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General discussion (archive)Apology to the US(50 posts)(50 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted September 20, 2013
I'm currently at Paris airpot (couple minutes of free wifi left), flying to Costa Rica via New York and Miami. I never checked any requirements for the US, as I was only transfering I didn't bother just like I never bothered with visas in Russia or China when I transfered over there. However, I had to fill up the ESTA form and pay 15$ just to transfer; which led me to think some pretty heavy stuff about the US. Turns out that I would arrive at JFK airport and the flight to Miami is from La Guardia airport, so it makes sense I have to go through customs despite only wanting to transfer.

So my apologies, I was wrong in cursing the US system. This one time. And it's not like I'm convinced they wouldn't have asked for it anyway if my tranfer was on the same airport, but I was still wrong.

On a slightly different topic, if I had realized I had to go through customs anyway, I would have tried to stay a few days in New York. Just passing by is kinda boring.
Posted September 20, 2013
Good that you don't need a visa to enter the US. A friend of mine wanted to travel to New Zealand, and he didn't knew that he needs a visa for Australia in order to change the plane in Australia (same airport). And since he didn't had an Australian visa, he had to turn back all the way. So customs and immigration policies suck wherever you go, especially if you're from some backwater country and not from the ruling elite...
Posted September 20, 2013
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P1na: I'm currently at Paris airpot (couple minutes of free wifi left), flying to Costa Rica via New York and Miami. I never checked any requirements for the US, as I was only transfering I didn't bother just like I never bothered with visas in Russia or China when I transfered over there. However, I had to fill up the ESTA form and pay 15$ just to transfer; which led me to think some pretty heavy stuff about the US. Turns out that I would arrive at JFK airport and the flight to Miami is from La Guardia airport, so it makes sense I have to go through customs despite only wanting to transfer.

So my apologies, I was wrong in cursing the US system. This one time. And it's not like I'm convinced they wouldn't have asked for it anyway if my tranfer was on the same airport, but I was still wrong.

On a slightly different topic, if I had realized I had to go through customs anyway, I would have tried to stay a few days in New York. Just passing by is kinda boring.
Sorry to hear about your mix-up @ la Guardia/JFK, as you can imagine, Customs can be pretty strict and touchy here in the U.S. and in particular NYC. Anyway, if you were staying a few days in the NYC area, I would do my best to try and meet ya for a beer, and maybe a little chillin out down in the Big Apple if you wanted. I am a bit jealous of knowing you're going to Miami (even if only for a transfer, lol)...I love it down there, in particular, the Keys. Never been to Costa Rica (closet I have been is Belize on an awesome diving trip, but my father did (may he RIP, loved it there upon one of his visits, and kept telling me he was always thinking of moving there in his retirement, although he never did). At anyrate, enjoy your trip, and safe Voyage
Post edited September 20, 2013 by Zoltan999
Posted September 20, 2013
I just got back a few weeks ago from a trip to NYC for business. The only thing that sucked was the high price of parking and hotel rooms. I was staying for a Sunday and Monday. Sunday was relatively cheap $150, but Monday was booked at most of the hotels and the ones that weren't were $450. Parking was $50 for the night, but it was validated by the hotel and only charged $30. The hotel was one of the Hampton inns north of Times Square. I ended up leaving Monday afternoon to avoid the $300 jump in hotel fees.
I originally was thinking of staying somewhere in Jersey and catch a train in, but trains didn't leave early enough for my job. And a Taxi would have been about the same price or more than the parking.

You don't have to apologize about bitching about our TSA, we hate them more than foreigners do.
Posted September 20, 2013
Apology denied, throw him in Guantanamo!

