P.K. Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 I e-mailed Lxxx's load of old bullshit to a life-long friend in the US. I thought I would share his response just in: Yes PK, sadly it's true. We are looking for patriotic volunteers to "check out" all the Victoria Secret models and the Sports Illustrated swimsuit girls who attend these sporting events and ride public transportation or have web cams. Every college and professional cheerleader has been deemed a risk to National Security and must be subjected to random pat-downs after every sporting event at the local pubs, this is mandatory and is left to the discretion of the patrons. Oh by the way, all foreigners must leave immediately, unless of course they are one of the aforementioned models / cheerleaders, for their own safety and inconvenience. We really don't want anyone getting hurt or being bothered by our oppressive lifestyle on the beaches of CA or FL. OK, enough of that clap trap, it's really no big deal, the international media must be having a good time with if you heard of it? The reality is that there are always a small number of knuckleheads who try to sneak bottles of booze into stadiums, get too drunk and cause issues. We have had security checkpoints at the entrances of our stadiums for this reason for at least the last 25 years. Hell, I remember when I was a kid going to MN Vikings football games and people were throwing empty bottles at players which were hidden underneath their parkas in the dead of winter. Public transportation in the US sucks and will never be as nice as Europe, the general mindset of usage is just different and it typically is routed through the crappy areas of every city, thus necessitating security. Hope you are doing well. Very nice to hear from you. Jim I love the bit about the "oppressive lifestyle" at places like Redondo and the MBB! Strangely Lxxx, he doesn't mention anything about leaving LA at all. Funny that. In fact, he's completely at odds with everything you've posted. I wonder why that could be... The Conspiracy Theory Nutter's worst enemy - people who actually know what they're talking about. End of. Bye bye Lxxx / Butterflies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EORH Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 Well it seems that all summer loads of people have been let into the UK from all ports of entry by the body which Theresa May the Home Secretary said was just a pilot scheme,she has had a rough ride in the Commons the last three days,what amazes me though is when I come back through passport control/immagration,there seems to be plenty of officers there to make sure you are not an illegal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartT Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 Liverpool Airport is the worst. I'm sure they trigger the metal detector randomly and they are over enthusiastic to say the least. As for the USA, always found their immigration bloody annoying. Have almost told them to stick their 'land of the free' and turned around on one occasion. They are muppets at Liverpool. I'm sure they've got a job creation scheme in conjunction with care in the community. Their staff are rude and awkward. They've even excessively and intrusively searched people who haven't set the alarms off for no reason at all (for example nosing through their diaries and wallets) - all in plain view of the other passengers. I had a small led torch confiscated in Liverpool once "because it could blind someone"... In comparison Ronaldsway staff are polite and courteous and I've not had any problem with them. I think general port security with what used to be domestic travel has gone totally OTT. Even the steam racket is jumping on the band wagon. Last time I travelled the IoM checkin (not the security) staff made a point of telling me I had to put one of my 2 rucksacks in the hold, even though it fitted within the hand baggage frame (one contained computer equipment, the other had food items in it (which I was concerned about getting squashed and therefore making a mess of the uniforms I had in there. Their justification was that they said policy did not allow more than one item of hand baggage - yet this is not clearly displayed anywhere and when I told them to bring me the policy they couldn't and told me I had to go back to the bookings office if I wanted to see the policy. They justified this on 'security grounds' yet when I asked the security staff they didn't seem overly bothered as to whether I had one or two rucksacks. The rucksack fits down the side of the seat without blocking any aisles or taking up any extra seats. As a result of this I had to waste over 30 minutes at Liverpool waiting for my baggage to be thrown off the trolley onto the conveyor belt whereas had I access to my rucksacks I could have just gone onto my destination quickly. I'm just glad that I didn't put the computer one in or else I could have been faced with the cost of replacing them. To add insult to injury (my own fault for booking late) I'd just paid £81 for this too.... I understand why you have to hand baggage in at the airport, but I think it's totally unnecessary on the steam racket, particularily as it's domestic rather than international travel. I think that security is used as an excuse for poor customers service, rudeness and awkwardness on the part of the carrier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Gawne Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 Remember Phil Gawne not being allowed in? He filled in the forms on the 'plane but they checked him at passport control and one ex-arsonist was not allowed to enter the US.