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 Discussion on question by J King: Shi…

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Tom
Sep 27, 2017 12:04
@DavidRicherby - I was referring to those closed not duplicates. And calling rules stupid does not imply that people who follow them are stupid, it means the people who created them did not think it through completely.
Tom
Sep 27, 2017 12:04
@DavidRicherby - One final point before I bid adieu, if you look at SE communities overall (at least the few I keep half an eye on). the new question closure rate is around 5%, here at SE Travel it is 25%. That is my book is a BIG indicator that the rules are out of control.
Tom
Sep 27, 2017 12:04
@DavidRicherby - I accused no one of being stupid, I called the rules stupid. I didn't accuse you (derived from "us") of anti-rv sentiment, but simply wondered if it fit into the decisions made. I was unaware that members of this community were not allowed to question its set up or the decisions to close a question. But if my contributions, thoughts or comments are not welcome so be it. I have plenty of other things to spend my time instead of trying to help members here travel better.
Tom
Sep 27, 2017 12:04
I voted to reopen this, because as TQ mentioned "With your help, we're working together to build a library of detailed answers to every question about traveling". Questions about shipping an RV to travel with is no different than questions about renting an RV to travel in (which exist in SE Travel). Lots of Europeans ship RVs and camper vans to North America, travel for a few months, go home, then return the following summer to travel more. It is 100% travel and 0% expat. I have to question if these close votes are really anti-RV sentiment.
Tom
Sep 27, 2017 12:04
@aakashm - So you're saying I can't ask about sending my bike to Japan to tour, but I can ask about bike touring in Japan? That differentiation is ridiculous and stupid. Sometimes I wonder about the 'rules' of this community.
Tom
Sep 27, 2017 12:04
@TopQuestions - How is traveling by RV "blatantly off-topic"? Its definitely is not an expat question as the close votes indicate. The closure police are way off base this time.
Tom
Sep 27, 2017 12:04
And different propane tank connectors.
 

 Discussion on question by gekkogurru:…

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Tom
Sep 6, 2017 14:12
Most airlines require you to prove admissibility before they will board you. So the generic answer is No. Your only real other course of action is to exit the country you feel persecuted in and try apply for refugee status in another country.
 

 Discussion on question by suitvertice…

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Tom
Aug 1, 2017 22:50
As a red head I encounter the same 'curiosity' when in Asia. While we westerners have grown up in countries where ethnic diversity exists, many Asians have encountered very few foreigners (other than on TV). Their actions are not intended to be mean but can be disturbing if you are not expecting it.
 

 Discussion on question by JonathanRee…

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Tom
Mar 24, 2017 17:56
Easier to walk away from Travel SE for a while.
Tom
Mar 24, 2017 17:56
@DumbCoder - because it was posted by a moderator who can override close votes. And who can (will) soon move this discussion to chat and off the question.
Tom
Mar 24, 2017 17:56
So basically you are asking if it is possible to commit immigration fraud by posing as someone who looks the same. Are we allowed to provide advice on committing a crime on Travel SE?
 

 Discussion on question by edelwater: …

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Tom
Mar 10, 2017 16:12
@JonathanReez - Maybe you are contentious enough to keep an eye on things, but most people are not, so advising that course is not good.
Tom
Mar 10, 2017 16:12
@JonathanReez - plugging a power plug into an incorrect socket is not good advice. The pins and spring contacts do not make good contact leading to potential for sparking. Buy an adapter for a couple of dollars and decrease the risk to yourself and everyone else staying in the lodge you are trying to burn down.
Tom
Mar 10, 2017 16:12
How would it "detect" what country it is in? And some countries have multiple sockets, so even knowing which country would not absolutely determine which pin to use. That is something you, the traveler, need to manually determine, then select pins. And the universal devices usually provide the most common pin configurations in the space allowed. To cover every possible pin config would make the device not so portable (especially if it does volatge as well like your fantasy mentioned).
 

 Discussion on question by JonathanRee…

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Tom
Jan 17, 2017 12:00
@phoog - I avoid speeding and jaywalking, because they are against the law which yes could ultimately involve have a criminal record for driving. But perhaps it would be better to avoid answering questions here, because it seems folks are more concerned about bucking the system than they are about traveling smart. And I think I have more than paid back the help I got from StackOverflow. Outta here............
Tom
Jan 17, 2017 12:00
@JonathanReez - Can you document anything that says violating that law will result in no record or prosecution? Or are you tiptoeing through the tulips based on an assumption?
Tom
Jan 17, 2017 12:00
@phoog - How do you know what data the FBI knows of? Can you prove that that information is not recorded? This stack community needs to be split into two separate communities: those who want to travel well and those who want to fuck the system while they travel.
Tom
Jan 17, 2017 12:00
@phoog - "It's not a criminal violation, after all", it IS a law and if you violate it, it IS a criminal violation. The fact that you aren't jailed does not negate that fact. Who maintains such records other than CBP is unknown, who has access to those records is unknown. But ultimately it means you may have a criminal record for violating a federal law. And personally I don't not want any criminal record no matter how minor. Of course if folks prefer to buck the system, then whine when they get caught, their choice.
Tom
Jan 17, 2017 12:00
Just because there is no fine or jail time penalty applied, does not make entering & exiting the USA with a foreign passport legal. It is still against the law. And a record for violating that law could be taken into consideration on future issues.
 

