Declan Murphy totally sneezed all over fj.life.in-japan with a withering cloud
of snot:

[...]

>> Since last November the policy suddenly changed for the drastically worse,
>> forcing airports to lump all non-Japanese together in the same immigration line
>> regardless of their status. This is even more strict than the United States --
>> the original instigator of all this anti-terrorism bullshit -- where my wife
>> could go through the US CITIZENS line with me; the fingerprint/camera thingie is
>> present at all stations.
>
>I didn't realise Sepponia treated non-US citizens with slightly less
>bullshit.

US immigration doesn't fingerprint green card holders (permanent residents),
only unvisaed temporary visitors. And at Washington DC (Dulles) -- which I would
have otherwise expected the strictest anal-retentive security -- they allow
families to go through the US passport line if one of them is a US citizen (and
they only require one customs form per family).

Imagine that: Japan is *worse* than this.

(I note for the sake of fairness, however, that while I am only required to
submit my index fingers for prints when entering Japan, upon entering the US my
wife must submit *all* *ten*.)

[...Centrair...]

>When Immigration compromised, it was mostly with regards to Narita:
>
>Central Japan International Airport - Nagoya:
>- Add 18 immigration officers during the transition period

There were precisely *nine*. I counted.

>- Provide a dedicated queue for airline crew members and disabled/
>reduced mobility passengers

Check. But I thought it was always this way.

>- Install cameras/fingerprint readers at all positions and
>dynamically expand number of queues available to foreigners

They "dynamically expanded" all right. By three lousy lanes. But only after the
line was so ridiculously long that it made no difference.

>- At least initially allow mixed nationality families (at least one
>Japanese parent) to use Japanese passport holder lanes

Bullshit. You can read this as, "You are not a mixed nationality family until
you have a half-breed child as proof." If you hate kids and therefore don't have
any, then tough titty. Your wife breezes through, and you are physically dragged
away by the upper arm.

>- Consider installing automated immigration gates during 2008

Which will still be divided the same way: Japanese or other. They are missing
the point. They should divide the lines between
"citizens/residents/families/re-entrants" and "non-residents" like any country
with any sense would do -- even the USfuckingA does this.

And they should cease and desist the silly police station procedures every
single time I enter the country.

>Bastards.
Bastards.

>> When my flight (which was 90% Americans) landed, the "foreign passport/re-entry"
>> gates promptly filled up to overflowing. There were soon over 100 people in a
>> single line. I looked through the people waiting -- almost all of them had a
>> disembarkation card for temporary visitors. There might have been, oh, three
>> re-entrants in line. I was one of them, at the very back.
>>
>> I was traveling with my boss. All the Japanese gates were open, and five were
>> manned. He didn't even have to wait; he went right through like shit through a
>> goose.
>
>Lovely visual there.

A common Sepponian wacky simile. My grandfather often used it. :)

[...]

>This whole thing is just pissing me off. Improving security my arse.
>Its lunacy. Not just in Japan either. For 30 years during the Troubles
>in Northern Ireland, if you wanted to go to London you just jumped
>onto the Belfast to Stranraer ferry. No one asked you for ID, you just
>bought your ticket and off you went. Of course it was quite possible
>that a passenger on board was a terrorist smuggling bomb-making
>equipment into mainland Britain. You probably even downed a pint next
>to him in the bar.
>
>Eventually, peace is restored. And what happens? Suddenly you can't
>travel without a passport or ID card, and all your luggage is scanned.
>Once in Belfast you decide to take a train to Dublin, a journey you
>have been making unhindered for 30 years. When you book your ticket
>you are, for the first time, asked your name, address, credit card
>number and 50 other pieces of data, including the purpose of your
>visit (going home) and details of accommodation you have booked (umm,
>home). When you ask a fucking security clown why the sudden need for
>the sudden formalities you are told it is all because of the
>"terrorist threat".
>
>Where the hell was he for the previous 30 years?

You're supposed to blame Osama Bin Laden for this silliness, from what I
understand. A linguini-thin Saudi with a ZZ-Top beard hiding in Pakistan
mountain cave. Phooey.


-- 
The 2-Belo [the2beloATmsdDOTbiglobeDOTneDOTjp]
Emperor, Meow (Retired, on generous military pension)
afk-mn WebCenter: http://www.godhatesjanks.org/webcenter/
auk: Hammer of Thor by Special Decree 1999
(Upgraded to Diamond in 2005)
aavf3: mhm21x20

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