[/not sure where you get this from? I've never traveled to the USA and certainly never been refused entry to any country I've visited.] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manshimajin Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 Well it seems that all summer loads of people have been let into the UK from all ports of entry by the body which Theresa May the Home Secretary said was just a pilot scheme,she has had a rough ride in the Commons the last three days,what amazes me though is when I come back through passport control/immagration,there seems to be plenty of officers there to make sure you are not an illegal. A lot of the problems would go away if the UK signed up to Schengen. They could then concentrate resources more on people coming from non-EU destinations. There seems to be a paranoid feeling in the UK that it is ONLY the UK that has good border controls! Amazingly arrant nonsense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartT Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 Well it seems that all summer loads of people have been let into the UK from all ports of entry by the body which Theresa May the Home Secretary said was just a pilot scheme,she has had a rough ride in the Commons the last three days,what amazes me though is when I come back through passport control/immagration,there seems to be plenty of officers there to make sure you are not an illegal. A lot of the problems would go away if the UK signed up to Schengen. They could then concentrate resources more on people coming from non-EU destinations. There seems to be a paranoid feeling in the UK that it is ONLY the UK that has good border controls! Amazingly arrant nonsense. Just out of interest, but how would this affect the situation regarding the Isle of Man - with us not being in Europe? Manx citizens in the UK seem to have less entitlement to many things than many people who have come to the UK from other European states. It's a crazy situation given that we're supposed to be more closely connected to the UK than many states who just happen to be members of the EU. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manshimajin Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 Just out of interest, but how would this affect the situation regarding the Isle of Man - with us not being in Europe? Manx citizens in the UK seem to have less entitlement to many things than many people who have come to the UK from other European states. It's a crazy situation given that we're supposed to be more closely connected to the UK than many states who just happen to be members of the EU. Not 100% sure but not all Schengen States are in the EU, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and the micro states Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican. So I can't see any reason why the IOM would need to be excluded. What is more if UK and Ireland were in Schengen (Ireland would love to be in the zone if the UK would extract its digit) then all flights to the IOM and all ferries would be coming from within the Schengen zone. I just feel that all this tosh talked in the UK about overworked, and not enough, UK Borders staff could be put right pdq if the UK Government signed up to Schengen. That would mean anyone arriving in the UK from another Schengen State would automatically be assumed to have been checked and cleared through the EU Border if they arrived, say, in Germany from the USA. So no need to duplicate the checks as happens at present. Staying out IMO is totally paranoid and typical of the Brits - "We've always checked peoples passports so we will always check peoples passports" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Power Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 Liverpool Airport is the worst. I'm sure they trigger the metal detector randomly and they are over enthusiastic to say the least. As for the USA, always found their immigration bloody annoying. Have almost told them to stick their 'land of the free' and turned around on one occasion. They are muppets at Liverpool. I'm sure they've got a job creation scheme in conjunction with care in the community. Their staff are rude and awkward. They've even excessively and intrusively searched people who haven't set the alarms off for no reason at all (for example nosing through their diaries and wallets) - all in plain view of the other passengers. I had a small led torch confiscated in Liverpool once "because it could blind someone"... In comparison Ronaldsway staff are polite and courteous and I've not had any problem with them. I think general