 Discussion on question by Rodolfo Per…

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Tom
Jan 7, 2017 10:30
@ormapper - the fact that other reasons cause people to stand in the way does not eliminate the fact that smartphones have contributed to a major decrease in politeness. But of course I expect some more rebuttals from phone addicts.
Tom
Jan 7, 2017 10:30
@DavidRicherby - the fact that people feel texting while driving is OK, shows unequivocally that they feel texting is MORE important than safety and other people's lives. And the fact that they stop in the middle of stairs, in front of counters, etc to text or post also shows that they put their need to text or post above the needs of people around them. Civility and politeness went out the window with smart phones.
Tom
Jan 7, 2017 10:30
You mentioned two out of three were texting / using their phones. This type of rudeness extends across ethnic boundaries. People seem to think their texting / social posting is far more important than the needs or safety of people around them.
 

 Discussion on answer by Tom: How to p…

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Tom
Jan 4, 2017 19:55
@dan-klasson - I also live in Thailand and there is plenty for meat & potatoes kind of guy (did you read my answer above?).
Tom
Jan 4, 2017 19:55
@darrenringer - you are the one who marked the southerners as being possibly ignorant, not open, illiterate and such. Claiming a note might invoke a reverse reaction. You are the one who belittled them. I grew up in the south and the people I knew and encountered would not mistreat a foreigner who had a note about a dietary issue.
Tom
Jan 4, 2017 19:55
@DarrenRinger - We aren't talking about the USA and the country bumpkin town you live in, we are talking about Thailand and SE Asia, where folks will do their best to accommodate your needs. Comparing life in a US town to a Thailand town is way beyond apples & oranges.
Tom
Jan 4, 2017 19:55
@WGroleau - Spicy food wimps abound the world around. I even have Thai friends (born and raised in Thailand) who can't tolerate spicy foods, and have had tour guests from the UK, Australia who also were totally unable to handle any spiciness. Its wrong to stereotype.
Tom
Jan 4, 2017 19:55
@DarrenRinger - There is always the possibility of a idiot taking your food order anywhere in the world. But that is not a reason to not try & communicate your needs.
Tom
Jan 4, 2017 19:55
@wgroleau - what are 'American standards'? I have eaten at Thai restaurants in America whose localized versions were quite spicy.
Tom
Jan 4, 2017 19:55
@BurhanKhalid - Pad Thai should not come with any chili, if it was done properly. Thai noodle dishes are mellow and then each diner adds sweet (sugar), sour (vinegar), salty (fish sauce) and spicy (ground red chili) to suit their tastes. Unfortunately Thai restaurants outside Thailand or those who cater exclusively to foreigners often add more chilis because their customers expect it.
 

 Discussion on answer by Crazydre: Get…

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Tom
Nov 4, 2016 12:51
@Relaxed - What is the "ultimate price", depends on the situation, caught in the country illegally perhaps jail time, refused entry at the airport loss of non-refundable airfares, hotel and tour bookings. Both cases a black mark with US CBP, info which is shared with other governments such as the Uk, Canada, etc. I suppose you would have been happier if I had put it as "ultimately you will pay the price".
Tom
Nov 4, 2016 12:51
@Relaxed - I am amazed how many questions and answers on this website are about getting around the rules, rather than about traveling better. If you want to advise people to lie, bend or break the rules that is your choice. If you don't like my reasoning and answers so be it, I am not here to satisfy your needs. And my "you" in my earlier comment about breaking the law, was more of a universal you applying to all folks who feel a little lie never hurts, not a Relaxed specific you.
Tom
Nov 4, 2016 12:51
If the OP marries an American or a green card holder, he can apply and perhaps be approved for a waiver. Depending on the severity, time since commiting and age at commiting, there are possibilities of a waiver. We have no details of, so can't say with certainty either direction. But suggesting that he brak the law is not good advice, period,
Tom
Nov 4, 2016 12:51
There are ways to apply for a waiver of ineligibility, dependent on the OP's current or future situations. Suggesting he break the law to do something he is prohibited from doing because he broke the law before is not good advice.
Tom
Nov 4, 2016 12:51
I would hazard a guess that George's "presentation to the government" refers to the answers/false answers the OP would give to the CBP officer quizzing the OP about entry.
Tom
Nov 4, 2016 12:51
Is visiting the USA important enough to risk being caught and deported, thus earning a permanent black mark?
 

