Signs of the Times!

24 Jan 08

Signs of the times... from a friend just returning from overseas:

"If you can imagine a 'New York City' that really works. That is Shanghai! Local bureaucrats processed our entire party through security and immigration expediently and cheerfully. Smiles everywhere, and all spoke near-perfect English. They could not have been more helpful and were obviously glad to have us there!

Contrast that with Chicago, where I reentered the USA. Returning US Citizens were 'greeted' by bored, dour, unsmiling agents who, in addition to going about their duties in agonizing slow-motion, spoke 'English' so poorly that we had to ask them to repeat, multiple times, each question.

There were twelve kiosks. Only two were open. When, at long last, it was finally my turn, the agent started the conversation with, 'I don't really want to be here...,' in broken English. Newly arriving inmates at mostFederal Prisons, I'm sure, receive a warmer welcome!

Since December, I've visited five, foreign countries. All have the security/immigration thing well in hand. They're fast and efficient. Welcomes are invariably enthusiastic and sincere. Meanwhile, in the USA, we routinely delay the process to the point exasperation, treating visitors, and our own citizens, like so much livestock!"

Comment: I wonder if agents described in the foregoing have any idea the irreparable damage they're doing to the reputation of their agency and their Country!

"Ugly Americans" should be a thing of the past. Apparentlynot. The ugly Americans in William Lederer's 1958 landmark book could, at least, speak English!

/John