Japan to start fingerprinting foreign visitors

by Grant Martin on

It’s taste-of-your-own-medicine time in Japan. The Australian paper The Age reports that starting next month, foreigners visiting the Asian country will be subject to mandatory fingerprint and digital photograph collection. This includes not only tourists but the nearly 800,000 foreign residents already living in the country.

What I find particularly delightful is how angry people are getting about the new security measures. The Age writes that “Amnesty International is calling for the immigration plan to be abandoned”, saying “Making only foreigners provide this data is discriminatory.” What the heck do you call the US policy? Why don’t you have a problem with that?

I can see where the Japanese want to get a head start on security and it’s good that they’re taking a proactive approach to anti-terrorism. But isn’t one of the big reasons that reasons America is a target is that we’re the thousand-pound gorilla meddling in other countries’ affairs? Seems that Japan doesn’t subscribe to that sort of foolishness.

They can have my fingerprints. After this post, the DHS is going to do a thorough background check on me anyway, so there’s no hiding anything now (Mom and Dad, please dig up and burn the Romanian money I have buried behind the bougainvillea in the garden).

Note, if you’re connecting through Japan I don’t believe this extra security measure applies.

Airport Security: Once You Go Through, There’s No Turning Back

by Justin Glow on

On Friday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decided that once a passenger places an item on the x-ray machine’s conveyor belt, or walks through a metal detector, they can not refuse further searching.

According to Christopher Elliot, “The decision involved a Hawaii airline passenger, Daniel Kuualoha Aukai, who was arrested for crystal methamphetamine possession before boarding a scheduled flight to Kona from Honolulu in 2003.”

Mr. Aukai was flagged for not having identification and pulled aside for subsequent searching. He then claimed he was late for his flight (which was true) and left the designated search area bound for the gate. He was stopped, and forced into a search which revealed drug paraphernalia.

In this situation, I think the court’s decision is correct. If you’ve been pulled aside for whatever reason, you can’t just get up and walk out. If you could, the search would be useless, as all those who did not have anything illegal on them would comply, while anyone carrying something illegal would simply walk away. This ruling needs to exist for the searches to do any good.

Ditch the Money Belt and Build a Hidden Pocket

by Justin Glow on

While I do feel they are usually necessary, I dislike wearing a money belt when traveling. I own a Rick Steves-branded pouch, but I often find myself not wearing it because it’s uncomfortable. Even when it is strapped to my waist, I spend too much time with my hands down my pants fixing an annoying situation spawned by the belt. This, of course, draws attention to the very thing I am trying to hide.

I was searching around today for money belt alternatives and ran across this tutorial on building a hidden pocket into an existing pair of pants. The plans seem simple enough: turn your pants inside-out, cut a scrap piece of fabric into the same shape as your existing pocket, and sew! Even I could do this!

You could do this to all 4 pockets of your pants, effectively tripling your storage space. My brain is already churning with ideas on how to keep your valuables from falling out. Andy over at HoboTraveler created a Velcro-based pocket, which seems ideal, though a zipper could work as well.

Now how could I waterproof it?

DO’s and DONT’s For Speeding Through Security Checkpoints

by Willy Volk on

Condé Nast Traveler aviation correspondent Barbara S. Peterson got hired as a Transportation Security Administration screener last fall. After working for the TSA for 2 months, she wrote an insider’s piece called “My Life as An Airport Screener.”

Her fascinating expose reveals, among other things, that despite a five-year, $20 billion overhaul, the TSA is overflowing with an overtaxed (but dedicated) workforce coping with equipment shortages, budget cuts, and countless unpleasant passengers. Who knew?

After reading the piece, I was left with the thought that maybe I’ve treated TSA screeners a little unfairly over the years. I felt guilty when I read Peterson’s comment: “I was left to conclude that the screeners have become the scapegoats for failures throughout the system.” How many of us have blamed them, hurled insults at them, mocked them? Plastic bags of what size? Why do I have to remove my shoes? Check out the complete article for what Peterson’s experience was like. It’s depressing, eye-opening, and amusing all at the same time.

The article is lengthy. If you haven’t got time right now to read it, you can do it later. In the meantime, check out Peterson’s list of DO’s and DONT’s for getting through security checkpoints faster:

  • DON’T tell a screener that you are about to miss your flight (it won’t win you any sympathy and could even arouse suspicion).
  • DON’T wear clothing with metallic objects such as buckles.
  • DON’T wear lots of jewelry or hairpins that can’t be easily removed.
  • DON’T say you “forgot” you have liquids in your bag.
  • DON’T try to jam everything into one bin in a misguided effort to be helpful-it’s much harder to screen.
  • DON’T accuse screeners of theft: Once you’re certain an item is missing, speak to a supervisor.
  • DON’T tell screeners “it only comes in this size” or “it’s almost empty” when asked to surrender containers of liquid larger than three ounces.
  • DON’T tell them how much you spent on the toiletries-it won’t make any difference if they’re the wrong size.
  • DON’T block traffic by repacking your belongings on the conveyor belt.
  • DO wear easily removable shoes.
  • DO keep your boarding pass in hand.
  • DO take the plastic bag holding liquids out of your carry-on before putting it through the X-ray machine.
  • DO lay your bag on its side (the upright position is much harder to “read” and may trigger a rescreening).
  • DO put items through the X-ray machine only when you are ready to walk through the metal detector. This minimizes the time you’re separated from your belongings.
  • DO make sure that you have all items before you leave the checkpoint.

[Via World Hum; Photo: Matt McGee]

GADLING’S TAKE FIVE: Week of December 3

by Adrienne Wilson on

Time to wrap up the week that was with some of our some very tasty and foul entries.

5. How to Have A Bad Time in New York City:
Sad to say, but everyone who arrives in NYC doesn’t have a great time which is not a reflection of the city by any means. Instead it goes to show how much homework time they invested in seeing the Big Apple the right way. To avoid having a bad time on your first trip in try giving this article here a spin.

4. Find a Grave Tourism:
Over the last year or so I’ve been attracted to cemeteries for many reasons and thankfully none of which were to attend a funeral. When Neil posted this plug on finding graves of celebrities or even your own special loved ones I thought how cool! Not that I go stalking the dead on a regular basis, but there is so much history in grave yards. Anyhow, if this sounds like your sort of thing too then go take a look.

3. Low Rollers Guide to Vegas:
Looking to go to Vegas on a tight budget? Head to Downtown Las Vegas where Low Rollers remain Low Rollers and save a little pocket change.

2. No Lights on Flights:
Passing on gas on planes probably won’t earn the kind of fame and stardom you’re seeking in life, but lighting a match to your flatulence will. Read the tale about common sense lost and a plane grounded when a woman tries to cover her smelly toots from her caboose.

1. Smile! You’ve Been Secretly Profiled!:
For some folks being spied on is a high honor that shows someone really cares, but for others it is enough to boil the blood stream and do nutty things. What kind of nutty things? I don’t know for sure, but it sounds as though the government has been secretly collecting data on domestic and international travelers for the last four years. Flattered yet? What they’ve managed to soak up and put in your own personal folder may be of interest to you. Check it out.