I have travelled number of times across the country's borders and found humor in the whole process (if not you could lose whatever is left of your mind after the mind numbing 12 hour flight you just came off of)
Ever wonder why they call it Border Inspection? Who is inspecting whose borders? This is a fun activity that happens on a road trip. Mostly it is like going through a toll booth but with a much sinister looking person inside the booth.
What about customs check? Is it a cultural dance party as soon as you land in a foreign country that explains their customs? Or better yet a local food buffet so you can understand their religious practices et al?
Agricultural Inspection? Some like to call it Produce Check - I did not produce anything on the flight - honest - other than perhaps some methane from the bad plane food I ate. And no I do not have live chicken in my bag.
Perhaps one (a newbie to air travel) can think of it as an opportunity to inspect the host country's progress in agriculture - Tractor tours this way!
Immigration Check - I am a US citizen so I am not immigrating anywhere when I come back. Neither am I immigrating when I go some place else. So what the heck is that all about? Esp if you read the definition -Immigration (derived from Latin: migratio) is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence. I am already permanently here. Not passing.
Then there is this color coded channel nonsense. Esp in places like Mexico where there seems to be no apparent method to what tube your luggage should enter - in fact it is a buzz your answer here type arrangement - you press a button and if it lights green then you romp out - if it lights red then you do a show and tell with your luggage.
How about the citizen and non citizen lines - or the frequent traveler lines vs. the family lines - vs. the left hand handicap vs. gout only lines? You can have a real good time these days traveling anywhere if you know where to look.
Lets not even discuss the whole undress procedures and tapping and scanning that would embarass the best MRI and CAT SCAN doctors. More over its free - perhaps next time you can ask for your dental xrays since they have them anyway. Save on a few bucks at the dentist checkup.
Ever wonder why they call it Border Inspection? Who is inspecting whose borders? This is a fun activity that happens on a road trip. Mostly it is like going through a toll booth but with a much sinister looking person inside the booth.
What about customs check? Is it a cultural dance party as soon as you land in a foreign country that explains their customs? Or better yet a local food buffet so you can understand their religious practices et al?
Agricultural Inspection? Some like to call it Produce Check - I did not produce anything on the flight - honest - other than perhaps some methane from the bad plane food I ate. And no I do not have live chicken in my bag.
Perhaps one (a newbie to air travel) can think of it as an opportunity to inspect the host country's progress in agriculture - Tractor tours this way!
Immigration Check - I am a US citizen so I am not immigrating anywhere when I come back. Neither am I immigrating when I go some place else. So what the heck is that all about? Esp if you read the definition -Immigration (derived from Latin: migratio) is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence. I am already permanently here. Not passing.
Then there is this color coded channel nonsense. Esp in places like Mexico where there seems to be no apparent method to what tube your luggage should enter - in fact it is a buzz your answer here type arrangement - you press a button and if it lights green then you romp out - if it lights red then you do a show and tell with your luggage.
How about the citizen and non citizen lines - or the frequent traveler lines vs. the family lines - vs. the left hand handicap vs. gout only lines? You can have a real good time these days traveling anywhere if you know where to look.
Lets not even discuss the whole undress procedures and tapping and scanning that would embarass the best MRI and CAT SCAN doctors. More over its free - perhaps next time you can ask for your dental xrays since they have them anyway. Save on a few bucks at the dentist checkup.
There are ways of inventing humour in otherwise dull places and procedures. Bureaucracy excels at such inventions. Reader's Digest had a column called Humour in Uniform.
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