Re: Sunday I reentered America at LAX and US Immigration "entry stamped" my US Passport.

"Ramon Miquel" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> PTRAVEL wrote:
> > "Ramon Miquel" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> > news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >
> >>PTRAVEL wrote:
> >>
> >>>"Paul O" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> >>>news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>>And, unlike the U.S., they know every
> >>>>hotel I've stayed in, as my passport is taken from me and the
> >
> > information
> >
> >>>>recorded and forwarded to the local police department.  I don't fear
the
> >>>>procedure, or resent it.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>What twaddle - very few European countries take passport information
and
> >>>>forward it to the Police Station.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Hungary, and the Czech
> >>>Republic are all countries in which hotels have taken my passport and
> >>>recorded the information.
> >
> >
> > Well, _I'm_ sorry, but I just returned from Italy on Sunday.  My
passport
> > was taken and information recorded at hotels in Milan, Venezia, Firenzi,
> > Luca, San Gimignano, Siena and Rome.  And I've been in France, Spain,
> > Germany, Austria and Belgium within the last three years, and my
passport
> > was taken, and information recorded, at every hotel I stayed at in those
> > countries as well.  These hotels varied from 3-star to 5-star.
> >
> Well, what can I say? I have not been asked for my passport in any of
> these countries for the last few years. Mind you, I'm from Spain, so
> maybe the rules are different for Schengen nationals, but, of course,
> they wouldn't know my nationality unless they asked for my passport...

Whereas they knew my nationality because my reservations were all made in
advance from the U.S.  I wouldn't be surprised if the rules are different
for Schengen nationals, as different rules apply for VAT refunds, entry into
Schengen countries (before my wife became a U.S. citizen, she had to obtain
visas everytime we went to Europe), etc.

>
> I do tend to stay at small, local, hotels, not at the big chain hotels.

We stay at both.  On this last trip, we were in a very small pensionne in
Luca, and a moderately-sized one in Siena.  In Rome and Milan, we were in
large, 5-star American chain hotels.  In Florence a small, but well-known
3-star, and in Venice a somewhat obscure, but moderately -sized (for Venice)
3-star.


> And I have stayed also at a number of university faculty clubs and such...

That we never do.  We also never stay at hostels, anything below 3-star,
etc.

>
> >
> >>>Care to try again?
> >>>
> >>
> >>Sorry, but Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Austria and Belgium are all
> >>countries in which I have stayed in the last few years and NO hotels
> >>have taken my passport for anything. I have never been to Hungary or the
> >>Czech Republic.
> >
> >
> > I have, last year, and my passport was taken and information recorded
there
> > as well.
> >
> >
> >>
> >>>>I'm fascinated by this whole thread!!
> >>>>Lotta scared angry people out there - likely to be many more until the
> >
> > US
> >
> >>>>changes leadership!!!
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>PTRAVEL" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> >>>>news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>>"nobody" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> >>>>>news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>>Simple business decision. If the government makes money re-issuing
> >>>>>
> >>>>>passports,
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>>then it stands to gain by stamping US passports with as much useless
> >>>>
> >>>>stuff
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>>as
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>>possible so that you run out of space and need to request (and pay
!)
> >>>>
> >>>>for
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>>a
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>>new passport.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>:-)
> >>>>>
> >>>>>I'm glad you included the smilely.
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>>Consider the treatment the current USA regime gives to visitors to
the
> >>>>
> >>>>USA
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>>who
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>>have overstayed a visa in the past.
> >>>>>
> >>>>>What treatment does the USA give visitors who have previously
violated
> >>>>>immigration laws?  The law is clear, as are the penalties for its
> >>>>
> >>>>violation.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>>Who goes to another country and believes they can violate the law
with
> >>>>>impunity?
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>>Since the USA has every reason to fear
> >>>>>>that other countries might treat USA citizens the same way USA
treats
> >>>>>
> >>>>>their
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>>citizens,
> >>>>>
> >>>>>"Fear"?  Have you travelled much internationally?  US immigration
> >>>>
> >>>>procedures
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>>for _visitors_ are not particularly onerous, and considerably easier
> >>>
> >>>than
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>>>those of a number of countries I've visited, many of which profess to
> >
> > be
> >
> >>>>>democracies.
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>>then that stamp would help you get out of prison since it
> >>>>>>implicitely proves you have left their country by entering the USA
on
> >>>
> >>>a
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>>>>specific date and thus hadn't overstayed your visa there.
> >>>>>
> >>>>>Oh, please . . what nonsense!  My passport is scanned whenever I
depart
> >>>
> >>>a
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>>>Schengen country (which has the most liberal . . . and reciprocal . .
.
> >>>>>entry requirements with respect to the US) and, I suppose, if I
wanted
> >>>
> >>>to
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>>>get an exit stamp I could.  I am, however, in the computer -- they
know
> >>>>
> >>>>when
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>>I entered, and they know when I left.  And, unlike the U.S., they
know
> >>>>
> >>>>every
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>>hotel I've stayed in, as my passport is taken from me and the
> >>>
> >>>information
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>>>recorded and forwarded to the local police department.  I don't fear
> >
> > the
> >
> >>>>>procedure, or resent it.
> >>>>>
> >>>>>There's an awful lot about the U.S. that is very wrong just now.
> >>>>>Immigration procedures for visitors isn't one of them.
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>>Come to think of it, any visitor to the USA should have their
passport
> >>>>>
> >>>>>stamped
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>>when they enter another country after leaving the USA. Since the USA
> >>>>>
> >>>>>doesn't
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>>have exit controls and thus is  incapable of really tracking who has
> >>>
> >>>and
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>>>>hasn't overstayed their visas, having a stamp from another country
> >>>>
> >>>>proving
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>>you
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>>had left the USA on such and such a date might be your ticket to
> >>>
> >>>prevent
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>>a
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>>>visit to a USA prison.
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>
> >
> >
>