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"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.
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