Stupid shit in Medellin

[QUOTE=Gabacho;2964166]I am done too, but I also want to point out that the argument was never about airlines committing price fixing, it was about food and beverage vendors inside of airport terminals committing price fixing.

It started with me agreeing with Turgid that food vendors at the airport are a scam and that they are colluding with one another within the same terminal to sell food and drink for much higher prices than market value ie price fixing.

I shower numerous scenarios and examples of this being the case, I even linked an article to an agency that investigated an airport in New York for price fixing. And I used a personal example of mine from Colombia where domestic terminals allow you to bring in outside food and drink but in comparison to the US airports which do not allow that which supports my claim that the US govt supports the price fixing.

The high prices inside airports is a scam and so is the collusion among the vendors to maintain thr high prices because otherwise we se more low end vendors inside the airports as you do see in some other countries.

I stand by what I said.

Gabacho.[/QUOTE]In this post you took the fastball down the middle and launched it out of park. A straight drop the bat and watch walk off grand slam.

If you're flying into Medellin from another country, be prepared to spend about an hour and a half going through immigration. Could be more time, especially on holiday weekends. Could be less if you are lucky.

[QUOTE=LoveItHere69;2965027]At the street at Lokasari I could buy a "bunch" (two branches with leaves included for free) for 50,000 and then 40,000. No weighing. But hands were full with other purchases. Found same tree branches with leaves and fruit outside the mall with the two walking overpasses near Classic. He wanted 40,000 so I bought. No weighing. Good stuff. Went back 3 days later. Fool now wants to weigh it. Wants 100,000. WTF! Walked away. The stupidity bar of people just keeps getting raised higher and higher.[/QUOTE]This is the perfect example of a scam that is not necessarily illegal.

[QUOTE=Orgasmico;2964376]If you're flying into Medellin from another country, be prepared to spend about an hour and a half going through immigration. Could be more time, especially on holiday weekends. Could be less if you are lucky.[/QUOTE]Based on the posters I saw at the airport this past November, seems the customs union is in active contract negotiations and thus there is likely some work related slowdowns to drive home their case, as is typical when things like this are being negotiated.

[QUOTE=SubCmdr;2964039][B]And speaking of being a liar are you in an open relationship where your partner knows that you are non monogamous?[/B][/QUOTE]Brother, I don't talk about my life on this forum. I would never give any information about being married or single; open relationship or closed. There is no point to this because, in all reality, it has nothing to do with the hobby. So you shouldn't assume those types of things. Suffice it to say this, I don't mind giving out the PII that I live in the US but that's my choice and the choice of many mongers. There are huge reasons people make this choice that don't have anything to do with nebulous ad-homs like cheating on your spouse or kids:

1) Career. Some people have jobs that require (in-person or remote) you to be in the US. A fulfilling career is the best indicator of a happy life, so why throw that away for temporary poon?

2) Money. If you make a ton of money, America and the West is great. No need to uproot everything when you are making bank back home.

3) Home. Your home country is your "culture" and "people". I've been to around the world but I still feel more comfortable in a place where they speak English, watch American football, etc.

4) Friends. Why start fresh in another country when you have a group of great friends with similar life experiences that you can share that with. It's not impossible to make new friends (and the hunt for that can be fun) but it's much harder to go to a new land where you are not around people with shared life experiences. Many people have friends they met in school, college, or work and going to a foreign country to hunt poon often puts you in a different subset of folks. For example, I have family in Medellin who are doing the digital nomad lifestyles. The locals they know are mostly Venezuelan illegal immigrants and poor working girls who are trying to latch on. Their expat buddies are almost all 50+ divorcees with broken family lives, an irrational hatred of women / intimacy, and somewhat pedophilic views of sex. That is a small anecdote but it might help highlight why many people are unwilling to make that plunge.

5) Poverty. The world has advanced but there is still massive poverty in the world that many would like to avoid. Medellin is just not a safe place compared to the Jersey, DC, and LA suburbs. Most like to avoid the constant reminder of poverty and human suffering that swept away (cruelly in some cases) in the States.

This is all just simple stuff that most people make an informed pro / con over and it's good to never assume one's background. It's the reason I have never assumed you are just a poon hound who preys on young, poor girls because you weren't good enough to get a girl in the States. That may be what some expats are doing but there is no reason to assume that of all expats or even the majority are.

Overall, the best idea in this business is not to give out PII as much as possible, even if you are safe. Imagine being a single guy in your twenties recording (consensual) videos / pictures with girls, sharing your personal instagram or whatsapp phone number (because, hey it doesn't matter since you are single) and then to have one of those girls pop back up ten or fifteen years later when you are a politician and / or have a family spreading a bunch of junk about you. Foreign governments, like Russia and China, are actively farming this information right now and pay Filipino sex workers who collect this information in blackmail rings.