port security with what used to be domestic travel has gone totally OTT. Even the steam racket is jumping on the band wagon. Last time I travelled the IoM checkin (not the security) staff made a point of telling me I had to put one of my 2 rucksacks in the hold, even though it fitted within the hand baggage frame (one contained computer equipment, the other had food items in it (which I was concerned about getting squashed and therefore making a mess of the uniforms I had in there. Their justification was that they said policy did not allow more than one item of hand baggage - yet this is not clearly displayed anywhere and when I told them to bring me the policy they couldn't and told me I had to go back to the bookings office if I wanted to see the policy. They justified this on 'security grounds' yet when I asked the security staff they didn't seem overly bothered as to whether I had one or two rucksacks. The rucksack fits down the side of the seat without blocking any aisles or taking up any extra seats. As a result of this I had to waste over 30 minutes at Liverpool waiting for my baggage to be thrown off the trolley onto the conveyor belt whereas had I access to my rucksacks I could have just gone onto my destination quickly. I'm just glad that I didn't put the computer one in or else I could have been faced with the cost of replacing them. To add insult to injury (my own fault for booking late) I'd just paid £81 for this too.... I understand why you have to hand baggage in at the airport, but I think it's totally unnecessary on the steam racket, particularily as it's domestic rather than international travel. I think that security is used as an excuse for poor customers service, rudeness and awkwardness on the part of the carrier. I can't see how the SPCo can insist on any baggage going into their system, simply because they don't have one! You are not given a baggage receipt and are unable to claim for lost baggage. The scramble at the inadequate shed in Liverpool is ridiculous and anyone could make off with your case. How do you claim for lost or damaged baggage? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartT Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 I don't know either and despite what the check in muppet says I don't recall seeing anywhere when I booked, or displayed in any place that the passenger can only have one item of hand baggage whilst on board the vessel. Below is the terms and conditions I copied from the IOMSPC Website Also to quote their spring 2010 brochure "Foot passenger fares start at an attractive £18.50 each way or just £15.50 for a child and your baggage allowance is as much as you can carry! There are no baggage charges, no debit card booking fees and we have a simple check-in and boarding process.The Steam Packet Company therefore offers an excellent way to travel on and off Island".. blad de blah de blah blad yadda yadda, no we're not a ripoff honest.."All bookings for travel are subject to the Conditions of Carriage of Passengers and Luggage of the Isle of Man Steam Packet CompanyLimited. The travel and other information set out above forms part of the Conditions of Carriage, available on our website(STEAM-PACKET.COM), and which apply to any bookings for travel." I also checked the spring 2011 brochure and couldn't find anything there either.... So referring to the conditions of carriage:- (which I found by googling "Isle of Man Steam Packet Baggage Policy":- Important Notice: This is an abridged version of the Conditions of Carriage of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company Limited ("The Steam Packet"). Please refer to the detailed Conditions of Carriage available on request or at the port of departure. The detailed Conditions of Carriage of the Steam Packet apply to this contract for carriage. A copy of the full terms may be obtained on request or at the port of departure. The provisions of the Convention relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their luggage at Sea 1974, including all versions from time to time applicable, having force in the Isle of Man ("The Athens Convention") apply to the contract. The Athens Convention limits the Steam Packets liability for the death of or personal injury to a passenger and/or for loss of or damage to luggage (including a private vehicle) to incidents which are due to the fault of the Steam Packet or it's servants or agents acting within the scope of their employment. The Athens Convention limits amounts that may be recoverable by the passenger. The Athens Convention also makes special provision for valuables. If you wish to carry valuables please refer to the conditions of carriage or contact a member of staff. The Steam Packet does not accept liability for any items of value placed in checked in luggage. The provisions of the convention on limitation of liability for Maritime claims (in so far as it is not otherwise compulsorily applicable) shall be incorporated into the contract. This convention and entitles ship owners to limit their liability for certain general Maritime claims. The Steam Packet accepts no responsibility for any delay