Come to America: We’re Not So Bad

Let’s not go into the matter of how America currently viewed around the world now, ok? That could lead to all sorts of lengthy diatribes from commenters, some of which, I would guess, even we American gadlingers could agree with. No, let’s look instead and the shinier side of the coin, and how the United States Government and Mickey Mouse (indistinguishable to some pundits) are ramping up a campaign to streamline visa procedures and, ahem, upgrade friendliness.

The New Zealand Herald reports the the FAA and Uncle Sam are hoping to cut waiting times for visas and to start happy, smiling programs at major international airports like Dulles and Houston to make the arrival for foreigners more, shall we say, pleasant. Needless to say, New York will likely be left out of this project because the people here are already so darn nice.

Where does all the niceness come from, beyond, of course, the inherent amiability of American airport workers? Why, from the good folks at Walt Disney, who, along with other theme park professionals, are coming to the aid of the government as “consultants”. Some of them apparently took note of the “long, drab corridors, long lines of visitors and a lot of empty immigration agents’ booths” and apparently saw the need for improvement. (Gosh, really?) I’m no hospitality engineer, but might I suggest fitting all new visitors with mouse ears and sending them to Orlando. Then they’ll never come back. Problem solved.