Why I stopped travelling to the US and largely stopped doing business in the US • Hacker News Board

Re: Why I stopped travelling to the US and largely stopped doing business in the US

#121

Post by sambeau » Fri, Feb 18, 2011, 1:57 PM UTC

darklajid wrote: post #106

VMG wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does he really have to own the gun or does he just have to declare his camera as a gun?

This. The GP got it wrong. The suggestion was to use something "sortof" gun-like to declare that the case contains a weapon, so that the TSA has to list (and treat) according to the rules for these things. The one giving the advice said that he has a "starter pistol", which google explained as a gun that you use to start a race etc.. Not a real weapon. Others suggested a flare pistol (Dangerous? Sure. But not a 'weap…

http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2006/09/expensive_came...

The article referenced, which I read, had this:

"Then someone has the brilliant suggestion of putting a firearm in your camera-equipment case"

Matt Brandon (the blogger referenced) had the genius move of using a starter pistol rather than a handgun.

However, it is still sad and slightly scary to me that the solution to protecting your property during a flight is to pack it with a weapon or something that looks like weapon.

Re: Why I stopped travelling to the US and largely stopped doing business in the US

#122

Post by nhangen » Fri, Feb 18, 2011, 2:02 PM UTC

ErrantX wrote: post #18

I have to admit, as difficult as it is, he makes a good point here. I'm nowhere near as well travelled, but we do a lot of work in the middle east (some of the nastier parts too), which is a place you would imagine a white westerner would count seriously against you. But, frankly, I've never felt safer or more welcomed in my life (apart from the odd dicey moment). OK, the US is not terrible, unsafe or specifically un…

Have you ever been to Qatar? I'd have to disagree with you there.

Re: Why I stopped travelling to the US and largely stopped doing business in the US

#123

Post by tptacek » Fri, Feb 18, 2011, 2:02 PM UTC

fiaz wrote: post #93

edw519 wrote: post #80

everyone is utterly paranoid Everyone? I have bit my tongue for a long time about this great community's slipping quality, but honestly, how does shit like this make it to the top of Hacker News. Flagged. Any suggestions for how to get back to having hacker news on Hacker News? (And please spare us the lame "situational logic" response of how is hacker news.)

Given that the US is largely considered the most entrepreneurial country in the world, I think this is relevant. A lot of people from other countries want to do business here, and this very well might be of concern to them. This thread has sparked a large discussion and I think this is in line with the submission guidelines as being intellectually gratifying. http://ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

Wow are "intellectually gratifying" and "sparking a large discussion" ever not always the same thing.

Re: Why I stopped travelling to the US and largely stopped doing business in the US

#124

Post by lemming » Fri, Feb 18, 2011, 2:03 PM UTC

felipe wrote: post #17

> I've been to Russia before the cold war ended. I've been all over the middle east. I've been to China. I've travelled all over Europe. I've been to Cuba and I've been to Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Nicaragua. What all of these places have in common is that going there was a far more pleasant experience than going to the US. Oh, c'mon, this sounds very over-the-top. My experience is that TSA and USCIS (formerly INS)…

"In places like Brazil your entire trip is at the hands of chance: Most times you get a nice officer, but sometimes not."

In my experience, this exactly sums up travelling to the US.

Re: Why I stopped travelling to the US and largely stopped doing business in the US

#125

Post by Luc » Fri, Feb 18, 2011, 2:05 PM UTC

edw519 wrote: post #80

everyone is utterly paranoid Everyone? I have bit my tongue for a long time about this great community's slipping quality, but honestly, how does shit like this make it to the top of Hacker News. Flagged. Any suggestions for how to get back to having hacker news on Hacker News? (And please spare us the lame "situational logic" response of how is hacker news.)

Band together (e.g. private mailing list) with like-minded people and upvote each other's submissions until the culture has changed.

EDIT: Hey, that's the only reasonable answer to the parent's question so far, as far as I can see. I don't like the idea either, but it's a reasonable idea, downvotes be damned!

Re: Why I stopped travelling to the US and largely stopped doing business in the US

#126

Post by known » Fri, Feb 18, 2011, 2:05 PM UTC

Don't come to America. USA debt is $200 trillion. http://www.blacklistednews.com/?news_id=10626

Re: Why I stopped travelling to the US and largely stopped doing business in the US

#127

Post by steveklabnik » Fri, Feb 18, 2011, 2:06 PM UTC

lemming wrote: post #120

steveklabnik wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We don't have some kind of tourist visa? (Ignorant American here)

Only if you come from one of these countries: http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html#... or a few miscellaneous others (Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, etc).

Ah, thanks. I am embarrassingly un-travelled.

Re: Why I stopped travelling to the US and largely stopped doing business in the US

#128

Post by Jakku » Fri, Feb 18, 2011, 2:07 PM UTC

I travel alot around the world. America is the only country where I am treated like shit when I go through the airport.

This time they took everything out of my bag. Spent ten minutes reading my diary! I mean what the fuck! Were aggressive, rude.

The system is an utter disgrace to foreigners. I wont be coming back.

Re: Why I stopped travelling to the US and largely stopped doing business in the US

#129

Post by davidw » Fri, Feb 18, 2011, 2:11 PM UTC

tptacek wrote: post #116

retube wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does the tech world live in an isolated bubbled insulated from the rest of society?

Yes why should tech people be deprived of my cat pictures? My cat is delicious!

I think since you are a well-known hacker and that a cat and the joy it provides you make your life richer, it would indubitably make our own lives that much better to gaze upon the adorable feline ourselves, not to mention be very much on topic (you're a hacker) and probably intellectually gratifying as well, if you contemplate how the cat as a species has 'hacked' people to care for them!

Re: Why I stopped travelling to the US and largely stopped doing business in the US

#130

Post by wyclif » Fri, Feb 18, 2011, 2:13 PM UTC

tptacek wrote: post #111

edw519 wrote: post #80

everyone is utterly paranoid Everyone? I have bit my tongue for a long time about this great community's slipping quality, but honestly, how does shit like this make it to the top of Hacker News. Flagged. Any suggestions for how to get back to having hacker news on Hacker News? (And please spare us the lame "situational logic" response of how is hacker news.)

It's not just the off-topic stuff. It's groupthink. The needle on that has been buried for months now. I'll give you a telling example: the insane series of threads where, in essence, an angry mob chased a comp-sci grad student around for nominating Wikipedia articles for deletion. "Here's the main offender!" "You're a drain on Wikipedia, a negative source of knowledge!" "You're an idiot!". An Internet-famous guy chi…

I like that example, too. Well stated. My observation was that the whole episode reeked of something you'd expect to play out on reddit, but not the old-school HN.