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I lived in the US for 5 years - I went there as an exchange student when I was 17, finished high school then went to university. One day, just before completing
by jdimov10 10y ago
I lived in the US for 5 years - I went there as an exchange student when I was 17, finished high school then went to university. One day, just before completing my CS & Math degree, I was arrested, imprisoned and (after 3 months of being bounced around various detention facilities in 3 different states, without any explanation) I was deported for violating my student visa (because I had to work to pay tuition).
Have not set foot there since 2012 and don't intend to, even though my wife really wants to visit NYC. Frankly, right now I feel I would be safer visiting North Korea or Syria or Yemen, than the US. I'm absolutely terrified by just about anything that has to do with the USofA.
I have also come to distrust Americans more than any other group of people.
[For context, I'm a white, middle-class entrepreneur / software engineer, originally from east Europe, now living in the UK]
- dragonbonheur 10y agoPlease, Please, please, pretty please-with-extra-sugar-and-rainbow-sprinkles-and-chocolate-chips on top, do not visit North Korea, Yemen, Syria or even Dubai or Abu Dhabi either.
- jdimov10 10y agoAlready been to Dubai and Abu Dhabi multiple times, for both pleasure and business. Have taken my family a few times too. We love it there (although I am not at all oblivious to the way they treat Asian workers). And for Yemen - I have been dying to visit Sana'a, such a deeply beautiful place. And I'm devastated that this seems like an impossible dream now, after the US/Saudi invasion.
- robk 10y agoYou should absolutely go to Syria and report back how much better it is and how much more free you feel there.
- jdimov10 10y agoYour sarcasm is shallow, but your intelligence is even shallower.
- throwaway049 10y agoBeing deported for a visa violation seems like a fair application of the law, although from what I know about you solely based on this post, America's loss is the UK's gain.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- ghshephard 10y agoWell, if you had done that in Singapore, heck, not even worked, just overstayed your visa, you would have both gone to prison and been caned. Visa laws for countries can be very, very serious. Violating them can get you in a lot of trouble - certainly not unique to the United States. In comparison to a lot of other countries, the United States isn't even particularly harsh if you overstay your visa - certainly no caning.
- dragonbonheur 10y agoSingapore would have given him a fair trial.