry. It takes <30 seconds to clear immigration. Every time I’ve landed at Heathrow it’s taken at least an hour in a slow-moving queue.

Why does global entry cost money? You realized it is standard and free in other first world countries? Literally go travel to Singapore or Japan. Everything is automated. You are in and out of the airport in like 10 minutes. Of course in America they treat this old technology and system of processing like it is new, charge stupid fees, and then back up lines for everyone who doesn't have it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m just back from the UK and I completely agree, it’s embarrassing. An hour in line at customs at Dulles, entering the UK at Heathrow took 2 minutes.

There was a train strike happening but we were still able to travel quickly via the underground all throughout London.

Get global entry. It takes <30 seconds to clear immigration. Every time I’ve landed at Heathrow it’s taken at least an hour in a slow-moving queue.

Why does global entry cost money? You realized it is standard and free in other first world countries? Literally go travel to Singapore or Japan. Everything is automated. You are in and out of the airport in like 10 minutes. Of course in America they treat this old technology and system of processing like it is new, charge stupid fees, and then back up lines for everyone who doesn't have it.

It costs money because they run background checks. I was just in Singapore and yes, their system is automated but their country is also just over 50 years old and the col and taxes are much higher than here. Plus, it’s tiny. People would never enter the country (which is also the island and the city) if they had to queue for hours to enter. Very different than the US.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You people saying the US has given up on development and infrastructure need to get out more. You’re spending too much time in the Northeast. Head South and West, my friends.

Rail infrastructure is every bit, if not more important as type of infrastructure as roads.

Does Australia have an impressive rail infrastructure? I don’t see how a country as large as ours (similar to Australia) could have high speed passenger rail outside of the northeast. It’s like complaining one can’t sail a boat between LA and NY.

Sure you could, start by connecting major metropolitan areas. LA to SF (you could even expand that from San Diego up to Seattle). Houston-Dallas-Austin-San Antonio. Miami-Ft Lauderdale-Orlando-Tampa. Extend the Acela past DC through Richmond, Raleigh-Durham, Charlotte, Atlanta. Chicago-St. Louis.

You don’t have to connect the entire country to make huge changes.

They've talked about an auto-train in Texas running along 35. But 35 is already there, it doesn't really make sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m just back from the UK and I completely agree, it’s embarrassing. An hour in line at customs at Dulles, entering the UK at Heathrow took 2 minutes.

There was a train strike happening but we were still able to travel quickly via the underground all throughout London.

Get global entry. It takes <30 seconds to clear immigration. Every time I’ve landed at Heathrow it’s taken at least an hour in a slow-moving queue.

Why does global entry cost money? You realized it is standard and free in other first world countries? Literally go travel to Singapore or Japan. Everything is automated. You are in and out of the airport in like 10 minutes. Of course in America they treat this old technology and system of processing like it is new, charge stupid fees, and then back up lines for everyone who doesn't have it.

It costs money because they run background checks. I was just in Singapore and yes, their system is automated but their country is also just over 50 years old and the col and taxes are much higher than here. Plus, it’s tiny. People would never enter the country (which is also the island and the city) if they had to queue for hours to enter. Very different than the US.

Sounds like excuses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here are some other points the haters forget to mention.

We welcome more immigrants than any other country and believe it or not and we do in fact make it easy for them to achieve freedom. All kinds of freedom.
We are not nearly as racist as some of those ‘perfect countries’ you all seem to love so much.
We spend more on military because we are defending the freaking world.
We put a man on the moon.

Yes, we are not perfect but it’s shameful for you to act like we are such losers when it’s this country that gives you the privilege to moan that you don’t have even more privilege.

Wow, we’re not AS racist. Impressive defense. Even your premier example of American hegemony, putting a man on the moon, is over FIFTY YEARS OLD.

Is the US now like that guy from your high school whose best memory is the football game he won? Time to step it up, no?

Well, we just sent a probe past Pluto, we have robots on mars as we speak and just successfully ran a mission to deflect an asteroid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m just back from the UK and I completely agree, it’s embarrassing. An hour in line at customs at Dulles, entering the UK at Heathrow took 2 minutes.

There was a train strike happening but we were still able to travel quickly via the underground all throughout London.

Get global entry. It takes <30 seconds to clear immigration. Every time I’ve landed at Heathrow it’s taken at least an hour in a slow-moving queue.

Why does global entry cost money? You realized it is standard and free in other first world countries? Literally go travel to Singapore or Japan. Everything is automated. You are in and out of the airport in like 10 minutes. Of course in America they treat this old technology and system of processing like it is new, charge stupid fees, and then back up lines for everyone who doesn't have it.

