Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: beet1e on April 18, 2006, 06:23:09 AM
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As interesting and diverse as Britain certainly is, I didn't know it attracts more than three million American visitors every year, until I read this (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/global/main.jhtml?xml=/global/2006/04/16/wtour16.xml). The facts would seem to fly in the face of claims made by some people on this board that Britain is boring, and the British are the most boring race on earth! Oh wait, the people saying that are the ones who have never been here. :lol
I have to tell you that although I run into American visitors on an almost daily basis, none (or at least, very few) of the ones I have seen conform to the stereotype described in that article. They're usually recognisable by the clothes they wear, the sort of places they like to visit, and are generally courteous. :) One particular gentleman was easily identifiable as an American when he came up to me and asked "Pardon me, sir, can you direct me to the River Thames?" - pronouncing "Thames" exactly as it is written! :lol;)
So I've been wondering what it is that attracts so many American visitors to this country. Clearly it's not the weather - LOL - and with the £ being quite strong against the $ (£1 = $1.77 when I checked today), it's not the low cost. Indeed, London is probably the most expensive city in the world, and with fuel costs escalating, airline flights are more costly than they were. But still they come... The popular destinations for American visitors seem to be London, Windsor, Stratford-on-Avon and Stonehenge - anything to do with history going back more than 230 years.
Do as many people from Britain visit America? According to this (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/main.jhtml?xml=/travel/2006/04/08/etnewsflorida.xml), the number of people heading from here to Florida is down by 20%. The drop-off has been blamed partly on time-consuming new US immigration procedures, and security checks that have led to people being asked to remove shoes and belts for inspection before boarding aircraft. Telegraph Travel has received many complaints from readers who claim that they have been treated harshly at US airports.
Indeed, Air New Zealand has introduced a new service from Auckland to London - a journey of some 11390 miles or 18331km - routing via Hong Kong instead of Los Angeles. And it's not hard to see why, given the new immigration procedures at LAX, as described on the Air New Zealand website (http://www.uk.airnz.com/travelinfo/planning_your_trip/transiting_via_la.htm). The entry formalities require every passenger aged 14 - 79 to have a photo taken by the US CBP officials, and will have their left and right index fingers fingerprinted (except for US and Canadian citizens)
Fingerprinting? WTF! Well, if these measures are known to thwart terrorist attacks, so be it. But it is regrettable that such measures are clearly damaging the US tourist industry. I don't know of Americans being fingerprinted when they come here.
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And your point is what?
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I don't get it either. Seems to be nothing more than a flag waving exercise, rather than an attempt at a discussion. However, I am sure it will draw the usual fish.
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That's almost 20% of the annual attendance of Disneyland - Anahiem!
It's a good 95% of Cubs attendance!
Good show John Bull!
swim... swim...
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Beetle just got a job with the department of tourism ;)
The UK is a nice place to visit and with domestic flights becoming more painful than international flights due to the tender touch of the US department of state security, it doesn't suprise me that US-UK tourism is doing fine in spite of the exchange rate. As long as you're gonna suffer during the travel no matter where you go, why not visit someplace different? :)
I'll definately be going back to the UK as a tourist instead of a resident. Too much to see and do there to not want to visit. I'll go far out of my way to avoid living there again though...
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rpm - it was a "just sayin" post. I'm loathe to enter into any discussions these days because I always get clipped! :(
Originally posted by eagl
I'll definately be going back to the UK as a tourist instead of a resident. Too much to see and do there to not want to visit.
Bring jackall with you - would do him good! :cool: Still, he won't believe what you said...
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Originally posted by beet1e
rpm - it was a "just sayin" post. I'm loathe to enter into any discussions these days because I always get clipped! :(
Ask yourself "Why do I get clipped" without victim mentality, and you're on the road to curving your own behavior, and thus being clipped less each time. Pretty simple, Beet.