Oh, and bring me a pineapple.
Posted September 20, 2013
Bon voyage P1na!
Posted September 20, 2013
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jjsimp: I originally was thinking of staying somewhere in Jersey and catch a train in, but trains didn't leave early enough for my job. And a Taxi would have been about the same price or more than the parking.
There's an express bus that runs from Newark airport to NYC all night, every 30 minutes, $16 one way. Also, many of the accommodations near Newark airport have a free shuttle service to and from the airport. In the past, when I wanted to be super cheap, I got rooms near Newark (which are much more reasonable than in the city), caught the hotel service to the airport, then took the express shuttle. It's been a while, but from hotel to NYC was under an hour last time I did this. Just ensure that the hotel service leaves early enough for you.
Posted September 20, 2013
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grimwerk: There's an express bus that runs from Newark airport to NYC all night, every 30 minutes, $16 one way. Also, many of the accommodations near Newark airport have a free shuttle service to and from the airport. In the past, when I wanted to be super cheap, I got rooms near Newark (which are much more reasonable than in the city), caught the hotel service to the airport, then took the express shuttle. It's been a while, but from hotel to NYC was under an hour last time I did this. Just ensure that the hotel service leaves early enough for you.
I'll have to remember that next time. All the taxis were a standard hefty fee, but I did forget to look at the buses. I figured the Trains/Subways would be the go to transit, but no early morning (5am) trains. Needed to be on site at 6, I think it got me to the station at 550, but I still needed to walk a couple blocks. If I was coming from the TappanZee Bridge area, there were all kinds of trains that would have met my time requirements.
Posted September 20, 2013
I was wrong in cursing the US system. This one time.
Gee.. thanks?
Posted September 20, 2013
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blotunga: Good that you don't need a visa to enter the US. A friend of mine wanted to travel to New Zealand, and he didn't knew that he needs a visa for Australia in order to change the plane in Australia (same airport). And since he didn't had an Australian visa, he had to turn back all the way. So customs and immigration policies suck wherever you go, especially if you're from some backwater country and not from the ruling elite...
Totally agreed.
Posted September 21, 2013
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jjsimp: You don't have to apologize about bitching about our TSA, we hate them more than foreigners do.
But bitching when they actually made sense, even more so when I was the one in the wrong, only undermines the usual bitching against the things that really deserve to be complained about. Therefore my apology.

I was wrong in cursing the US system. This one time.
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HereForTheBeer: Gee.. thanks?
You're welcome
Post edited September 21, 2013 by P1na
Posted September 21, 2013
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Zoltan999: Sorry to hear about your mix-up @ la Guardia/JFK, as you can imagine, Customs can be pretty strict and touchy here in the U.S. and in particular NYC. Anyway, if you were staying a few days in the NYC area, I would do my best to try and meet ya for a beer, and maybe a little chillin out down in the Big Apple if you wanted. I am a bit jealous of knowing you're going to Miami (even if only for a transfer, lol)...I love it down there, in particular, the Keys. Never been to Costa Rica (closet I have been is Belize on an awesome diving trip, but my father did (may he RIP, loved it there upon one of his visits, and kept telling me he was always thinking of moving there in his retirement, although he never did). At anyrate, enjoy your trip, and safe Voyage
As I usually do, I'm leting you know that I take such offers very seriously so make sure you mean them. And I'm sure the 55 minutes I've got to do the transfer in Miami will be absolutely wonderful.

As for customs in other places, I never needed to prepare paperwork or go through customs on any other country to do a simple transfer (admittedly never passed by Australia); but it's true that they can be pretty nasty. I don't have good memories of several places, specially Shangai.
Posted September 21, 2013
I got stranded in NY once coming back from Istanbul and Turkish Airlines put me up for the night with a steak dinner. That was pretty rad.
Posted September 21, 2013
I can't wait until we finally built giant train road that circle the earth from end to end.
Posted September 21, 2013
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RedRagan: I can't wait until we finally built giant train road that circle the earth from end to end.
You'll be waiting a long time for the USA to decide a train is a wise investment outside of our major cities. I would love some of those bullet trains going easy-west and north south across our country...but our mass transit system is stuck in the 1950's.
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General discussion (archive)Apology to the US(50 posts)(50 posts)
(50 posts)