New international airport in Belize

[peterbj7]

Peter - you should absolutely tell the next U.S. border guard that you meet that the system is stupid. After all, it's his system right. Give him some smart ass answers about how you're not staying in his crappy country, because I'm sure nobody has ever told him that before. While you're at it, you should tie some pot leaves to your head and make some fake fuses for your shoes. It will sure lighten up the guards day and he's sure to appreciate your point of view.

I asked that particular immigration official (not a border guard) why the USA did not operate the transit system operated around the world. This was after waiting in line for 5 hours with thousands of other deeply frustrated people, and after having already missed my onward flight. His reply "haven't you heard of 9-11?" made absolutely no sense to me, and as we were clearly destined to share the next few minutes together while he did whatever he had to do I replied that of course I had, but how did that bear on the current problem? I guess he thought I was trivialising 9-11, whereas I simply couldn't (and still can't) see any connection.

For interest, a close friend of mine lost 12 work colleagues in that atrocity, including two I knew personally. I don't joke about things like that.

 

[Edward3c]

The important question.

When is the new airport due to open?

Edward

 

[Hank49]

I asked that particular immigration official (not a border guard) why the USA did not operate the transit system operated around the world.
.

Which is not unlike asking a server in MacDonalds why their Big Mac isn't as good as Burger King's Whopper.

 

[Hank49]

The important question.

When is the new airport due to open?

Edward

I'll ask around and see what the projected date is. Then just add a year or so to that.

 

[peterbj7]

Do we know the largest aircraft it is scheduled to be able to take?

 

[Gaz]

I actually understand why the US did away with the transit lounge and I agree with it. They did have transit lounges prior to 9-11 and i used them many times and yes it was more convenient.

It makes sense after what happened to increase the security and do double, triple checks. If you got through the first check of your luggage and slipped something through as can happen it makes perfect sense to have passengers pick up baggage and recheck it with additional security checks.

After 9-11 i was travelling a lot between Belize and Holland to see my son and throughout the states for trade shows, I was flying almost every 5 weeks for over 2 years and in addition to the added security checks I would get pulled EVERY SINGLE flight for additional personal security checks even to the point of when I tried to board the place I was again stopped and checked yet again prior to getting on the plane.

This happened at least 20 times to the point where I was on first name terms with the security guy that was on the Continental gate at Houston International.

Was it a pain ? not really because I understood why it was happening but after the first few times and after being told I was on the list I just expected it and accepted the fact.

I offered to submit to an interview as I thought it was a waste of there time after the first 10 times as I had nothing to hide but was told I am on the list and there was nothing they could do.

It eventually stopped

I would much rather have extra security checks than have to deal with a terrorist once i got on a flight.

Unfortunately Europeans and the British, don't understand or appreciate the trauma and fear of having been attacked to the scale of 9-11 it seemed more like a movie that real life to those on the other side of the pond as it was so far away.

Gaz Cooper

 

[Downing]

Well, I for one don't take any of Peter's criticisms of US airport security or any of his other posts as an attack on Americans.

Personally, I'd rather see more security, something along the lines of what they do in Israel, applied to everyone across the board. I remember reading an article where the author had to justify to a humorless immigration official why he, as an American, was traveling in their country. They went through his luggage so thoroughly that they even unscrewed and squeezed his toothpaste tube to ensure it contained only toothpaste. I'd love to see screening like this applied to every single passenger in the US, regardless of whether they're US citizens and whether they're just passing through or flying locally.

Sure, it would meaning getting to the airport even earlier and drive up the price of a ticket but to me it would be well worth it.

 

[Ralph Capeling]

Hank, these guys really move along. Don't add a year. The strip is complete. They are just doing the terminal now. I would expect it to be operating for the coming winter season. They are building a huge hotel and because it will take two more years, have been lining up other resorts (one of which is a large one that is closed) to handle the people. At present they are bringing people from Toronto on the charters via Roatan and using the Maya shuttle to bring them to Placenica. Maya is a partner in the new airport.

 

[Hank49]

Eugene Zabane.....

 

[peterbj7]

Sorry, I still don't see how choosing to check people who otherwise weren't going to enter the USA at all improves security in the USA. Those people are already checked at their departure airports before reaching the USA, and under proper transit arrangements would have no access to their checked baggage.

I hope Gaz's statement "Unfortunately Europeans and the British, don't understand or appreciate the trauma and fear of having been attacked to the scale of 9-11 it seemed more like a movie that real life to those on the other side of the pond as it was so far away" is not intended to apply to me. Not that I agree with it anyway. If he had been in central Birmingham when the pub there was blown up, or in London near where the bus was blown up (as my brother was - he was actually injured) he might be less inclined to make blanket statements such as that.