Incidently, Folks find England fascinating for the historical value. I plan to visit one day and visit where some of my royal bloodline once came from, Dover Castle(Which is my Mothers maiden name)
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Your mother was named Dover Castle? Bet she got teased in grammer school.
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Isnt Britain a stop over point for alot of airlines?
I'd say the quick answer is 65% are just stopping there while en route to someplace else.
10% are probably former British nationals visiting family
and 25% are there for your history.
Britain itself isnt Boring
What we're saying is the current British PEOPLE, are boring;)
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Originally posted by Holden McGroin
Your mother was named Dover Castle? Bet she got teased in grammer school.
Its just "Dover" you git! :)
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I didn't see any more/less security at heathrow than any flight leaving the U.S. I did see a hell of a lot more security at Frankfurt than either.
Besides... nobody said GB was boring. They just said the people were boring. We had a few of FSEs come over from a company based in Cambridge. They all found "pubs" to drink at where they were amazed at how people would sit down at the bar and start chatting. They all loved it. Two were Irish and one was from Cambridge. They all commented on how that was simply not the case and how people in England had gotten so stuffy and anti-social.
Hell... the most fun night I had going out in Cambridge was when we hooked up with a group of Norwegians.
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Originally posted by Mini D
Hell... the most fun night I had going out in Cambridge was when we hooked up with a group of Norwegians.
Yeah that was fun wasnt it?
Wish you didnt have to leave so early, but we do fart alot when served warm beer. Sorry about that.
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with all the old buildings and museums and such.... I have allways said that we should buy the place and put a roof on it to keep out the rain and turn it into a huge amusement park.
beets figures seem pretty disapointing tho... not much tourism. I am sure it has to do with the weather tho and putting a roof on the place will probly help a lot.
It really doesn't matter if the help is boring so long as they smile a lot.
lazs
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Originally posted by beet1e
The facts would seem to fly in the face of claims made by some people on this board that Britain is boring, and the British are the most boring race on earth!
They never said the UK or the British are boring, they said you are boring :)
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See Rule #4
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Originally posted by Ripsnort
Its just "Dover" you git! :)
Was her first name Ben?
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Originally posted by rabbidrabbit
Was her first name Ben?
My uncle (her brother) is named William Benjemin Dover. In his college days at Nebraska, you can imagine the hazing he got..."Ben Dover"....
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I knew that was in there somewhere..>
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Originally posted by Ripsnort
My uncle (her brother) is named William Benjemin Dover. In his college days at Nebraska, you can imagine the hazing he got..."Ben Dover"....
LOL - the two Scottish... er... friends - Ben Dover and Phil McCafferty!
And... I can tell you this, Ripper. There's a pub in my home town of Leicester called the Dover Castle which is apparently the oldest gay pub in the country. Read about it here (http://www.leicesterstudent.org/main/activities/assocs/lgbt/Leicester). I bet Gatso and Nexx know about it - not because they bat for the other side, but because they're from the Leicester area too.
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Originally posted by Holden McGroin
Your mother was named Dover Castle? Bet she got teased in grammer school.
I just hope she wasn't a big girl :D
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Originally posted by beet1e
LOL - the two Scottish... er... friends - Ben Dover and Phil McCafferty!
And... I can tell you this, Ripper. There's a pub in my home town of Leicester called the Dover Castle which is apparently the oldest gay pub in the country. Read about it here (http://www.leicesterstudent.org/main/activities/assocs/lgbt/Leicester). I bet Gatso and Nexx know about it - not because they bat for the other side, but because they're from the Leicester area too.
Well, if they'd been gay in 1200, I doubt my Mum would be here! ;)
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exotic islands are fun to go see and poke sticks at the natives
(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/180_1145375766_island.jpg)
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lol
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Originally posted by beet1e
LOL - the two Scottish... er... friends - Ben Dover and Phil McCafferty!
