News No Longer Safe To Travel To America?

[anthony]

However, even if it were still in place, being detained -in public- for 2 hours? With the worst case scenario -which isn't what happened- one of being sent home? I hardly would classify as unsafe. Expensive, yes. If one arrived after 10+ hours on a plane and several thousand dollars, only to be sent back home to Australia, after 2 hours, also infuriating. But dangerous? Unsafe? I don't see it.

Australia does this to plenty of people who fail to meet the required stringent components of coming to Australia. Not sure they get spoken to too harshly or such, but if they caused any type of issue towards border staff, then sure, they would be treated more aggressively / handed off to Federal police for worst cases.

For Australians... yes, America is a more dangerous place than Australia, however, like mentioned... there are far worse, far more dangerous countries to visit. What you see and experience as a tourist in any country is usually very different than the reality of a country when living within it.

Normalcy comes to mind. Melbourne is voted the most liveable city in the world numerous years in a row... visitors flock to it, yet we still have some crime, we still have Broad Meadows on the Northern outskirts... which is like LA's Compton, on a smaller scale. People shooting each other, drugs, crime riddled streets that you wouldn't walk at night, yet plenty of non-violent people live there and it is normal for them. Plenty of Melburnians drive through the place daily on their commute to work or such. Locals know where to go, what to do, what not to do, where not to go, in a suburb.

Normalcy...

 

[Freedomfighter]

I am not interested in the politics that are going on.

I am bewildered though that given an American i...

You have to be cautious, but likely that is a given in many countries. Due to the fact that many citizens carry weapons the chance of being killed is certainly higher than in countries where this is not the case. Many killings here happen due to domestic violence issues, but also drugs and money.
It is best to first scope out the exact location you want to travel to, and use common sense when going anywhere, locking doors with good locks, never leave your car unlocked, even when you are in it, yeah it is certainly not a safe country in my eyes.

There were European news how the American TV stations reported on civil war in Afghanistan, Irak, Syria, the many places we are aware of.... then the news station showed a comparison of American crime, where civilians kill each other every day and those numbers in America were higher then the numbers of killings in those so called war torn countries. It was a stark reminder of what goes on in America.

 

[Recovery4Me]

Despite the politics, the USA is a beautiful country to visit. I have been detained when traveling within two other countries and my stress vamped but that did not equal unsafe at a border check. :hug:

Our country has government agencies that advise on possible dangerous situations when globally traveling due to conflict, ect. Perhaps you might desire to check with your country's agencies and see if the USA was listed as a risk or unsafe. I doubt it but perhaps it may ease your mind @Ms Spock

Please remember some media thrives on sensationalism (as it sells their advertising). I am sorry that an author of your country was detained but with your care and effort of the right visa...you may have little concern for a lovely visit.

 

[Naoru]

Every country has its strict immigration and travel requirements; some are more publicized and criticized than others.

I have been detained, harshly questioned, and searched more times than I can count, all over the world ... many times in places most would not expect. To me, it is necessary and if anything, ensures more safety, not less. Inconvenient though, absolutely.

Lots of good advice on this thread already. Know the culture, know the rules, know the climate before you go. Have all of the required documents. Be prepared to turn around. Be sensible. Have contacts.

As for general American safety - exercise caution as you would anywhere and every time you travel.
My most violent stranger assault was here in Japan, "one of the safest countries in the world."

As this website so often shows, one can be harmed anywhere, regardless of statistics. You can only do what you can, the rest is out of your control. So, I take the risk, carefully planned and prepared, but I take the risk. Experience > Fear ... But I am a travel junkie.

Check Australia's govt travel advisory website for updates.

Remember the media (including social) distorts everything.

http://smartraveller.gov.au/Countries/americas/north/Pages/united_states_of_america.aspx

 

[Recovery4Me]

@Naoru :tup: Awesome...

 

[ms spock]

Thanks everyone for your comments and feedback.