or failure to perform obligations under the contract to the extent that the delay has been caused in whole or in part by Force Majeure. Additionally the Steam Packet does not undertake that any vessel will start or arrive on or at the advertised date and time. All sailings and schedules are subject to cancellation or variation without notice for any cause which the Steam Packet or Master reasonably considers justified. For full details on refunds please refer to the section entitled refunds. The Passenger shall at all times comply with any lawful order or request given or made by the Vessels Officers or any Servants or Agents of the Steam Packet. The Passenger agrees to submit to a search of their person and agrees to provide such personal details as may be required for security purposes or otherwise. Except by special arrangement with the Steam Packet children under 16 years must be accompanied by a responsible adult passenger. In the event the passenger fails to produce such details they will be liable to the full prevailing fare. Every passenger must when ever so required provide full details of their booking in respect of themselves or their private vehicle (if any). The Steam Packet shall have a general lien on any luggage (including on vehicle) for all charges due from the passenger to the Steam Packet. No passenger travelling may bring or cause to permit to bring on board any luggage of a dangerous, explosive or inflammable nature or any contraband or any endangered species of animals or any similar such articles without the prior express written approval of the Steam Packet. During the passage, private vehicles must be locked and handbrake applied and first or locked gear engaged. Access to private vehicles is not permitted during passage. Motorcycles, when carried on vehicles or trailers must comply with the following conditions: i) They are drained of fuel before conveyance. ii) The ignition is switched off. iii) They are firmly secured in an upright position to prevent movement. iv) Adequate ventilation is provided to effectively remove flammable vapour from vehicles. The Passenger is responsible for the management and operation of their private vehicle. The Steam Packet accepts no responsibility for vehicular accidents, which occur on or around the vessel, howsoever they are caused, subject to any limitations imposed by Statute or Convention that apply to this contract. Further particular details regarding the carriage of vehicles are contained in the standard conditions of carriage. By accepting the conditions of carriage the passenger accepts the exclusive jurisdiction of the Isle of Man Courts to hear any and all disputes arising in respect of any contract to which these conditions apply. Reminder: These Conditions of Carriage are an abridged version only of the detailed Conditions of Carriage. The passenger should refer to the detailed Conditions of Carriage which are available on request or may be obtained at the port of embarkation. Zero Tolerance on Antisocial/Disruptive Behaviour The Steam Packet Company’s primary concern is the safety and security of its passengers, crew and staff. Occasionally, the antisocial or disruptive behaviour of some of our passengers can make others feel very uncomfortable. In extreme cases this may pose a threat to the safety of others. Our Zero Tolerance policy involves tackling any signs of a potential problem as soon as they arise. To minimise the possibility that antisocial or disruptive passengers are allowed on board our vessels, staff at ports will warn people whose behaviour is unacceptable, and if necessary refuse travel. Unacceptable behaviour may include drunkenness, smoking, using abusive language or behaving in an aggressive or insulting way towards other passengers, crewmembers or staff. Our crews and staff have been fully trained to deal with incidents of this nature. Anyone who disobeys the lawful command of a crewmember or security officer is committing a criminal offence under the Maritime Security Act 1995. A Warning Notice may then be served on any passengers and if the offender persists the police will be called to the port or to meet the vessel on arrival. The passenger may face arrest, a fine of up to £5,000, imprisonment for up to two years, or both. They will also be banned from any future travel with the Company. If the vessel has to divert, the offender will be liable for the costs incurred and will be pursued vigorously by the Company through the Judicial System. Although such behaviour is rare our belief is that by treating such incidents as seriously as we do, we can eradicate it altogether. We ask for your assistance in ensuring a safe travelling environment for all. Whilst I stand to be corrected by someone with more knowledge but I had a quick scan through the Athen's convention and there was nothing there about handbaggage either!!.... I can't see anything that explicitly states that you can't have more than one item of handbaggage there. Indeed apart from the frames which are at each port, there's nothing to say that the handbaggage has to be a set size either (and I know that with many rucksacks I've brought the port staff have often attempted to tell me that I can't bring it on as it's too big for the frame, until I take them to the frame and demonstrate that it actually does fit (I'd already prechecked this anyway before approaching the check in desk, they were obviously not very observant at all). Nor does the notice on the frame instructing you that the handbaggage has to be a certain size have anything to say you can only have one item of handbaggage! