Oh well...

[Bereta_Eder]

Greece is the only country of the European Union whose citizens will have to go through the new security measures... fingerprinting and photographs.
Pity.

[Ecthy]

u got visa for the US?

[Bereta_Eder]

It was in the news.

[Ecthy]

so what do we do about Spain and Poland now?

[Bereta_Eder]

I can't say I blame them. Greek passports are issued by municipallity authorities not the Ministry of Public Order so there's a lot of space for corruption, such as "paying" to get a passport.

[Bereta_Eder]

So you got 14 countries free to enter the US and the black sheep.

[Stuie]

Yeah, well, we all know about you Greeks and your Trojan Horses.

[Bereta_Eder]

The reactions were funny. On one hand you have those who say that's insulting and demand official reactions and rectifications, and others such as the government who say that's US business and we don't care.
However it is kind of funny that a Greek passport is a European passport and gives free passage to wherever in the European Union but at the same time it's not "good enough" for the US. It basically follows the same path that said that Greek citizens need a visa to visit the US, because of the passport issueing procedure..

[Bereta_Eder]

Originally posted by Stuie
Yeah, well, we all know about you Greeks and your Trojan Horses.

Also beware of Greeks bearing gifts. Some untrue stereotypes are bound to stay with us I suppose.

[Cruddy]

Paiktis, I've heard a couple of Brit radio reporters say they had to be snapped and fingerprinted... so I don't think any country is automatically OK'ed.

I understand you feel discriminated against though.

[Bereta_Eder]

Cruddy that's interesting. I thought the basis for the fingerprinting and the photographs was simply the nationality of the passport.

[Cruddy]

No, I'm pretty sure there's a lot more to it than that... I mean, if my passport had my surname as Middle Eastern or Muslim in origin, or had connections with other known places of terrorism, then I'd be surprised if I wasn't monitored.

What's those kill-crazy Greeks called? November 17 or something like that...

The US authorities KNOW that most air travellers are harmless, but sadly all must suffer... I mean, 6 Air France Flights and over twice that on Brit Airways cancelled or delayed... things are tough all over.

[Spiffor]

Whan do you snap and fingerprints Americn tourists in retaliation?

[Pekka]

I didn't know Greece would be the only one. I figured there would be more European countries. I knew this wouldn't be directed to us, but only Greeks in Europe? Hmm, weird. I mean EU, not the whole Europe of course.

Cruddy, or that could be an honest mistake from the customs, not just yet being 100% with the info they got who to fingerprint and who not to.. and when there's confusion, everyone will be printed for sure. Maybe it was this? Or then, like someone said, they had extra suspicion for the people that got acrhived.

[Cruddy]

Well, it's not like the police procedure - no ink or heavy rollers, and they DON'T take a full set - pretty sure it's just the index fingers.

Brazil have decided that US travellers should get the old fashioned treatment, but I don't think they'll keep it up - gives them a VERY bad image, using old style methods.