 Discussion on answer by Johns-305: Wh…

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Tom
Oct 27, 2016 20:55
@Fiksdal - How much someone votes has little to do with wanting to know why someone considered their answer wrong or bad. A downvote (to me) indicates an answer is wrong or incorrect in some aspect. As this website is about helping people travel better, incorrect things should be pointed out. Down voting for other reason such as playing the points game is childish.
 

 Discussion on question by Erel Segal-…

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Tom
Oct 26, 2016 11:12
Most hotels do not want people cooking in the rooms, for both safety and smell. Guests don't want to check into a room that smells of stale cigarettes or stale bacon grease.
 

 Discussion on answer by user46207: Wo…

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Tom
Oct 26, 2016 10:20
@O.R.Mapper - I bow to the all mighty nitpicker. got better things to do, than argue whatifs.
Tom
Oct 26, 2016 10:20
@O.R.Mapper - perhaps you and mystery user 46207 can define what is too big, what is OK, and be specific how many grams, what cubic volume. If you can't do this, then this is simply argumentative nitpicking.
Tom
Oct 26, 2016 10:20
@O.R.Mapper - The OP is wondering about using a spoon being rude or not to westerners. And the answer is not rude, end of discussion. Arguing it might be rude if you try to eat too big of a bite would apply to everything used for eating, knife, spoon, fork, fingers, chopsticks, so basically a useless bit of argumentative nitpicking.
Tom
Oct 26, 2016 10:20
@O.R.Mapper - Taking too big of a bite with a fork is also possible, stabbing a chunk of meat with a fork and taking a bite out of it is also possible, but neither of these are reasons to avoid using a fork are they? One can find examples of impolite uses of ALL eating utensils, perhaps we should not use any.
Tom
Oct 26, 2016 10:20
I think someone from a country that eats with spoons, will not have an issue of eating too quickly, taking too big of bites or need to stab sticky rice. They will have learned a long time ago how to eat with their spoon.
 

 Discussion on question by Aquarius Th…

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Tom
Oct 26, 2016 05:07
It depends in part on where you are (as in regions, countries), as our UK-aholics have pointed out, some regions are used to Indians and their dining habits, but if you are in rural America you might find folks who will consider eating rice with the fingers to be dirty and disgusting. You will have to judge each setting by itself and decide which is more important, you pleasuring yourself by eating with your hands or being polite to the folks around you.
 

 Discussion on answer by If you do not…

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Tom
Oct 25, 2016 14:41
@KennyLJ - Singapore is not a good example of what the rest of SE Asia does, it has become quite western oriented and modern. Here in Thailand toilets without seats are common in households in the countryside (as are they in Vietnam, Philippines and Laos that I have seen). And if you walk through builder supply stores you will see quite a few seatless toilets offered.
Tom
Oct 25, 2016 14:41
@KennyLJ - As I alluded to in my answer, it is a cultural difference. Toilet seats are not considered a mandatory part of a toilet, they are an extra expense. While we in the west are accustomed to sitting on a seat, if you grow up sitting on the rim or squatting it makes no difference to you if there is a seat or not. And since most of us spend but a few moments actually sitting on the toilet it is an un-necessary luxury anyway ;-)
Tom
Oct 25, 2016 14:41
None of your references mention anything about theft of toilet seats, only about there being no toilet seats. The fact that a toilet does not have a seat does not mean it was stolen, rather it is simply a cultural difference.
 

 Discussion on answer by Michael Hampt…

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Tom
Oct 25, 2016 14:41
Everyone is correct here to a degree. Airlines are required to check that a boarding passenger meets the entry rules for the destination of their ticket. The airline is not required to consider additional tickets in the passengers possession but conversely they are not prohibited from doing so. In this case it appears that Mumbai ground staff took his second ticket into consideration and Istanbul ground staff did not. Both calls were technically correct and proper, but understandably Istanbul's decision was frustrating.
 

 Discussion on question by Blaszard: H…

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Tom
Oct 9, 2016 18:30
There is no magic bullet, no one wifi to rule them all. When you travel you are always at the mercy of the local ISPs, hotels with too many guests for their broadband pipe and overloaded cellular networks. You have to modify your data usage habits to match the environment. Or change your travel habits to match your data needs.
 

 Discussion on answer by Relaxed: Why …

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Tom
Sep 19, 2016 13:59
Trolling for points eh? ;-)