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manshimajin Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 sorry--i am from germany (bavaria) "Berlin - Officials in the southern German state of Bavaria Monday confirmed that their agencies were the ones that had made use of a controversial spyware programme that has created an uproar across the country since the weekend. The allegations, brought up over the weekend by the Chaos Computer Club, an organization of hackers, have left officials trying to figure out who would have authorized software that not only gathers transmitted data, but opens a back door to let investigators install further spyware on an unsuspecting computer. etc etc source:http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/europe/news/article_1667873.php/German-spy-software-scandal-focuses-on-Bavaria thats not ok...not all german are terrorists.... Well maybe they have a very good reason for checking on what is going on in Germany - though things seem pretty quiet here in Bavaria at the moment apart from a protest about the third runway at Munich Airport (Ann Reynolds please don't even think about it): Berlin 13/11/2011 - Chancellor Angela Merkel said Monday Germany had been 'shamed' by reports that a neo-Nazi group is suspected of killing nine immigrants in the past decade. Her comments came as the country's largest newspaper, Bild, speculated that the extremists might have received help from a state intelligence service which planted moles among the neo-Nazis. Merkel voiced shock at evidence linking a trio of neo-Nazis to execution-style murders of the nine immigrants and a police officer and referred to the crime as acts of 'far right terrorism.' 'That is a disgrace. That shames Germany. We will do everything possible to investigate it,' she said during a speech to a conference of her party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), in the city of Leipzig. Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich called the murders 'unsettling' and suggested state-level and national intelligence agencies should work together. 'It is very unsettling that no connection was made between a series of murders throughout Germany and the right-wing extremist movement in the state of Thuringia,' Hans-Peter Friedrich told the mass-circulation Bild newspaper. Between 2000 and 2007, a group calling itself National Socialist Underground allegedly murdered 10 people - eight people of Turkish descent, a Greek merchant and a police officer. It had gone about its alleged killing with apparent impunity until November 4, when one of the trio turned herself in after the other two were found dead in a fire-gutted camper van. Friedrich called for an investigation as to why anti-subversion agents had failed to discover the neo-Nazi ring. The state of Thuringia was expected to open an inquiry on Tuesday into how the state's intelligence department lost sight of the trio and was expected to check whether the two men and a woman may have worked for the spy agency as moles, news reports said. The twist on the case came as politicians questioned how the neo-Nazi group, which authorities had monitored for more than a year, fell off the agency's radar in 1998. According to information obtained from security sources by Bild, police found suspicious documents in the trio's home in the eastern German city of Zwickau. The newspaper reported that government-issued German identity cards were found in the rubble of the apartment that was gutted by fire. State police investigators suspect that the fire was lit in order to destroy evidence. The paper speculated on how the neo-Nazis had obtained the documents. 'Usually only undercover investigators who are working for the intelligence service would be given such papers,' Hans-Peter Uhl, the interior policy spokesman for the conservative CDU/CSU grouping in parliament, told the paper. When asked to respond to this, Friedrich said: 'I can't confirm that.' Media reports said the fact that the documents had not caught any official's attention since 1998 suggested they were either excellent fakes or real papers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lxxx Posted November 15, 2011 Author Share Posted November 15, 2011 I e-mailed Lxxx's load of old bullshit to a life-long friend in the US. I thought I would share his response just in: Yes PK, sadly it's true. We are looking for patriotic volunteers to "check out" all the Victoria Secret models and the Sports Illustrated swimsuit girls who attend these sporting events and ride public transportation or have web cams. Every college and professional cheerleader has been deemed a