And... I can tell you this, Ripper. There's a pub in my home town of Leicester called the Dover Castle which is apparently the oldest gay pub in the country. Read about it here (http://www.leicesterstudent.org/main/activities/assocs/lgbt/Leicester). I bet Gatso and Nexx know about it - not because they bat for the other side, but because they're from the Leicester area too.
Don't drag me into this.....:(
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im just suprised 3m americans have passports... ;) :D
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Ripper29 - any reason for the use of the word "drag" in that post? ^ :D
Originally posted by Furball
im just suprised 3m americans have passports...
:rofl
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Do Americans in Britan really have trouble keeping on the left side of the road and tend to run over bicyclist? When I watched the Griswold's on TV, those were things they had trouble with along with roundabouts. Btw, did they get Stonehinge put back ok?
Regards,
Malta
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Originally posted by Furball
im just suprised 3m americans have passports... ;) :D
Well, think about it, we live in undoubtedly the best country on planet earth. People die to get in! Why would we WANT to go anywhere else? :) Hell, Beet even had to start a thread because of his inferiority complex to America! :rofl
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Originally posted by Ripsnort
Why would we WANT to go anywhere else?
Dunno, Rip - but 3 million Americans do just that every year - and that's just to Britain! :aok
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Originally posted by beet1e
Dunno, Rip - but 3 million Americans do just that every year - and that's just to Britain! :aok
There is alot of history, as I said before, to be had in Old England. Its also a grim reminder of what we could have been, had old George Washington not organized a militia. :)
3% of our population eh? That's a pretty good tourism rate.
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How is "Thames" pronounced?
I thought it rhymed with say.. James.
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The drop-off has been blamed partly on time-consuming new US immigration procedures, and security checks that have led to people being asked to remove shoes and belts for inspection before boarding aircraft. Telegraph Travel has received many complaints from readers who claim that they have been treated harshly at US airports.
aHEM! I beLIEVE the shoe thing can be blamed on one of YOU people Beet; I remember when they caught that stupid bastard (at the time I was flying 150,000 miles a year) the first thing I thought was "@$%@%% GREAT, there's one MORE $%$%$% thing I have to deal with getting on a plane"
Having said that, Britain is about the only place I'd ever want to visit outside the states. Not London, etc. the countryside.
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Originally posted by Urchin
How is "Thames" pronounced?
Temms :p
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Originally posted by Urchin
How is "Thames" pronounced?
I thought it rhymed with say.. James.
Pronounced Tems Urchin...and of course in the Beets vast meanderings I'm sure he has never mispronounced ANYTHING.
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"...three million American visitors ..." --Beet1e
"3% of our population eh? That's a pretty good tourism rate." -- Ripsnort
Is that the "new math" I hear so much about?
It seems sort of odd that so few Americans visit Britain. It's one of the easier foreign countries to visit (many daily flights, not too far), and we even speak a common language. Heck, for a lot of us northeastern guys, the British weather isn't even all that much soggier than ours is. If I had a choice between visiting Florida or visiting Britain, I'd visit the latter.
J_A_B
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Plenty of stuff on my continent to see without going to look at someones island.
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Originally posted by beet1e
Ripper29 - any reason for the use of the word "drag" in that post? ^ :D
:rofl
Ummm...errr....hmmmmm.....nop e ...no reason ;)
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See Rule #5
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Some points of interests.
1: 3% of the US population would be about 9 millions, not 3.
2: With 1% of the US population travelling to the UK every year (3 million), it will take 100 years per round for the ride :D
3: France is the most visited country in the world AFAIK.
4: Presumably, more US tourists visit France than the UK
5: London is bloody expensive.
6: London is however utterly cool.
7: London is just a subtle beginning of experiencing the UK.
8: Try Scotland :D
9: Many flyable Spitfires still buzz around Cambridgeshire
10: If you want true beer (creamy bitter) or good Whisky (McWhisky) you have to look for the UK, - England and Scotland.
11: Furball is British.
12: The UK play good soccer. Call it football :D
13: Will stop now. Goodnight.
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Originally posted by Ripsnort
See Rule #5
:lol
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Originally posted by Angus
Some points of interests.
1: 3% of the US population would be about 9 millions, not 3.
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Correct, but I wasn't counting the 200 million illegals from Mexico. ;)
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Originally posted by Nilsen
Yeah that was fun wasnt it?
Wish you didnt have to leave so early, but we do fart alot when served warm beer. Sorry about that.
I've been meaning to ask: What was that crap about Norway being the 53rd state of the U.S.?
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Originally posted by Angus
11: Furball is British.
18/f/cali
:furious
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Originally posted by Mini D
I've been meaning to ask: What was that crap about Norway being the 53rd state of the U.S.?
I'd love to stick around and explain, but im abit busy building my shelter.
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When I was over there, I already knew how to pronounce Thames. Now "Leicester," that threw me pretty good. Doesn't even have the right number of syllables. ;)
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Three reasons to go to GB.
Royal Henley Regatta
St Andrews
Isle of Man TT (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=379650605681517999&q=type%3Asports+OR+genre%3Asports&pl=true)
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The missus wants go go to Scotland this summer.
Any recomendations?
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Edinburgh is really nice nilsen. Just be sure to avoid glasgow at all costs.
Rip it's spelt aluminium in the Uk + most of the world hence why we pronounce it differently.:) IIRC aluminium was considered too difficult to pronounce.:D
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Rip, before you go off about how aluminium is pronounced or spelled. The metal was discovered and named by a British gentleman. And Bauxite (the most common ore containing alumimium) was discovered by a French gentleman.
Thrila, the name 'aluminium' was chosen by the "International Union of Pure and Applied Chemists". It was originally named 'alumium". Both 'aluminum' and aluminium' are correct and accepted worldwide in the scientific community.
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Originally posted by Skuzzy
Rip, before you go off about how aluminium is pronounced or spelled. The metal was discovered and named by a British gentleman. And Bauxite (the most common ore containing alumimium) was discovered by a French gentleman.
Thrila, the name 'aluminium' was chosen by the "International Union of Pure and Applied Chemists". It was originally named 'alumium". Both 'aluminum' and aluminium' are correct and accepted worldwide in the scientific community.
Rgr, I was just doing alittle (http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/images/smilies/stickpoke.gif) but notice how no one will answer the "TH" pronounciation question. ;)
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Nilsen:
Don't miss Edinburg. Visit the castle and taste some scottish cuisine...and liquor. Reccommend GLENMORANGIE.
The dark ales are also a blast.
Haggis is good.
Better book hotels in Edinburgh through a good connection, or make it a package holiday, for just walking in is expensive.
If you want to move deeper into Scotland, well, then I'd have a go at Loch Ness, where you can take a good cruise, or make it a circular travel, approx, Loch Lomond-Highlands-Aberdeen-Edinburg.
Where do you fly to anyway?
Glasgow isn't that bad, but nothing to linger on. Nice nightlife if you know where to go.
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Nilsen. don't forget to pick up and wear your kilt. The natives appreciate visitors more when they get in the spirit.
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Thanks for the tips on the slightly off-topic question.
We have not made any detailed plans yet. It depends alon on if any of Mia's grand parents can take her for long weekend.
If we go for more than a weekend I would like to do some diving in Scapa Flow
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Originally posted by rabbidrabbit
Nilsen. don't forget to pick up and wear your kilt. The natives appreciate visitors more when they get in the spirit.
http://web.ripnet.com/~nimmos/images/under_the_kilt_3.jpg
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Originally posted by Ripsnort
http://web.ripnet.com/~nimmos/images/under_the_kilt_3.jpg
awww nuts!
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London isn't really representative of Britain - it's full of Johnny Foreigner types for a start. The UK is very diverse given the land area.
Head North would be my advice. ;)
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Do we have any funky scotlanders here that would like a drink if we head over there?