The case would need to be as sealed as possible and have some sort of de-humififer running or you'll have a huge condensation problem.

Janet wrote:

> In article >,
> says...
>>
>> On Fri, 24 Sep 2010 14:24:23 +0200, ChattyCathy
>> > wrote:
>>
>> > but the metaphor 'tunnel vision' still comes to mind here...
>>
>> Assuming people travel because they have relatives in whatever
>> country/continent they are visiting is a form of tunnel vision too.
>
> ?
>
>> I also think the argument of having a passport for the sole purpose
>> of rushing to a sick relative's bedside is a preposterous European
>> POV - said by someone living where every country is the size of one
>> of our states.
>
> Nobody proposed it as a "sole reason".
>
> You've just trotted out that same old US misconception, that
> Europeans
> think in terms of their own continent. That's a US POV, not ours.

Heh. According to this article 71% of Brits have passports. Not sure
what "official" information that is based on, but I thought it was an
interesting read anyway:

http://www.theexpeditioner.com/2010/...-a-passport-2/

--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

On Sat, 25 Sep 2010 11:27:39 +0200, ChattyCathy
> wrote:

>sf wrote:
>
>> On Fri, 24 Sep 2010 10:40:20 +0200, ChattyCathy
>> > wrote:
>>
>>>BTW, you might find my family tree quite interesting; plenty of
>>>(North) Americans in there and a bunch of Brits and Europeans too.
>>
>> If your only reason to obtain a passport is to visit relatives, you
>> should refrain from criticizing those who do not know/have relatives
>> outside the USA and choose not to travel outside the country.
>
>
>I don't recall saying that the *only* reason I have a passport is to
>visit relatives; I have used it for that purpose certainly, but I've
>also used it sometimes to go on vacation elsewhere in the world - where
>I have no relatives whatsoever. And in my husband's case - he uses his
>passport for business travel regularly. And if he is away somewhere and
>thinks it would be a nice place to add a few days holiday to the trip,
>the fact that both I and the kidlette have passports and can join him
>at almost a moment's notice can be quite convenient.
>
>Furthermore I was not criticizing anybody for not having relatives
>outside of the USA, that's just a another figment of your overactive
>imagination; I simply pointed out that having a passport might come in
>handy for those who *do* have relatives outside of the USA if there
>were a death of a family member and the funeral was being
>held "overseas", for example.

Why would you (and Janet) even "go there" if you weren't being overly
critical and making false assumptions? People aren't stupid and get
what they need. If they need a passport, they have one. Even at
today's prices, they are pretty cheap. They will have one if they
need it and for an expediting fee, they can get one quickly if they
don't and suddenly need one. <shrug> It's beyond me why people from
small countries with lots money and vacation time think they know
where we should be traveling better than we do. I think Bob T's term,
"bragplaining", fits those who criticize Americans traveling at home
(in the USA) perfectly.
>
>Anyway, I'm pretty sure *you* have a passport (unless you've managed to
>sneak in and out of places like Britain/Europe and China without one)
>which would make you one of the 28% of USA citizens that chooses to
>travel abroad sometimes. More power to you.

I'm also part of the majority that chooses to travel at home. It's a
big country and traveling around here covers a lot more scenery than
simple European travel does. I'd say it's the equivalent of traveling
throughout China. We can spend our dinky two week vacations here and
feel like we've traveled to someplace exotic.

When I go abroad, I spend a month. Anything less is more like work,
not play, because it takes too long to get from here to there and
adjust to the time changes on top of that. I've noticed that
Europeans who post here criticizing us about how we don't travel
abroad tend to talk about visiting other EU countries and their travel
is mainly N/S with very little E/W (maybe one or two time zone
changes, but nothing significant). When we do that, we're traveling
between states and we don't need a passport. As has been pointed out
by others, we have only recently needed any sort of identification
other than a valid driver's licence to travel to Canada and Mexico.
Many of us travel to the Bahamas' and Puerto Rico too.



--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

sf wrote:

>
> Why would you (and Janet) even "go there" if you weren't being overly
> critical and making false assumptions? People aren't stupid and get
> what they need. If they need a passport, they have one. Even at
> today's prices, they are pretty cheap. They will have one if they
> need it and for an expediting fee, they can get one quickly if they
> don't and suddenly need one. <shrug> It's beyond me why people from
> small countries with lots money and vacation time think they know
> where we should be traveling better than we do.