risk to National Security and must be subjected to random pat-downs after every sporting event at the local pubs, this is mandatory and is left to the discretion of the patrons. Oh by the way, all foreigners must leave immediately, unless of course they are one of the aforementioned models / cheerleaders, for their own safety and inconvenience. We really don't want anyone getting hurt or being bothered by our oppressive lifestyle on the beaches of CA or FL. OK, enough of that clap trap, it's really no big deal, the international media must be having a good time with if you heard of it? The reality is that there are always a small number of knuckleheads who try to sneak bottles of booze into stadiums, get too drunk and cause issues. We have had security checkpoints at the entrances of our stadiums for this reason for at least the last 25 years. Hell, I remember when I was a kid going to MN Vikings football games and people were throwing empty bottles at players which were hidden underneath their parkas in the dead of winter. Public transportation in the US sucks and will never be as nice as Europe, the general mindset of usage is just different and it typically is routed through the crappy areas of every city, thus necessitating security. Hope you are doing well. Very nice to hear from you. Jim I love the bit about the "oppressive lifestyle" at places like Redondo and the MBB! Strangely Lxxx, he doesn't mention anything about leaving LA at all. Funny that. In fact, he's completely at odds with everything you've posted. I wonder why that could be... The Conspiracy Theory Nutter's worst enemy - people who actually know what they're talking about. End of. Bye bye Lxxx / Butterflies Hahaha....love it. This is class, you really have excelled yourself on this one. Let's put aside the fact that 'Jim' may or may not exist and that his letter may or may not have been written in response to my perfectly valid and factual summary of events now happening in the US. 'Jim' obviously walks around with his eyes shut as all the points I raised right at the outset of this discussion were facts, not opinions, not conspiracy-nonsense, just a brief summary of the situation in the US at the moment. I speak with my friend in Portland all the time, but don't feel the need to post his responses on here, like you've done with 'Jim's'. Now 'Jim' may or may not have a vested interest in maintaining your poor excuse for an argument on this topic, but his letter neither disproves nor counter-argues anything we've been discussing. What point were you highlighting in 'Jim's' lovely e-mail which was relevant? Please come back with an intelligent, reasoned post and I'll be free to carry this discussion on. Yours sincerely 'Jim' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterflies Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 Haha, PK that email from 'jim' says nothing. Apart from that he's a sexist dickhead with poor wit skills. Really, someone tries to sneak a beer into a stadium and that is justification for full-on searches? Check this article out, shall we ask 'Jim' if he's ever heard of Occupy, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lxxx Posted November 16, 2011 Author Share Posted November 16, 2011 Haha, PK that email from 'jim' says nothing. Apart from that he's a sexist dickhead with poor wit skills. Really, someone tries to sneak a beer into a stadium and that is justification for full-on searches? Check this article out, shall we ask 'Jim' if he's ever heard of Occupy, 'Jim' is probably sat at his computer with his beercan, (after watching The Simpsons) getting ready to go the ballgame, e-mailing P.K. telling him everything is A-Okay in paradise and he doesn't know what all this Occupy nonsense is all about. I think P.K.'s post has to go down as THE best post I have ever seen on these boards. An e-mail from a 'mate' as proof of an argument. Brilliant. Absolute class. Thank God I'm a 'conspiracy nutter', otherwise in another life I might have become one of 'the watchers' and had to resort to such intellectual nonsense to back my case in a internet discussion. Come on Butterflies, let's go buy our tin hat before it's too late. Bye bye P.K........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lxxx Posted December 8, 2011 Author Share Posted December 8, 2011 An interesting perspective on the imminent demise of the U.S. http://sgtreport.com/2011/12/is-the-total-economoic-collapse-of-the-u-s-nearly-upon-us/#more-26428 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Goblin Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 An interesting perspective on the imminent demise of the U.S. A bigger problem for us is the erosion of democracy in Europe - Germany seems well on the way to establishing the Fourth Reich! I suspect that the future will see a considerable amount of aggro between UK and Germany. How the peoples of Southern Europe will react is another matter of concern. With Europe seemingly heading for the knacker's yard the US still looks the best bet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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