It costs money because they run background checks. I was just in Singapore and yes, their system is automated but their country is also just over 50 years old and the col and taxes are much higher than here. Plus, it’s tiny. People would never enter the country (which is also the island and the city) if they had to queue for hours to enter. Very different than the US.

Sounds like excuses.

Sounds like reasons why two extremely different countries operate differently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those who say the US is the greatest country ever have never left the country, IMO.

This past holiday season showed one of the biggest flaws in the US: reliance on and build-up of one method of travel (air) over all others to the point where that method is a monopoly and has no incentive to offer adequate service.

Imagine if we expanded our rail infrastructure to where we could go from DC to Chicago in 6 hours instead of 18?

Air travel wouldn't be so over-crowded if other methods existed. If you want to go from DC to CA to visit grandma for Christmas in a reasonable amount of time, you are 100% reliant on the airlines to get you there.

I’ve been to 78 countries and I absolutely believe the Us is the greatest country. Love traveling and visiting/even living in other countries for short stints but incredibly grateful to call the US home.

It’s clear you’re a MAGA and also really really, old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those who say the US is the greatest country ever have never left the country, IMO.

This past holiday season showed one of the biggest flaws in the US: reliance on and build-up of one method of travel (air) over all others to the point where that method is a monopoly and has no incentive to offer adequate service.

Imagine if we expanded our rail infrastructure to where we could go from DC to Chicago in 6 hours instead of 18?

Air travel wouldn't be so over-crowded if other methods existed. If you want to go from DC to CA to visit grandma for Christmas in a reasonable amount of time, you are 100% reliant on the airlines to get you there.

I’ve been to 78 countries and I absolutely believe the Us is the greatest country. Love traveling and visiting/even living in other countries for short stints but incredibly grateful to call the US home.

It’s clear you’re a MAGA and also really really, old.

Or she sees different things than OP or you do.

But you do sound really, really young.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here are some other points the haters forget to mention.

We welcome more immigrants than any other country and believe it or not and we do in fact make it easy for them to achieve freedom. All kinds of freedom.
We are not nearly as racist as some of those ‘perfect countries’ you all seem to love so much.
We spend more on military because we are defending the freaking world.
We put a man on the moon.

Yes, we are not perfect but it’s shameful for you to act like we are such losers when it’s this country that gives you the privilege to moan that you don’t have even more privilege.

Wow, we’re not AS racist. Impressive defense. Even your premier example of American hegemony, putting a man on the moon, is over FIFTY YEARS OLD.

Is the US now like that guy from your high school whose best memory is the football game he won? Time to step it up, no?

Well, we just sent a probe past Pluto, we have robots on mars as we speak and just successfully ran a mission to deflect an asteroid.

Now imagine using the same effort to improve peoples'ives who actually live on Earth.

I guess we have nukes, air craft carriers, and a trillion dollar plane program though in lieu of healthcare, infrastructure, childcare, and affordable education. As long as we can kill the entire planet 5x over, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those who say the US is the greatest country ever have never left the country, IMO.

This past holiday season showed one of the biggest flaws in the US: reliance on and build-up of one method of travel (air) over all others to the point where that method is a monopoly and has no incentive to offer adequate service.

Imagine if we expanded our rail infrastructure to where we could go from DC to Chicago in 6 hours instead of 18?

Air travel wouldn't be so over-crowded if other methods existed. If you want to go from DC to CA to visit grandma for Christmas in a reasonable amount of time, you are 100% reliant on the airlines to get you there.

I’ve been to 78 countries and I absolutely believe the Us is the greatest country. Love traveling and visiting/even living in other countries for short stints but incredibly grateful to call the US home.

It’s clear you’re a MAGA and also really really, old.

Huh, sounds to me like that PP already thinks the US is great and doesn't need to make it great again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those who say the US is the greatest country ever have never left the country, IMO.

This past holiday season showed one of the biggest flaws in the US: reliance on and build-up of one method of travel (air) over all others to the point where that method is a monopoly and has no incentive to offer adequate service.

Imagine if we expanded our rail infrastructure to where we could go from DC to Chicago in 6 hours instead of 18?

Air travel wouldn't be so over-crowded if other methods existed. If you want to go from DC to CA to visit grandma for Christmas in a reasonable amount of time, you are 100% reliant on the airlines to get you there.

I’ve been to 78 countries and I absolutely believe the Us is the greatest country. Love traveling and visiting/even living in other countries for short stints but incredibly grateful to call the US home.

It’s clear you’re a MAGA and also really really, old.

In my 30s and hate Trump. Hate to break it to you but you don’t have to be a conservative to love the US.