Tsk, tsk, tsk sf - now who's making assumptions and dishing out
criticism? You think RSA is a "small country with lots money and
vacation time"? You've got the "small" part right in comparison to
countries like the USA and China of course, (one only has to look at a
world map to figure that out) but as for vacation time, most people get
15 days a year here unless they work for some really "generous"
employer - and if you think *I* am one of those with lots of money,
think again. <snork>


> I think Bob T's term,
> "bragplaining", fits those who criticize Americans traveling at home
> (in the USA) perfectly.

Funny you should mention that. I think it fits you better - but not only
when travelling at home - because I seem to recall you posting to
r.f.c. from several different states in the USA and several different
countries in the world over the last five years - giving us
blow-by-blow accounts of your days and your likes/dislikes while on
your various trips... Must have been rather frustrating on that cruise
you took tho' - I believe you said it was rather expensive for internet
connectivity when you were on board ship (if it was available at all).
Oh, and wasn't that the trip you bought that netbook for or was that
for the China trip? Anywho, must have been much easier than carting
around a laptop, whenever it was.

> I'm also part of the majority that chooses to travel at home. It's a
> big country and traveling around here covers a lot more scenery than
> simple European travel does. I'd say it's the equivalent of traveling
> throughout China. We can spend our dinky two week vacations here and
> feel like we've traveled to someplace exotic.
>
> When I go abroad, I spend a month. Anything less is more like work,
> not play, because it takes too long to get from here to there and
> adjust to the time changes on top of that. I've noticed that
> Europeans who post here criticizing us about how we don't travel
> abroad tend to talk about visiting other EU countries and their travel
> is mainly N/S with very little E/W (maybe one or two time zone
> changes, but nothing significant).

I seem to recall Janet mentioning (more than once) that Brits/Europeans
often travel to places like the USA and Australia as well as in Europe
itself, but I could be mistaken. But several of my British family and
friends have traveled all the way out here to RSA on vacation if that
counts.

--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

On Sat, 25 Sep 2010 06:45:54 -0500, Andy > wrote:
>
>There's a passport "card" obtainable in the USA that's usable for Mexico
>and Canada.
>
>A worldwide passport has skyrocketed from $35 (?) to $125+.

So what, in the past ten years the price of a loaf of bread has
skyrocketed too, from $1.19 to $3.99... are you going to stop eating
$8/lb ham sandwiches because two slices of bread now costs 40¢

Relative to the cost of travel the price of a passport is chump
change... for someone who travels even once a year the cost of a
passport is $12.50/yr... for someone going out of country even four
times a year the passport costs less than a cup of coffee per trip.
For anyone who travels the cost of a passport is not a speck in the
equation.

I had a current passport all my adult life but when it was time to
renew two years ago I had realized that in ten years I hadn't used my
passport even once and was 100% certain I would never have use for it
again, so now I don't have one and I don't feel the least bit naked.
There is nowhere on the planet that I would like to visit that I
already haven't and many more than once. I have no family or friends
out of country that I would visit... I have a few distant relatives in
Argentina that I have never seen or even communicated. The last time
I was out of the US was 15 years ago when I used to visit Belize
often. I've done most of my travel in the US by automobile, don't see
anything flying (driven in every state but Hawaii, I traveled from LA
to Alaska by motorcycle,1965), plenty to see here, can't see it all in
10 life times... there are places in the US I still may one day hop in
my car and visit... I've driven all through Mexico and extensively
through Canada (I've seen more of Canada than most Canadians), have no
desire to go there again... the things that would interest me in
Canada have vastly deteriorated in the past 50 years same as in the
US... most of the National Parks I visited over my lifetime have been
destroyed to the point that they are now slums (especially CA, CA is
bankrupt in more ways than economically), they ALL need to be
permanently closed to the public, visit by CD.

On Fri, 24 Sep 2010 21:06:46 -0700, sf > wrote:

>On Fri, 24 Sep 2010 11:48:04 -0400, "Nancy Young"
> wrote:
>
>>I would really like to know what the bathroom situation
>>is where I'd go, at least to be prepared. Heh. What can I say.
>>I was raised to have bathroom issues.
>
>You're right. I like my creature comforts too. I HATE to squat over
>a "toilet" and I do not want to settle for less than American style
>bathrooms.

Yoose who gotta do everything American style would do best to stay
home, really.

