Re: [OT] Completely off-topic and useless celebrating re: World Cup

In a message dated Thu, 20 Jun 2002  8:34:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
Mike.Elliott@steria.co.uk writes:

> Many a true word spoken in jest! I know a lady from the States who is
over
> here on a teaching exchange and she told us that the majority of our
US
> cousins don't have a passport - they've never been outside their
country!
> Of course there are several thousand US citizens who have been all
over the
> world, but then they don't need passports - they're in the 
> armed forces!
> Have gun will travel?
> 
> Mike

Just to make a point in our defence on this.
 First, the 2 nations we share physical borders with don't require
passports for US citizens to cross. Quite a few of us have visited
Canada and Mexico that way.
 Secondly, some years ago I took a 12 hour air trip, not counting 3
hours in a layover. Except for the time spent over international waters,
I was always inside the US. NYC to Honolulu via San Fransisco, covering
about 6 time zones.
 Lastly, I just this weekend took a trip to see my parents. 750 miles
round trip. Only went from NYC to the Shenandoah valley, of ACW fame, in
western Virginia. Hardly a decent line on most US maps. 
 Most Europeans, even a lot of Americans, don't really grasp the size of
this country, or the variety contained inside it.  There is a lot to see
and a lot of differing cultures right here inside the borders. When you
add in the rest of NA, not having a passport is really not an incredible
handicap.