Truthfully, in 10 years, deepfake videos will be good enough that nobody will be able to trust any of these things which is probably a plus for mongers (just look at how good some of the deepfake celebrity porn looks already), but it's always better to be safe than sorry.

[QUOTE=DiscoverFL;2965076]Based on the posters I saw at the airport this past November, seems the customs union is in active contract negotiations and thus there is likely some work related slowdowns to drive home their case, as is typical when things like this are being negotiated.[/QUOTE]I tend to think it's more related to the exponential growth in the number of people coming through the airport in Medellin now, as compared to pre pandemic. But, anything is possible. I've only heard about this issue in Medellin. Do you know if the workers at the other airports in Colombia are also attempting a "work slowdown"?

[QUOTE=Orgasmico;2965135]I tend to think it's more related to the exponential growth in the number of people coming through the airport in Medellin now, as compared to pre pandemic. But, anything is possible. I've only heard about this issue in Medellin. Do you know if the workers at the other airports in Colombia are also attempting a "work slowdown"?[/QUOTE]I am not aware of any intentional work slowdowns. However, union posters throughout the customs area indicate a call for support during ongoing negotiations. Historically, unions involved in public-facing roles may employ slowdowns to highlight staffing shortages and emphasize their essential contributions. Additionally, the recent 'mig' automation initiatives likely play a significant role in these discussions.

[QUOTE=DiscoverFL;2965136]I am not aware of any intentional work slowdowns. However, union posters throughout the customs area indicate a call for support during ongoing negotiations. Historically, unions involved in public-facing roles may employ slowdowns to highlight staffing shortages and emphasize their essential contributions. Additionally, the recent 'mig' automation initiatives likely play a significant role in these discussions.[/QUOTE]As if immigration wasn't already slow enough. Leaving Colombia, you should try to get to the airport early. Use the automated kiosks, if possible. Arriving, sounds like it will now be a longer process. I said an hour and a half before, but now who knows. Probably, Medellin, Bogota and Cartagena will be the most affected.

Sounds like there are flight delays now because of the union actions at the airports. Sounds like they are mostly protesting the salaries and want more staff.

Airlines such as Latam and Avianca warned about delays in the check-in process for international flights. They also advised passengers to check the status of flights on the airlines' websites, as well as recommending arriving at airports well in advance.

"On the morning of Wednesday, December 4, several passengers were affected. Some have reported that precisely because of delays at Migraciand Colombia they have missed international flights.

The reasons for the protest, according to a statement from the National Union of Migration Employees of Colombia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Unasemig) and the Union Organization of Migration Employees of Colombia (Osemco), are the "precarious salary and work conditions, as well as the lack of diligence" on the part of the national government to improve the situation of these workers. ".

More on the problems at the airports.

[URL]https://www.thebogotapost.com/plan-tortuga-migracion-colombia/53171/[/URL]

Someone on FB reported 4 hours to get through the immigration line today. I plan to leave Medellin for the holidays next week and hopefully won't be back until this thing gets resolved.

[QUOTE=IamLookin;2979088]Your post is full of inaccuracies and unsubstantiated claims. Like your 14 million illegals entering the USA under Biden. According to the House Budget Committee the number is more like 1. 7 million. The rest of your post is just pure ranting and garbage. But, thank you for your contribution.

[/QUOTE]Whatever you say man, but this stuff does not belong on this particular thread, so I am moving this BS to where it belongs: "Stupid shit in Medellin" forum where it does not get in the way of honest reports on Medellin.

[QUOTE=Turgid;2979071]This would certainly raise some native American eyebrows.[/QUOTE]It already has. All you have to do is check out the MSNBC "reportage" or the reactions from "the View" resident witches. The Wokes can ***** and moan all they want as far as I am concerned. In fact, I hope they do. "Never Interfere With an Enemy While he's in the Process of Destroying Himself. ".

I decided to apply for the required CheckMIG for entry into Colombia. I found a website for the CheckMIG application, and started filling it out.

Eventually, I was asked to pay $20, which seemed odd to me. Then I realized I was on a commercial website.

So I searched for the government site, which is free.

Easy peasy.

[QUOTE=Orgasmico;2966216]Someone on FB reported 4 hours to get through the immigration line today. I plan to leave Medellin for the holidays next week and hopefully won't be back until this thing gets resolved.[/QUOTE]So how is the Immigration line at Medellin airport now?

I was told that the CheckMIG is no longer required.

However.

When you go through Immigration, they ask questions that appear on the CheckMIG, like the telephone number of your hotel. So, if you have filed a CheckMIG, just tell them it's on the CheckMIG, and they will stop asking.