On Fri, 24 Sep 2010 13:31:37 +0100, Janet wrote:

> In article >,
> says...
>>
>> Nancy2 wrote:
>>> On Sep 23, 3:02 pm, Janet > wrote:
>>
>>>> Nope. In Britain, the legal entitlement for fulltime employees, is
>>>> described as "5.6 weeks". You might think that means calendar weeks,
>>>> 39 days, but what it actually means, is " working weeks ". The
>>>> "working week" is 5 days not 7. So, annual leave for someone who
>>>> works five days a week, is 28 days. Part timers get less of course.
>>>
>>> That's still twice as much as is given here for most corporate and
>>> private sector jobs, unless one is an executive. Higher ed employees
>>> enjoy more, as a rule, if they're professional status and not
>>> clerical.
>
> Same for teaching staff here.
>>
>> And when we say we get 2 weeks, it doesn't mean 14 days,
>> it means 10.
>
> Thanks.. I did wonder about that, in the part of my post you snipped
> :-)
>
> Why do Americans put up with it?
>
> Janet

they don't want to live in a socialistic hellhole. same reason they don't
want universal health care.

your pal,
blake

On Sat, 25 Sep 2010 16:15:30 +0200, ChattyCathy
> wrote:

>Heh. According to this article 71% of Brits have passports. Not sure
>what "official" information that is based on, but I thought it was an
>interesting read anyway:

Why am I not impressed? Brits need a passport if they ever want to
leave the island(s).

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On Sat, 25 Sep 2010 12:10:15 -0400, Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:

>Yoose who gotta do everything American style would do best to stay
>home, really.

You pee standing up anyway, so it's no big deal for you.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

sf wrote to clueless AOL newbie Sheldon "Pussy" Katz:

>> Yoose who gotta do everything American style would do best to stay
>> home, really.
>
> You pee standing up anyway, so it's no big deal for you.

LOL

You probably also think Pussy washes his hands afterwards, too.

Bob

On Sat, 25 Sep 2010 13:48:16 +0100, Janet > wrote:

> People I know who had to fly off at zero notice to relatives who
> were injured /fell sick abroad, have all flown long distance (UK to
> Mexico, UK to caribbean, Canada to UK. UK to Singapore, Nigeria to UK).
> If more Americans travelled abroad, perhaps you'd have a better grasp of
> what it's like for patients stranded alone in a foreign
> country/language/culture/health system; or their relatives back home.

Another typical European POV.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

On Sat, 25 Sep 2010 12:10:15 -0400, Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:

> On Fri, 24 Sep 2010 21:06:46 -0700, sf > wrote:
>
> >On Fri, 24 Sep 2010 11:48:04 -0400, "Nancy Young"
> > wrote:
> >
> >>I would really like to know what the bathroom situation
> >>is where I'd go, at least to be prepared. Heh. What can I say.
> >>I was raised to have bathroom issues.
> >
> >You're right. I like my creature comforts too. I HATE to squat over
> >a "toilet" and I do not want to settle for less than American style
> >bathrooms.
>
> Yoose who gotta do everything American style would do best to stay
> home, really.

I don't camp.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

"sf" > ha scritto nel messaggio
>> >You're right. I like my creature comforts too. I HATE to squat over>>
>> > >a "toilet" and I do not want to settle for less than American style
>> >bathrooms.

> I don't camp.

And I am miserable when in the US because I miss my bidet. You do still
find the occasional Turkish toilet in Italian bars, but just as often you
find showers or bidets in Italian bars.
While I love my massage shower, bidet and heated towel bars, The lack of
those has never kept me from traveling in the Andes, Africa and I hope one
day India. How would the US ever have gotten settled by Europeans with
those attitudes?

sf wrote:

> On Sat, 25 Sep 2010 16:15:30 +0200, ChattyCathy
> > wrote:
>
>>Heh. According to this article 71% of Brits have passports. Not sure
>>what "official" information that is based on, but I thought it was an
>>interesting read anyway:
>
> Why am I not impressed? Brits need a passport if they ever want to
> leave the island(s).
>
Well, USA citizens even need a passport/ID card if they want to travel
to Canada and Mexico these days, so I guess you're not overly impressed
about that either.

Anyway, your participation in this discussion has been entertaining, if
somewhat puzzling, IMO.

You claim to empathize with those Americans who find traveling within
the USA exciting, rewarding, less hassle because no passports are
required and much more affordable than traveling abroad - yet you have
a passport yourself. And - heh, it would seem to me that having a month
to travel within the USA instead of two weeks could be "double the fun"
and allow you to see more of the sights.

So I have to ask: if travelling internally within the USA is as great
and as much fun as you say, why did you bother to get a passport and go
abroad to places like UK, Europe and even to China? (And please don't
tell me it was because of the Canada/Mexico thing, because I won't buy
it).

Could it be because you *are* interested in seeing other parts of the
world and how people live there (and can obviously afford to do so), or
is it because traveling abroad gives you more 'bragplaining' material,
perhaps?

--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

"ChattyCathy" ha scritto nel messaggio
> sf wrote:

>> Why am I not impressed? Brits need a passport if they ever want to>>
>> leave the island(s).

No, because having a passport is not impressive nor meant to be.


> Well, USA citizens even need a passport/ID card if they want to travel> to
> Canada and Mexico these days, so I guess you're not overly impressed>
> about that either.

I wish no one felt like saying snarky things about this. Canada was always
easier with one, but of course people on the borders who worked, visited,
shopped on both sides will be the ones most inconvenienced now.

The question is not why one would have a passport but why one would not.
Sick relatives? Lame excuse. I am not aware of knowing anyone American
over 16 who doesn't have a passport . My friends would consider it like a
voter's registration card, just part of a life. Some have passports but no
driving license.

I believe I know no one who would grill anyone else about their passport.
They would no more ask if you had one than they'd ask if you bathe.

Members of the EU pass over borders without passports. Even I as an
American with a carta d'identita and permesso di soggiorno can use that
instead although it is wiser to have the passport when going elsewhere in
the EU if only because everyone who stops you may not read Italian and may
not know the law.

Bob Terwilliger wrote:
> sf wrote to clueless AOL newbie Sheldon "Pussy" Katz:
>
>>> Yoose who gotta do everything American style would do best to stay
>>> home, really.
>>
>> You pee standing up anyway, so it's no big deal for you.
>
> LOL
>
> You probably also think Pussy washes his hands afterwards, too.

Why would any guy wash his hands after peeing? I mean he's not touching
anything that he doesn't expect the person he loves the most to take in her
mouth.

"Giusi" > wrote

> The question is not why one would have a passport but why one would not.
> Sick relatives? Lame excuse. I am not aware of knowing anyone American
> over 16 who doesn't have a passport . My friends would consider it like a
> voter's registration card, just part of a life. Some have passports but
> no driving license.


Given the physical size of the US, it is quite possible to travel thousands
of miles in one's life and never leave the country. I know many people that
do not and never will have passports. For that matter, I know a lot of
people that will go through life and never travel more than 100 miles from
home.

With new regulations, I'm sure you'll find more people near the borders with
passports, but in the past you could travel the continent without one.

And then there is Steve, a fellow I work with. In the past he has travelled
to Canada every couple of years, has travelled the entire US often. This
past summer he went to Texas and was right at the border to Mexico. He
would not pay the $65 or so for a passport so he has still not been there.
He saw it, but could not cross.

Giusi wrote:

> While I love my massage shower, bidet and heated towel bars, The lack of
> those has never kept me from traveling in the Andes, Africa and I hope one
> day India. How would the US ever have gotten settled by Europeans with
> those attitudes?

Ah, but the vast majority of Europeans did *not* settle the US.

Bob

"Giusi" > wrote in message
...
>
> "sf" > ha scritto nel messaggio
>>> >You're right. I like my creature comforts too. I HATE to squat over>>
>>> > >a "toilet" and I do not want to settle for less than American style
>>> >bathrooms.
>
>> I don't camp.
>
> And I am miserable when in the US because I miss my bidet. You do still
> find the occasional Turkish toilet in Italian bars, but just as often you
> find showers or bidets in Italian bars.
> While I love my massage shower, bidet and heated towel bars, The lack of
> those has never kept me from traveling in the Andes, Africa and I hope one
> day India. How would the US ever have gotten settled by Europeans with
> those attitudes?

We have a bidet You are welcome to use it any time you like)
--
--
https://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

"Ed Pawlowski" > wrote in
:

>
> For that matter,
> I know a lot of people that will go through life and never travel more
> than 100 miles from home.



Man..... *that* is frikken sad.


--
Peter Lucas
Hobart
Tasmania

The act of feeding someone is an act of beauty,
whether it's a full Sunday roast or a jam sandwich,
but only when done with love.

Giusi wrote:


> The question is not why one would have a passport but why one would
> not.

Quite so.

>
> I believe I know no one who would grill anyone else about their
> passport. They would no more ask if you had one than they'd ask if you
> bathe.

Well, no - I don't bother to grill anybody I know about their passports
here either. There's no need; all the people I know here have passports
(and a humongous amount of people I don't know from Adam do too,
judging by the queues I've been in at some of our border posts
<laugh>). But, heh. Not too shabby for a "Developing country", if I do
say so myself...

And <mind wanders> another thing I've also always wondered about: why is
it called "The World Series" (baseball) when the only competitors are
from the USA and Canada? <laugh> Or am I wrong about this?

>
> Members of the EU pass over borders without passports.

Oh, I'm aware of that. But I think that only applies to 22 EU countries
as not all of them are "full members". There are exceptions like UK,
Ireland, Cyprus and a few others.


> Even I as an
> American with a carta d'identita and permesso di soggiorno can use
> that instead although it is wiser to have the passport when going
> elsewhere in the EU if only because everyone who stops you may not
> read Italian and may not know the law.

It's still recommended by various European travel bureaus/agencies to
carry either one's passport or ID card on one's person when travelling
in Europe - just in case one needs to produce either/or for
identification purposes.
--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

atec77 > wrote in -
september.org:

> On 26/09/2010 11:09 PM, Aussie wrote:
>> "Ed > wrote in
>> :
>>
>>>
>>> For that matter,
>>> I know a lot of people that will go through life and never travel more
>>> than 100 miles from home.
>>
>>
>>
>> Man..... *that* is frikken sad.
>>
>>
> I saw in several English towns a situation where locals never travelled
> from sight of the central church steeple , about 12 to 14 miles
>


Yeah, well..... there's probably some Aussies who are the same way.

Me...... I like change :-)


I've lived in a town in the middle of the Netherlands where my nickname
was "Skippy 4" as I was the 4th Aussie to have been there since WW2.

I've also signed a book in a 'rescue' hut near the top of some God-
forsaken mountain in Norway. The entries went back about 50 years. I was
(IIRC) the 2nd or 3rd Aussie to sign it.

And then I was the 1st Aussie to have been in some of the parts of Russia
I visited back in the early 90's.

Then there was the little mountain villages in Cambodia, and the kraals in
Swaziland and Rhodesia.


--
Peter Lucas
Hobart
Tasmania

The act of feeding someone is an act of beauty,
whether it's a full Sunday roast or a jam sandwich,
but only when done with love.

On 9/26/2010 8:09 AM, Aussie wrote:
> "Ed > wrote in
> :
>
>>
>> For that matter,
>> I know a lot of people that will go through life and never travel more
>> than 100 miles from home.
>
>
>
> Man..... *that* is frikken sad.
>
>
Yeah, but it happens. I've one neighbor who, literally, has never been
out of the Parish (read Louisiana county) in his life. He's in his
sixties, never got drafted when the draft was around, worked in a local
plant for forty years, married his high school girl friend, his kids
went to the same schools he did, the same church, lived on the same
block, etc. He tells me he never had the urge to leave here because
everything he loved was here. I told him he missed a lot of life doing
that but he seems content with it.

We let our passports expire when we came home from the Middle East in
1986. We had to travel several thousand miles both ways when we came
home on vacation so saw a lot of the world. I was in the U.S. Navy on
active duty for a little over three years and was in a transport
squadron that flew supplies all over the world. Worked in the oil patch
for forty-seven years and lived in four different countries during that
time. I ain't leaving the States again, I'm to old and worn out to try
to run if someone or something gets after me. I leave traveling to the
young people today. Have fun folks, I'll wave bye bye from my easy
chair. <G>

Bob Terwilliger wrote:

> Giusi wrote:
>
>> While I love my massage shower, bidet and heated towel bars, The lack
>> of those has never kept me from traveling in the Andes, Africa and I
>> hope one
>> day India. How would the US ever have gotten settled by Europeans
>> with those attitudes?
>
> Ah, but the vast majority of Europeans did *not* settle the US.

I think a fair amount of Brits did tho' - they established the Thirteen
(English) Colonies, if I remember my high school history lessons
correctly...
--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

Bob Terwilliger wrote:


> Ah, but the vast majority of Europeans did *not* settle the US.

Forgot to ask: are you "back home" yet?

--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

"Aussie" > wrote in message
5...
> "Ed Pawlowski" > wrote in
> :
>
>>
>> For that matter,
>> I know a lot of people that will go through life and never travel more
>> than 100 miles from home.
>
>
>
> Man..... *that* is frikken sad.
>
>
> --
> Peter Lucas
> Hobart
> Tasmania

When I lived in Philadelphia, it was common, especially amongst the older
generation, to just stay in the neighborhood. Everything they ever wanted
was in walking distance or maybe a short bus ride.. Working class people
with little extra money to finance a trip of any sort. Many never owned a
car, never had the need. The ones that took vacation went to the New
Jersey shore, about 70 miles away.

When I moved to a small town in CT, it was not much different. Some went on
a class trip to Boston, or even New York, but never went again in adult
life.

The owner of the company I work for had given some of the people chances to
travel. After 10 years employees (and spouse) were given trips to Orlando,
Florida, one was a West Coast tour, another to Boston Red Sox spring
training in Florida. At 15 years I went to Italy. We'd take the supervisors
(and spouses) to an industry meeting in Las Vegas. It was always fun taking
the first time travelers. It really opened their minds and the desire to
travel again.

"George Shirley" > wrote in message
...
> We let our passports expire when we came home from the Middle East in
> 1986. We had to travel several thousand miles both ways when we came home
> on vacation so saw a lot of the world. I was in the U.S. Navy on active
> duty for a little over three years and was in a transport squadron that
> flew supplies all over the world. Worked in the oil patch for forty-seven
> years and lived in four different countries during that time. I ain't
> leaving the States again, I'm to old and worn out to try to run if someone
> or something gets after me. I leave traveling to the young people today.
> Have fun folks, I'll wave bye bye from my easy chair. <G>

I am in a similar situation as you I have lived in various countries and
continents and I am content now to stay in UK

We have had it with air travel and we are more than happy to travel in our
own country in our own car at our own pace

--
--
https://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

Ophelia wrote:
>
> "George Shirley" > wrote in message
> ...
>> We let our passports expire when we came home from the Middle East in
>> 1986. We had to travel several thousand miles both ways when we came
>> home on vacation so saw a lot of the world. I was in the U.S. Navy on
>> active duty for a little over three years and was in a transport
>> squadron that flew supplies all over the world. Worked in the oil
>> patch for forty-seven years and lived in four different countries
>> during that time. I ain't leaving the States again, I'm to old and
>> worn out to try to run if someone or something gets after me. I leave
>> traveling to the young people today. Have fun folks, I'll wave bye
>> bye from my easy chair. <G>
>
> I am in a similar situation as you I have lived in various
> countries and continents and I am content now to stay in UK
>
> We have had it with air travel and we are more than happy to travel in
> our own country in our own car at our own pace
>
Yabut, you've (both) "seen the world" so to speak and have chosen where
you want to settle down/retire. Can't argue with that. However, even
tho' my own urge to travel abroad is waning and I'm already quite happy
to just stay right here at home in the boonies <g>, I'm still gonna
hang on to my passport and keep renewing it when necessary. One just
never knows when it might come in handy. ;-)
--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

On Sat, 25 Sep 2010 20:56:16 -0700, Bob Terwilliger wrote:

> sf wrote to clueless AOL newbie Sheldon "Pussy" Katz:
>
>>> Yoose who gotta do everything American style would do best to stay
>>> home, really.
>>
>> You pee standing up anyway, so it's no big deal for you.
>
> LOL
>
> You probably also think Pussy washes his hands afterwards, too.
>
> Bob

hey! let's have some respect for those who pee sitting down, please.

your pal,
blake

On Sat, 25 Sep 2010 20:56:16 -0700, Bob Terwilliger wrote:

> sf wrote to clueless AOL newbie Sheldon "Pussy" Katz:
>
>>> Yoose who gotta do everything American style would do best to stay
>>> home, really.
>>
>> You pee standing up anyway, so it's no big deal for you.
>
> LOL
>
> You probably also think Pussy washes his hands afterwards, too.
>
> Bob

he has six cats for that.

your pal,
blake

On Sun, 26 Sep 2010 13:09:38 GMT, Aussie wrote:

> "Ed Pawlowski" > wrote in
> :
>
>>
>> For that matter,
>> I know a lot of people that will go through life and never travel more
>> than 100 miles from home.
>
>
>
> Man..... *that* is frikken sad.

I remember many years ago asking a young lady if she would let me take her
to dinner. Her response was "All the way to _HARTFORD_" like I had asked
her to go to the Moon. We were 11 miles from downtown Hartford at the
time.

On Sun, 26 Sep 2010 11:02:30 +0200, "Giusi" >
wrote:

>
> "sf" > ha scritto nel messaggio
> >> >You're right. I like my creature comforts too. I HATE to squat over>>
> >> > >a "toilet" and I do not want to settle for less than American style
> >> >bathrooms.
>
> > I don't camp.
>
> And I am miserable when in the US because I miss my bidet. You do still
> find the occasional Turkish toilet in Italian bars, but just as often you
> find showers or bidets in Italian bars.
> While I love my massage shower, bidet and heated towel bars, The lack of
> those has never kept me from traveling in the Andes, Africa and I hope one
> day India. How would the US ever have gotten settled by Europeans with
> those attitudes?
>

America would have been settled without any help from me. Roughing
it, to me, is an uncomfortable bed/pillows and no complimentary
hairdryer. I can tell you for sure that I wouldn't have been a
pioneer, no matter how primitive things were in civilized Europe back
in those days.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

sf wrote:
>
>Brooklyn1 wrote:
>
>>Yoose who gotta do everything American style would do best to stay
>>home, really.
>
>You pee standing up anyway, so it's no big deal for you.

Finally you admit that you're full of shit.

On Sat, 25 Sep 2010 20:56:16 -0700, "Bob Terwilliger"
> wrote:

>sf wrote to clueless AOL newbie Sheldon "Pussy" Katz:
>
>>> Yoose who gotta do everything American style would do best to stay
>>> home, really.
>>
>> You pee standing up anyway, so it's no big deal for you.
>
>LOL

Baboon assface admits that he's full of shit. LOL-LOL

>You probably also think Pussy washes his hands afterwards, too.

Hmm, also and too plus a dangling comma... UNeducated primate schlub.

On Sat, 25 Sep 2010 21:06:03 -0700, sf > wrote:

>On Sat, 25 Sep 2010 12:10:15 -0400, Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:
>
>> On Fri, 24 Sep 2010 21:06:46 -0700, sf > wrote:
>>
>> >On Fri, 24 Sep 2010 11:48:04 -0400, "Nancy Young"
>> > wrote:
>> >
>> >>I would really like to know what the bathroom situation
>> >>is where I'd go, at least to be prepared. Heh. What can I say.
>> >>I was raised to have bathroom issues.
>> >
>> >You're right. I like my creature comforts too. I HATE to squat over
>> >a "toilet" and I do not want to settle for less than American style
>> >bathrooms.
>>
>> Yoose who gotta do everything American style would do best to stay
>> home, really.
>
>I don't camp.

So you readily admit that Euros are uncivilized... I already knew
that.

On Sun, 26 Sep 2010 11:02:30 +0200, "Giusi" >
wrote:

>
>"sf" > ha scritto nel messaggio
>>> >You're right. I like my creature comforts too. I HATE to squat over>>
>>> > >a "toilet" and I do not want to settle for less than American style
>>> >bathrooms.
>
>> I don't camp.
>
>And I am miserable when in the US because I miss my bidet. You do still
>find the occasional Turkish toilet in Italian bars, but just as often you
>find showers or bidets in Italian bars.
>While I love my massage shower, bidet and heated towel bars, The lack of
>those has never kept me from traveling in the Andes, Africa and I hope one
>day India. How would the US ever have gotten settled by Europeans with
>those attitudes?

There are far more hotels and homes in the US with bidets and heated
towel bars than in all the rest of the world combined... just usually
not in the trailer parks you'd visit... the only time you bathe is
when someone treats your greasy ass to a stay at an American style
hotel.

On Sun, 26 Sep 2010 11:33:10 +0200, ChattyCathy
> wrote:

> sf wrote:
>
> > On Sat, 25 Sep 2010 16:15:30 +0200, ChattyCathy
> > > wrote:
> >
> >>Heh. According to this article 71% of Brits have passports. Not sure
> >>what "official" information that is based on, but I thought it was an
> >>interesting read anyway:
> >
> > Why am I not impressed? Brits need a passport if they ever want to
> > leave the island(s).
> >
> Well, USA citizens even need a passport/ID card if they want to travel
> to Canada and Mexico these days, so I guess you're not overly impressed
> about that either.

