US deploys Disney to soothe visitors stuck in passport queues

[PAXboy]

from The Independent 24th October 2007

The sometimes gruff welcome that the United States extends to its overseas visitors nowadays, made much worse by the newly rigorous visa and security restrictions imposed since the terrorist attacks of 2001, got a make-over yesterday courtesy of it best-known ambassador of jollity and joy, Mickey Mouse.

From now on, the nerves of international passengers queuing up at passport control at airports in Washington DC and Houston will be soothed – or otherwise – by a sappy seven-minute film made by the folks at Walt Disney showcasing all that is wonderful, scenic and nice about the land of the free.

It will be shown in the international arrivals halls of all major US airports as well as in visa-processing offices around the world. Major airlines will also be encouraged to show it on aircraft shortly before landing in the US.

The article continues ...
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article3090342.ece

[strake]

"Mickey Mouse" is certainly the thought that springs to mind....

[840]

That would turn me from pissed off, but willing to tolerate it to the verge of completely losing it and getting myself deported.

I suppose it's one way of shortening the queue.

[radeng]

According to 'World at One' (BBC Radio 4) today, tourism to the US is down 19%, despite a weak dollar. The guy in charge fo promoting tourism to New York admitted that a lot of people weren't going to to the US because of the way that visas are (or are not) granted and the attitude of immigration officials. Apparently there's some worry about the loss of income and the effects on the economy. Although Colin Powell was telling Congress that a couple of years ago.
I suppose if the TSA gets less money, they may change their attitudes a little, although it seems to be very dependent on the airport - SAN, PHX, Colorado Springs good, DFW indifferent, LAX bad. Last time I went through security at Phoenix, you didn't have chance to put your bag down, it was so quick! Could do with those airport managers and screeners at LHR T4.

[strake]

I think the security screeners and immigration staff at Heathrow are leagues ahead of any similar organisation in the USA. I have only ever found them to be polite and as efficient as possible given the circumstances they have to operate in.

Still, I look forward to skipping happily up to to the Immigration booth at Newark next week humming one of those unforgetable Disney songs and declaring to the nice inspector "People like you who don't Think probably don't have Brains; rather, they have grey fluff that's blown into their heads by mistake...tra la la......"

He will laugh mightily and say "Winnie the Pooh, right?". We'll then part the bestest of friends that friends can be.....

Or might I be a little optimistic....?

[fernytickles]

A seven minute film. Running over and over and over and over and over and over an dover and over and over while you wait for an hour and a half in the immigration line..... Yep, that'll soothe everyone..... :eek:

[10secondsurvey]

why can't we in Europe get our revenge on the USA, and start fingerprinting and questioning any USA citizens on arrival?? We could show them a short Mr.Bean film, specially commissioned from the BBC. They'd soon get the message.

Like most frequent flyers, I've probably been photographed and fingerprinted 10-12 times over the past year, on entry to the USA. On my last visit, the guy asked me lots of very personal questions, and also made offensive insinuations with his comments, that had zilch to do with my visitor status, but a lot to do with just plain old fashioned nasty bigotted stupidity. I would have complained, as it was completely out of order, but I knew the likely outcome if I had.

And they think they'll fix it with a mickey mouse film. Doh!

[SLFJan]

Cruel and unusual punishment?

[PaperTiger]

Why can't we in Europe get our revenge on the USA, and start fingerprinting and questioning any USA citizens on arrival?The best (and most effective) revenge is to simply stop going to the US.

That is what they seem to want after all; well the War on Terror™ wallahs anyway. Those who actually depend on visitors for their livelihood or similar reasons have no say whatsoever in this, it's up to the snarly little men and women in their glass booths who really believe every furriner is a dastardly terrorist.

The tyranny of the clerks.

[radeng]

I find Immigration and TSA in PHX very good, and unlike strake, MUCH better than LHR. LHR seems understaffed, under resourced and probably underpaid. At least one machine is always out of use, while I've found it relatively common that the X ray screener gets up, walks away, and nothing happens for up to 10 minutes until another one appears. Allowing that to happen is really bad management!

[Kliperoo]

Could this not be considered terrorism in its own right? I mean after two hours of standing in LAX watching Mickey Mouse for 16 times I know I'd feel terrorized :}
And besides, Disney had its own theme parks, movie studios, clothing and merchandising brands, a hockey club...why the hell not make the start on their own country ;)

[WHBM]

I think the real problem the DHS (Immigration and Secirity) has got into in the USA is it has become the employment of choice for those leaving the US military, and the personnel bring their military attitudes with them

Unused to any customer-facing approach, having had years of being barked at by their superiors it has just seeped into their lifestyle. Everything done for the convenience of those organising it. Queues just accepted without care or concern. If people miss their flights it's not their concern.

When departing US airports nowadays there are DHS notices stating their mission, including to be "professional and polite" etc to passengers. Too bad that those they employ to work within sight of these notices seem to enjoy spending their days with the opposite approach. And there is never any management around to spot it.

[11Fan]

fernytickles wrote "A seven minute film. Running over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over ..... "

You really shouldn't complain. They originally were going to run the theme from "It's a Small World". Anyone who has been to Disneyland in California will understand. 60 minutes of that, all hell is gonna break loose.

