Going to the States

I am heading to the States for the last time ever. Ok I said the exact same thing the last three times I went but now it is really the very last time because after this last visit I will have seen all the places I want to go in this country and several of them on different times of the year. So this is the end for sure.

The flight is really noting to talk about I got a direct flight from Copenhagen to Dulles in Washington - which really cuts away a lot of travel time compared to the usual changing in some city somewhere.

I get to Washington and then come the worst part of any trip to the USA. The crossing of the emigration. It always takes forever - this time is no exception. It takes hours to go through. The US got to have some of the least efficient boarder controls in the world. In any third world country you would get through faster. It is the constant photographing fingerprinting they insist on having everybody goes through that delay everything terribly.  It is finally my turn to go to the counter. And here I am met by a border official which is educated the same place as all the other border officers in country. They are all clearly taught not to smile at the people trying to get into the country. And there is no way they would ever say the words welcome to America to you.

No other country in the world has got the same sort of bad treatment in the immigration. I have been through in all sorts of countries including some you would normally consider having some of the worst regimes in the world. But they are generally all treating you with respect and absolutely correct - even though many of the people do not speak any English. Never this way in the states - this is the only place where I repeatedly have been told of by the officials and generally been treated incorrectly by the people.

And I clearly look Northern European. Hence I can’t help wonder what kind of treatment someone with a Hispanic or Asian appearance will be treated like. And I don’t even dare think how you will be treated if your name is Mohammed or - Osama.

I wonder why I keep putting myself through this kind of treatment - maybe because the immigration is the exception from the rule that most Americans are actually quite friendly.

I finally get through after spending an eternity in the border crossing and I get my back. Unfortunately it is pretty late now so I only got the energy to go and eat before heading to bed.