Brexit and the waning days of the United Kingdom

[Richard Hakluyt]

When my best friend got married a group of us (including him) wore fedoras to the wedding and reception. A lot of people concluded we were Jewish and for some the misconception lasted years 

People from the Middle East can be just as pale as Europeans and certainly paler than many Spaniards or Portuguese....so a lot of the time it is just cultural and clothing cues that are being used.

[garbon]

Has to be asked. Garbon, have you encountered any police dodginess in your life?

Yes.

[The Minsky Moment]

Yeah I have a friend who normally has a beard but also gets mistaken as Arab/Israeli when he's been in the Middle East. Lots of people chatting to him in Arabic or Hebrew before realising he's a foreigner. As far as he can tell, he has generations of family from a relatively small area of Norfolk - so no idea how

He lives in New York and has had issues both with the NYPD and border control.

I was detained briefly for questioning at the Vienna airport after I let my facial grow out a bit (i have a dark skinned ME appearance). 

[The Larch]

Yeah I have a friend who normally has a beard but also gets mistaken as Arab/Israeli when he's been in the Middle East. Lots of people chatting to him in Arabic or Hebrew before realising he's a foreigner. As far as he can tell, he has generations of family from a relatively small area of Norfolk - so no idea how

He lives in New York and has had issues both with the NYPD and border control.

I was detained briefly for questioning at the Vienna airport after I let my facial grow out a bit (i have a dark skinned ME appearance).

Really? I wouldn't say so. 

On my visit to NY I was sent to a Homeland Security room for a while when I was flagged for something during passport control.

[Sheilbh]

I don't know about the experience with UK border control - but I have some friends who've had some absolute horror stories with US border control. Given the sort of age of my friends they've mainly been in the last few years so I don't know how many are kind of long-standing issues and how many are just reflective of this administration and the sort of power the border control agents feel they have.

My favourite experience is Georgia where they stamp your passport and give you a small bottle of wine to welcome you to Georgia

Edit: And the only time I went to the US was about 15 years ago in the middle of blizzard in NY where my flight was delayed so people were just really getting us moving through because it was about 2 in the morning and no one wanted to be there.

[Tonitrus]

I think my easiest time going through customs was coming off the ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles.  I bought a bunch of native art while driving down Vancouver Island, and was sure I would need to declare it, and had all the forms ready.  Once we drove off the ferry...there really was no place for CBP to hold you up, and they just waved me through before I could submit my carefully prepared documents. 

[Josquius]

Has to be asked. Garbon, have you encountered any police dodginess in your life?

Yes.

So... Insights? Is the UK as bad as the US or...?

[Oexmelin]

Since this has become the de facto British thread:

The National Trust aims to reduce its cultural thrust and sacks its top experts:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/national-trust-to-scrap-its-experts-hdmzlqbhd?fbclid=IwAR3914EcU497MRo5fPiJAR7Qe3ZvLREPlEH_hn1VJ1G0eMsvSjy6-ZqXhlY

[Syt]

[Josquius]

Got to say, in that photo he looks quite like your stereotypical gammon.
Were he born into less favourable circumstances....

[Duque de Bragança]

I know a guy that was racially profiled by the NYPD because his dark skin and beard made him look like an Arab (he's a Spaniard).

My uncle (Irish descent) got racially profiled as Spanish in Spain. They thought he was hanging out in the British tourist bars for no good reason.

Some Basque once spoke Basque to me while in the Basque country at a train station! 

[Tonitrus]

Someone asked me for directions (I think) in French while in Paris. 

I've always presumed that by look/dress my appearance would scream "American". 

[Iormlund]

Some Basque once spoke Basque to me while in the Basque country at a train station! 

Might have pegged you for a Spaniard and was meant as a Fuck off furriner! sign. I've witnessed those in Catalonia.

[Duque de Bragança]

Some Basque once spoke Basque to me while in the Basque country at a train station! 

Might have pegged you for a Spaniard and was meant as a Fuck off furriner! sign. I've witnessed those in Catalonia.

He did not seem unfriendly. As for Catalonia, since a not too difficult Romance language, it's not really comparable IMO.

[Admiral Yi]

Someone asked me for directions (I think) in French while in Paris. 

I've always presumed that by look/dress my appearance would scream "American". 

An Italian asked me for help in French in Copenhagen. Except she couldn't really speak French either.