Monday May 28, 2012

JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

New U.S. travel security measure to take effect Jan 12

Travel Nov. 19, 2008 - 02:20AM JST ( 12 )

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12 Comments

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tkoind2Nov. 19, 2008 - 09:01AM JST

One more march down the road to creating a police state.

While travelling recently I saw a kindly looking older Japanese gentleman pulled out of the boarding line, stripped of his jacket, shoes and even socks and searched. Now he had already been through usual screening, so why the extra random search? It was demeaning and pointless. Several other people were also searched.

I've been to real police states that behave less rigidly. And these $5 an hour morons they hire as TSA agents could use some lessons in civility and basic manners.

I sincerely hope this culture of fear is reversed and sensible levels of caution exercised rather than making every traveller feel like a terrorist. Again the US raises the bar for overreaction.
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techallNov. 19, 2008 - 09:36AM JST

Beware, Beware! They will check names against a suspected terrorist database and if your name matches any name in the database you will be refused permission to board the plane. So the Japanese better hope there is no Kenji Suzuki or Keiko Tanaka listed as a terrorist.
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techallNov. 19, 2008 - 09:46AM JST

By beware, I mean be sure to register early so you have time to go to the embassy and plead your case that you are not a jihadist or al-qaida operative. (I don't want to wind up on the list).
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timorborderNov. 19, 2008 - 10:17AM JST

Just another reason to put off that planned trip to the US. This just proves that the war on terrorism is effectively over, and the good guys didn't win, rather they are huddling behind ever heightening walls of paranioa, using OBL as a boogeyman by which to chip away at individual rights and freedoms.

What a sad day for all concerned.
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BeelzebubNov. 19, 2008 - 10:22AM JST

9/11 never could have happened if simple security measures had been in force in the first place. Terrorist warnings were circulating around the intelligence agencies. Despite this, why were teams of 5 men speaking with foreign accents permitted to board planes with box-cutter knives? The US is notorious for letting down its guard and then overreacting after the fact. Think Pearl Harbor, and the Beirut Marine barracks. History keeps repeating itself because the idiots in charge refuse to learn from it.
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gogogoNov. 19, 2008 - 03:02PM JST

This is the most messed up thing I have ever seen, basically treating everyone that is non america as a security treat. Can't see any tourists wanting to goto America anytime soon with this system. So pathetic.
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Suzu1Nov. 19, 2008 - 04:27PM JST

The posts on this article are hilarious and reveals how many people post on topics without knowing anything of the topic. This new procedure simply replaces the paper form that every traveler now fills out on the airplane. And once it is completed, it is good for two years so it will save time for countless visitors. I filled out the same information for Japanese immigration last week when I flew in to Narita. The idea that it is an intrusive is bizarre. It will also be help to people not eligible for visa-free travel who would otherwise be turned back at the airport.
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KawasakiNov. 19, 2008 - 06:48PM JST

Suzu1 - actually, your post is only partially correct. The new electronic registration system is actually a "pre-screening" mechanism, it's not the replacement of the paper form. So up until now, you could board a flight to the U.S. then fill out the paper form on the plane, and present it to the authorities in the U.S.

This new system, on the other hand - is basically an electronic Visa, which everyone will have to request - even all the 'friendly' European(and Japan, etc) countries' citizens.

So for instance, if John Smith from the UK wants to go to the US now, he has to register a lot of personal info on the ESTA web site, and then get 'approved' - some approvals are instant, some say 'pending' , and some say 'denied'. It is, in essence, an electronic Visa somewhat similiar to the system that Australia uses, but the US one is more invasive (as far as the personal info they request), from what I've heard. Of course, as always, the concern that most (intelligent) people have is so-called "mission creep". In other words, that the whole 'this is for your own good, the terrorists are out to get us' thing is an excuse, and in reality these databases/controls will slowly start being used to deny boarding to people who didn't pay child support, then people convicted of sexual offences, then people who haven't paid their tax bills, then eventually political protesters, so on and so forth. Though it seems like a far stretch - it can happen, and history clearly proves that.

In other news, tourism to the US is dropping every year...
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maelNov. 19, 2008 - 07:00PM JST

I'm surprised as I find it hard to believe that there are many people who still want to go to the US.

I think I'd rather gargle with battery acid than go to that wreck of a nation.

What a waste of a perfectly good country.
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PepinGalargaNov. 20, 2008 - 12:22AM JST

terrible program. This is costing the US billions in tourism revenue. Anyway, anyone who really wants to get into the US can go for a swim in the Rio Grande, or even better yet, through the thousands of miles of unguarded frontier areas with Canada. There's so many ways to get into the US its hilarious.
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bdiegoNov. 24, 2008 - 08:58PM JST

These things are just going to get more common, and lots of countries are following suit. What I object to is not so much the procedure so much as unreasonable policies based on pretend security, and unprofessional treatment. That's been much improved since TSA's original years, so I'll give credit where it's due. The random deep searches are pretty useless, but I guess they're there to protect against incompetence from the first search. Fair enough.
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elbudamexicanoDec. 01, 2008 - 03:48AM JST

Not too sure, but I would rather be safe than sorry. I am not a terrorist and I have nothing to hide, so I am very happy if this new U.S. security measure will keep idiot terrorists off the same plane I am boarding. I do hope this works!