[perkin]

why can't we in Europe get our revenge on the USA, and start fingerprinting and questioning any USA citizens on arrival

I've noticed at AMS this happens quite frequently to the red-eye arrivals with US passports...All of a sudden a short wait at passport control becomes slightly more amusing when one of our trans-atlantic cousins gets a grilling at 9am after long flight... :E

What makes it even better is that the Dutch border police have impeccable manners and demeanour, apparently (according to some previous posts on this thread) unlike some of their US counterparts.

[strake]

What I find interesting is that when I travel on my Irish passport (which does not have a visa, unlike my UK one) through Newark, JFK or Boston, I appear to be welcomed like an old friend....

[derekl]

I'm a Brit and hold a U.S. visa (temporary resident) as I work for my company both here and there. I live most of the time in the UK.

Compare and contrast: the last time I went to SFO, I waited for about ten minutes, was greeted with pleasant courtesy, and on being handed my passport the immigration officer said "welcome home, Mr xxxxxxx".

On my return to LHR about ten days later, I waited in line for 30 minutes with the rest of the EU passport holders, had my passport looked at, all the while the immigration officer did not speak one word to me, while he continued a conversation in Hindi with his colleague. I was waved through.

This, in my experience, is the norm.

Guess where I feel more welcome?

[Hokulea]

I'm a Brit with a US green card and currently live in the US. I'll offer a very unscientific and purely subjective opinion to this thread.

Entering the UK pre-9/11 was great (from the US). No queue, a relatively friendly immigration official and off to collect my luggage. Post-9/11 hasn't made that much difference to this although the immigration officials seem to be less friendly. Fair enough.

Flying back to the US was also great at LHR, a quick check of my passport, 5 minutes going through security and 2 hours in the departure lounge waiting for my flight to be called.

Going through immigration in the US was a complete and utter pain and they were not friendly.

Now it's the opposite. I dread going through Heathrow immigration (after walking a mile or two to get there) and am then met by some soulless official who won't even return my "hello".

Flying back to the US (via ORD and/or LAX), I'm treated as a long-lost brother at immigration.

I'm sure everyone's experience is different and probably depends on what time they arrive, how busy the immigration official is, how badly their date went last night, etc., but my experience, like derekl, is that it's better in the US these days.

If they start showing me Disney films on arrival though, I may well change my mind!

[perkin]

What I find interesting is that when I travel on my Irish passport (which does not have a visa, unlike my UK one) through Newark, JFK or Boston, I appear to be welcomed like an old friend....


Same probably goes for an Isreali passport I would guess, or is that just too damn cynical?!

[groundbum]

how about this, remember the large wall push mounted smiley/unhappy faces buttons you encounter leaving UK motorway services toilets? if clean you press the smiley face, if toilets are awful you press the unhappy face. I assume somewhere a bell rings once too many unhappy faces are pressed. or it could be a dummy pill type affair connected to nothing buts acts as a sop?

Anyways, how about after each TSA employee's booth there is a smiley/unhappy face. And you get to press whichever one you like after entry.

Too many unhappy faces and clerk A gets 10 laps of the airport perimeter double time.

Where do I submit my invention for a reward? A 0.001 share of the 17% lost tourism market share??!!!

G

[perkin]

clerk A gets 10 laps of the airport perimeter double time

Much more satisfying if the chair they're sitting on was hooked up to the mains, 10 :* faces later they get a nice buzz to tell them to cheer up! :eek:

Would be the best thing for some of the miserable bas***ds UK Immigration employ...

[Seat65B]

They have the smiley face thing at Beijing - though being Chinese you're confronted with a 1 to 5 rating for the agent's performance. Be precise, but be sensible; make sure you have your passport back before giving your assessment.

[10secondsurvey]

I agree LHR isn't perfect, but here's the thing. I completely resent being fingerprinted and photographed every time I go to the USA.

I am sure if this happened to USA citizens visiting the UK, the yanks would soon get the message.

Some examples, I don't get fingerprinted entering China (a communist dictatorship), Japan, Australia, NewZealand, and any country in Europe.

[strake]

10secondsurvey

See the thread on Japanese immigration..they're doing the same and "those you mention" are getting all upset about it.

Gooses and ganders.....:E

[PAXboy]

Rather than start yet another thread for a small news item ...

British minister detained at US airport
PA
Published: 29 October 2007

Britain's first Muslim Minister has described his disappointment after he was detained at a US airport, where his hand luggage was analysed for traces of explosive materials.

Shahid Malik, MP for Dewsbury and International Development Minister, was returning to Heathrow after a series of meetings and talks on tackling terrorism, when he was stopped at Dulles Airport in Washington DC yesterday morning.

He was searched and detained by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) - the same department whose representatives he had been meeting on his visit to the country.

This was despite the fact he was a keynote speaker at an event organised by the department, alongside the FBI and Muslim organisations in New York.
[edit]
The theme of that speech was tackling extremism and defeating terrorism.

Perhaps they played him the Mickey Mouse film?
Oi - you at the back of the cabin - stop sniggering.

[perkin]

British minister detained at US airport

Is this not just a case of 'profiling'?

[rossym]

11Fan - 'It's A Small World' would make my day if it was played while I was waiting in an immigration queue :) Call me sad if you want, but it just brings a smile to my face everytime I hear it :ok: