TSA Oversight In Iceland Of All Places- Hard To Believe If True But Maybe Not
[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2397113]Probably wrong thread for this, but I was kicked out of the Global Entry Program after being in it for 7 years. The way I found out is that I tried to enter the country and the machine told me to see a person. (I never received any revocation notification letter as this email states.) From then, I (my bags and electronics) started to be checked coming into and going out (after I scanned my boarding pass to enter the plane they would be waiting on the other side of the door for me with a photocopy of my passport) of the country. [/QUOTE]Mr. E,
I believe this is the correct thread for this, even though it's the Medellin thread, as a lot of the members on this board travel worldwide like ourselves, and it' s a refreshing "breather" from the topics we seem to re-hash over and over on this thread.
Sorry to hear about your woes with the Global Entry Program, and it's unfortunate that we cannot ever to seem to get a straight answer from our Government regarding why at times members are getting detained and have to go thru "secondary" and others never have problems. One poster stated that a CBP agent said it was due to the frequency of his visits to Colombia as to why he was being scrutinized. I have flown in and out of the Colombia at least twenty times in the last 3 years, and have never had to go thru secondary with lots and lots of questions and my bags searched. Perhaps it's because I have Global Entry, and the other poster did not. Nobody seems to know how travelers are monitored, on what basis, and how to fix a situation like yours. And the information most people get when they ask why there having to go thru "secondary" is typically,"it's random".
So here's a what I experienced in Iceland of all places in July this year. I was flying on British Airways from Reykjavik thru London to LAX and had a business class ticket. Upon arriving at the Airport and checking my bags, I was given my boarding passes. I went thru security, no problem at all. Than they started boarding the plane, and when they swiped my boarding pass, something came up and they told me I had to go over to a separate area immediately adjacent to the boarding line and wait to be called, as they took my Passport and boarding pass and gave it to a"uniformed person" . In the area I mentioned, they had Icelandic Officers going thru other business class passengers carry on luggage. After about ten minutes they called me over, didn't ask any questions, but searched my back-pack and said OK you can board now. So I asked the officer as to why my bag was being searched. And I was told, "because the US TSA requested us to search your carry on luggage". I was totally perplexed by what I was told, and after boarding, I spoke with another passenger who's bag was searched as well. He was a German citizen with a German Passport, and he to asked why his bag was searched, and he was given the same exact answer I got. So if you think about this, a German citizen, with a German Passport, is being monitored by the TSA who is not an American citizen. I guess it's good and bad, the good part being to keep the sky's safe, and the bad part being how close our Government is able to monitor us and others, not only when we travel, but financially as well.
Renting Apartments Long Term In Medellin
[QUOTE=Turgid;2397241]Have any of you guys thought of just renting an ordinary secure apartment like that rented by Colombians, they are very cheap and you have no problem with visiting chicas. If on aggregate you visit lets say 6 months every year, you close up the apartment when you are back home leaving basic items locked up and use the apartment when you visit. I don't do it because I'm not that regular a visitor to Medellin.[/QUOTE]It's not as easy to do as some might think, especially for those renting an unfurnished apartment which does not include utilities, etc.
In other words, if your not going thru a company that rents furnished apartments including utilities like CASACOL or LIFEAFAR, it's going to be difficult for a foreigner to rent an unfurnished apartment like a Colombian. Unless the owner of the apartment is a foreigner, or perhaps something on AIRBNB, your going to have to have a Colombian Cedula to rent from a Colombian. And you will not be able to get utility service thru EPM without a Cedula, nor will you be able to get cable service thru CLARO or TIGO unless you get someone with a Colombian Cedula to sign up the account on your behalf and be responsible if the bills aren't paid under their "name".
Basically, without a Colombian Cedula, it can be very difficult for a foreigner to rent an apartment like a Colombian.
A good thought on your part, makes perfect sense as you suggested, but in reality tough to do.
Poblado or Laureles if you want to hit El Centro?
Hey guys,
I will be in Medellin in late December, looking to book an AirBnb right now. Does anyone know if El Centro girls would go over to an apartment in Poblado? Or is that too far?
I've read hundreds of pages here, I will focus mostly on El Centro and try to take girls over to my place and enjoy a good view + if possible a Jacuzzi.
Thanks in advance.