So, I'm standing at a bar in Miami...

[ferguzzi]

Right,

I've been putting this off for a while, mostly because I'm lazy, partly because i've been busy, and slightly because this might piss off a few people. Actually , I don't really care about that last bit, if you get insulted, I don't want to talk to you anyway!

 

I'm a long haul pilot and spend a lot of my time in weird and wonderful places, and about once a month I'm in one of various parts of the States.

 

So, I'm standing at a bar in Miami...trying to counter the jet lag, having landed about 3 hours previous after a 9 hour flight from the other side of the pond. Sipping a bottle of insipid mexican lager and trying to have a coherent conversation with my skipper, who's in his late fifties, deaf after years of flying fighters, and can't hear me anyway because the salsa music is too loud, and besides I'm not not really listening to myself because the cuban dancers are getting 90% of my brain capacity, which is only operating at 20% at this stage anyway. (what day is it now?)

I hand a $20 bill to the reeeeally slow barman to buy a round. He looks at it, and pulls it tight to check(I presume) if it's fake. Only , he pulls a little hard, and tears it in two.

We laugh, he sort of laughs, Then he tries to hand it back to me. I say" no no," as he tore it , it's his problem. So he runs off to get the boss.

So far, so mundanely complicated, but not a big deal.

Next thing I have a security man in my face, insisting I go outside to have a "chat".

Now, it's quite loud as I said, so faces are quite close, and voices are raised, but there's absolutely no aggression on my part. And I'm sober.

I say"no problem", but as a guest of the hotel in which the bar is situated I'd rather go out the other exit, into the hotel, for the chat.

Long story short, within 30 seconds I'm surrounded by 6 biiig guys, all looking like they're on patrol in Baghdad, expecting a sniper shot at any moment. At this stage I happen to mention who I am(ie there's 18 of my crew staying in the hotel that night, and every night, and the contract is worth a lot of money).

Suddenly it's all handshakes and apologies.

Only then do I notice 2 uniformed(and obviosly armed)police officers have been called to the scene too. Boy did I feel important.

 

In June we spent 2 weeks tootling around Arizona/Utah/Nevada on a horrible harley.

The trip was great, but for one thing.

Sorry sir you can't park there, Sorry Sir you can't go here, Sorry Sir you're not allowed use you're phone, Sorry sir don't sit there...or else?

I had less rules in the army!

I lived in the states for a year, in 1988. I don't remember it being like this. A girl in a bar in Arizona told me it had only gotten like this since 9/11. Is this true?

Where did the totalitarian state come from? What happened to land of the free?

Or am I imagining it all?

[rocketeer]

So................did you get your $20.00 back?

 

Maybe it`s because you ride a Tenni ........hmmmmmmm!

 

They were jealous.

[badmotogoozer]

"freedom" is a relative term... and getting to be more so.

 

Rj

[Van]

Hi'ya ferguzzi!!

Sorry to hear about your woes, my brother who lives in Dallas complains about the same things all the time, ....me? l'm just very glad l live in the north 49.

Cheers

Van

[wsholar]

Man, sorry that happened to you. Florida is a "red" state, presided over by the brother of the US Pres. You have the recently created Department of Homeland Security to thank for these sorts of "precautions." I think that in many cases, this is a way for the proponents of the current agenda to harass folks who MIGHT not agree with them (better safe than sorry). These days, the next worse thing to a "terrorist" is a "non-neoconservative." And if you don't fit the "neoconservative" profile, you're on the list of suspects-- could've ended up a lot worse for you.

 

Welcome to our world-- it mght begin to ease up after the first of the year, when the non-neoconservatives could possibly regain control of the legislative branch of the federal government. Unfortunately, it will take another two years to take back the executive branch and another 4-10 years to take back the judicial branch along with a critical mass of the state governments. We'll all have to be patient and deal with the system as best we can until then. Remind you of another era of 20th century western culture? Me too. I have faith enough in our system, though, that it won't get much worse than it's been over the last few years. Until then,

[Martin Barrett]

I have my concerns over some of the recent laws passed over here. They give quite draconian powers and on some there doesn't seem even to be a method of appeal. ie Section 59 Police Reform Act 2002, and the way that fingerprints and DNA are now taken and kept even if never charged, and disposals are recorded on the PNC (Police National Computer)( historicly would have arrest historys and disposal historys (convictions) now all arrests show under disposals so there is no easy way of just showing convictions) In certain circumstances this can be a good thing - Might have prevented Ian Huntley getting into a postion of trust where he could kill two young girls. But generaly I'm not convinced.

 

Notionally I'm all for Id cards etc but I'm sure the goverment will make a mess of any legislation enacting them making it useless.

[Guzzirider]

I am sure it is different whever you go, but I had nothing but good experiences when on tour in the USA.

 

Border security was quite slow (they do it in Dublin) but I understand why they want to check everyone entering the country.

 

Guy

[antonio carroccio]

Next time, go Italian, there is there no problem at all.

Tutto bene, non c'é problema!

Besides, only teenagers girls on the scooters wearing only a bra....

[belfastguzzi]

sensible

[Guest Nogbad]

sensible

 

Just got a blank yellow screen with a grey bar

[belfastguzzi]

Just got a blank yellow screen with a grey bar

OK, thanks for letting me know, I wasn't sure if that link would work. So an mp3 doesn't download?

 

But I assure you, it's quite funny.

[DeBenGuzzi]

OK, thanks for letting me know, I wasn't sure if that link would work. So an mp3 doesn't download?

 

But I assure you, it's quite funny.

its quite funny, you need quicktime I assume?

 

and Antonnio!!!!! do you perhaps have a picture to prove your statement?

 

 

as fro the states, each state and each area is different, florida has way more problems then say wisconsin

Next time come to Minnesota we have some of the best beer in the country(Graint belt Premium, Summit, Shells, James Page) and everyone is pretty laid back.

we won't tell you not to do something. just strongly recommend it

you can drive along a ton of the north shore and it rivals the coasts

or an art museum

cherrys and spoons, I think it means something

I could go on but on second thought it really sucks here, I want to move back to Oregon

[Admin Jaap]

Antonio, like this?

 

[antonio carroccio]

[belfastguzzi]

They spear swimmers? Dangerous – and sure is unfriendly.