US deploys Disney to soothe visitors stuck in passport queues
Paxing All Over The World
Thread Starter
US deploys Disney to soothe visitors stuck in passport queues
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/...cle3090342.ece
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/...cle3090342.ece
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Ireland nowadays
Posts: 1,440
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
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.
I suppose it's one way of shortening the queue.
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.
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.
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: South of France
Posts: 1,035
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
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....?
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....?
Life's too short for ironing
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Scotland, & Maryland, USA
Posts: 1,146
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
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..... 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: london
Posts: 331
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
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!
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!
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Wet Coast
Posts: 2,335
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by 10secondsurvey
Why can't we in Europe get our revenge on the USA, and start fingerprinting and questioning any USA citizens on arrival?
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.
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!
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Canada
Age: 43
Posts: 46
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
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
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
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.
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.
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: East of LGB
Age: 69
Posts: 625
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
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.
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.
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 310
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
why can't we in Europe get our revenge on the USA, and start fingerprinting and questioning any USA citizens on arrival
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.
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: South of France
Posts: 1,035
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
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....
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: About 1 mile from WOD ndb
Posts: 134
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
UK versus US immigration
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?
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?
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!
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!
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 310
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
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....
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Leeds, UK
Posts: 281
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
TSA grumpies
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
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
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 310
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
clerk A gets 10 laps of the airport perimeter double time
faces later they get a nice buzz to tell them to cheer up! Would be the best thing for some of the miserable bas***ds UK Immigration employ...