Regards,
ms spock

 

[cat-lady]

If you decide to come here you might want to look into groups of lawyers who do pro bono work for people arriving at airports. A number or groups like that formed recently. You might not end up needing them but maybe it would help you feel safer if you had a contact ready in case something went wrong and you got detained. For example: http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/02/app_travelers_ban_airport_lawy.html. I can't really give you advice on this or recommend a service since I haven't graduated from law school yet. This link is just to give you an idea of the type of stuff that's out there.

 

[anthony]

I was going to go for some training this year to America but have been advised that given my background of political activism that it would not be wise.

If you have been arrested and charged for such... then declare it on your visa application. That will tell you whether they're going to let you into their country or not, well in advance. Simple... don't do stupid shit in another's country though, regardless of your ideals or desires. If your intent is to attend a conference, be honest in all questions any history, and stay clear of such things.

 

[ms spock]

It is not about being arrested @anthony - but good point. It is about something else altogether.

I won't be involved in politics - it is purely a study/conference/practicing the skills type of situation.

 

[nomorechickenlittle]

I am not interested in the politics that are going on.

I am bewildered though that given an American i...

I think it would depend on how you look regarding admission. If you do have a political activism background that could work against you as well. I mean they detained mohammed ali's son. Just last month they refused entry to a teenaged canadian (by birth) citizen on a school soccer tournament trip b/c his parents were born in Morocco. As for safety once you get there well nowhere is really safe but there has been an increase in racially/religiously motivated actions directed at certain groups. And then there's the more guns than people issue.However nowhere is really safe. i know this whole issue has really triggered some of my ptsd symptoms. But who knows if youre registered for the course etc maybe you'd have a good time. If you do decide to go i'd make sure everything is refundable in case you get turned away at the border.

 

[FireSign8]

The first sentence tells me that you are not interested in the one thing that is the sole foundation of the problem! Politics is the real problem & the Politicians who are signing poorly written polices, laws, mandates into law without fully explaining them to the agencies that are hired to enforce the new "rules"...

So, with that said, I would have to tell you & all others, to use caution here in America because the citizens rarely ever receive an apology from officials after they have been accused/suspected of a crime & held against their will until the facts can prove they are innocent. Welcome to the real world that was rarely witnessed by outsiders here in the good old US of A...until Trump was elected & started his mission to "Make America Great Again!".

 

[Friday]

Politics is the real problem & the Politicians who are signing poorly written polices, laws, mandates into law without fully explaining them to the agencies that are hired to enforce the new "rules"...

I would very much have to disagree. Politics is only a valid problem for the people living in a country. The "real problem" for travelers & tourists is what affects them directly. Are border crossings safe? What are the local laws? What are the local problems? What can they expect in forms of problems?

If I'm flying through Heathrow to Israel & back? I couldn't give a rip about the PM or what's going on in the House of Lords/Commons/etc. Getting into some long debate about local politics is absolutely useless to me. Not only am I in absolutely zero position to change it (not being a British citizen), but I'm on deadline here. It doesn't matter if it's changed in x months/years through the work of blah blah blah if I'm flying out now. How things have come about, or how things might be? Isn't useful to me. As a traveler I have to deal with the reality of the situation, whatever it is.

What I need to know are things like; if my clothes (or luggage) are all contaminated with bomb dust from walking around TelAviv what specifically I can expect from British authorities when I'm detained because I've set off the sensors. What's the best case / worst case? What will probably happen? How will I be treated? What do I need to plan for? What will make things more difficult? What will make things easier?

Knowing that even if all my paperwork is in order I may be detained and questioned on that paperwork? Is useful. Knowing it doesn't follow normal detained by authorities at airport procedure (alone, in a room, with an armed guard... Like at Heathrow & most other nation's airports) but will be in a large group? In some ways, safer (than being alone, in a room, with someone who is armed when I'm not), in some ways more dangerous (dispersed responsibility, 1 troublemaker can make the entire group suffer, etc.) Also useful. Knowing that the average detainment is about 2 hours? Also useful. That gives me a heads up not to book connecting flights with no layover, but to give myself several hours cushion, or be prepared to have to miss/rebook my connection. Et cetera.

Travelers & Locals have very different needs in regards to local policy.