No. I'm *not* impressed. We used to have open boarders and now we
don't... I'm disgusted with this "homeland security" which is more
like a homeland prison system. You *not* North Americans may be used
to that sort of thing, we are not and shouldn't have to put up with it
any longer. "Homeland Security" was put into place by permanently
scared people... you know who - all those gun nuts. They have
concealed weapons, open carry, wrap themselves in the flag and abuse
the second amendment, but they can't put all of their gun carrying
nuttiness to good use and actually DEFEND themselves. They want to
put up fences, sit at the boarders in their barcaloungers, dragging on
a long neck and acting macho, but when push comes to shove, they want
MORE government in their lives, not less. They are just a bunch of
big mouthed chickenshits. Homeland Security - BAH, humbug.
>
> Anyway, your participation in this discussion has been entertaining, if
> somewhat puzzling, IMO.

Not to anyone who has the slightest clue that the USA has just as much
to offer internally as the rest of the world. We may be lacking the
"history" but we have jaw dropping sights to see... and frankly some
of them are under advertised. For instance, one on my to do list is
White Sands National monument in New Mexico - I think it's going to
blow the Sahara and Gobi away.
>
> You claim to empathize with those Americans who find traveling within
> the USA exciting, rewarding, less hassle because no passports are
> required and much more affordable than traveling abroad - yet you have
> a passport yourself. And - heh, it would seem to me that having a month
> to travel within the USA instead of two weeks could be "double the fun"
> and allow you to see more of the sights.

People sell their houses, buy motor homes and travel for years touring
the USA. We covered 4100 miles by car. Not bad for a two week
outing, planned virtually at the last minute and with only one
reservation at the main point of interest.
>
> So I have to ask: if travelling internally within the USA is as great
> and as much fun as you say, why did you bother to get a passport and go
> abroad to places like UK, Europe and even to China?

For the same reason you'd do anything else, you do it to see in person
what you've read and heard about.

> (And please don't
> tell me it was because of the Canada/Mexico thing, because I won't buy
> it).

Why would it be? I've been to both countries several times and still
have plenty left to see and do in both.
>
> Could it be because you *are* interested in seeing other parts of the
> world and how people live there (and can obviously afford to do so),

Nobody said they weren't interested. The people whose comments I've
read say they don't have the time and/or the money to travel abroad.
Vacations cost considerably more when you don't have friends/relatives
to put you up for the night. To an American, "abroad" means crossing
an ocean (not a boarder into Canada or Mexico)... which is much easier
for those on the East Coast than it is for people on the West Coast
because we need 5 flight hours just to cross the country. To put it
into perspective, European travel for Easterners is like going to
Hawaii is for Westerners.

> or
> is it because traveling abroad gives you more 'bragplaining' material,
> perhaps?

You can't have it both ways. Either I'm an ugly American who hasn't
traveled or I'm not.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

On Sun, 26 Sep 2010 08:15:43 -0400, "Ed Pawlowski"
> wrote:

> For that matter, I know a lot of
> people that will go through life and never travel more than 100 miles from
> home.

That goes for everywhere (not exclusively the USA), Ed. Italy
included. There are people who travel and those who feel most
comfortable never leaving their own little part of the world.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

"Giusi" wrote:
>"ChattyCathy" writes:
>> sf wrote:
>
>>> Why am I not impressed? Brits need a passport if they ever want to>>
>>> leave the island(s).
>
>No, because having a passport is not impressive nor meant to be.
>
>> Well, USA citizens even need a passport/ID card if they want to travel to
>> Canada and Mexico these days, so I guess you're not overly impressed
>> about that either.
>
>I wish no one felt like saying snarky things about this. Canada was always
>easier with one, but of course people on the borders who worked, visited,
>shopped on both sides will be the ones most inconvenienced now.

No more inconvenienced than anywhere on the planet nowadays... anyone
who thinks traveling today isn't a big PIA doesn't travel. I've
traveled in Canada on numerous occasions (too many to remember),
Mexico too, and never brought my passport, didn't need to... I used to
travel from Sandy Eggo to Tiajuana nearly every week for nearly two
years to get a cheap haircut and the best Qed chicken dinner for a few
pesos, passed through both ways merely by having CA plates on my
vehicle. It was far more hassle crossing from the US into CA... got
asked a zillion foodie questions... I used to like when the border
guard asked if I have nuts. LOL

>The question is not why one would have a passport but why one would not.

The vast majority of the planet's inhabitants don't have a passport,
never have, never will.

sf wrote:
>
> You can't have it both ways. Either I'm an ugly American who hasn't
> traveled or I'm not.
>

Must admit I've never thought of Americans as being any uglier than
people who live elsewhere in the world - at least not the ones I've met
in person. FWIW, I'm no 'oil painting' either. <lol>
--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy