Australia's equivalent of CIA director endures the full treatment at US border.

[MelissaB]

Link to tweet

But if the Possum Magic author feels cheesed by her "terrifying ordeal", spare a thought for Nick Warner, the Director-General of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service. You'd think being the top government spy of a staunch US ally – travelling on a diplomatic passport – would spare you the latex welcome, but no. Not even. Warner got the full treatment last month at LAX arrivals, transferring for meetings in the capital (including, you'd safely assume, at Langley, Virginia). Could you imagine the uproar in Washington if John Brennan or Meroe Park copped a solid frisking at Tullamarine? Yeah right – as if they'd even countenance the indignity of flying commercial!

Read more: http://www.afr.com/brand/rear-window/asis-directorgeneral-nick-warner-cops-mem-fox-treatment-at-us-

Link to tweet

[MineralMan]

1. That's funny, right there.

I don't care who you are. This over-zealousness by our CBP folks at the airports is getting further and further out of hand. Some retraining is going to be needed to prevent more of these truly embarrassing incidents.

I can just imagine this top-secret spy guy from OZ telling this story at whatever meetings he had. Memos have gone out, I'm quite certain. This makes us look like some third-world banana republic. It truly does.

[Wellstone ruled]

2. Side note,

Travel Industry is in total turmoil,Foreign Bookings are going thru the floor. When the Airlines start layoffs,then the real story begins.

Got to be real interesting up at the Falls and Warroad.

[MineralMan]

3. I'm sure that's true. Even now, I'm sure there

are Australians cancelling flights and rebooking to some other destination.

This kind of stuff is going to backfire in a big, big way.

As far as Minnesota's border with Canada, that might as well be a different state, as far as I'm concerned. I never go there, really. My wife and I drove up to Ely one time, to see the Bear Center, but even that was a long drive for us.

[Wellstone ruled]

4. Ausies much like

Minnesotans,come to Vegas by the Plane loads weekly.

That is one long ugly drive to Ely,did many a time.

[MineralMan]

5. We went there via 61 to Duluth and north to Hwy 1.

We came back on 169. Both ways were pretty boring much of the time. I liked 1, but my wife thought it was too uninhabited.

[Wellstone ruled]

10. Same trip,only pulling a

25 foot trailer and three Commando Tots giving you interesting commentary about,are we there yet.

[MineralMan]

13. Oh, my! And all we had was a beagle-basset doggie who

tends to car-sickness (we didn't know that). We made a number of stops for the pooch.

Actually, I sort of like driving through sparsely populated places on two-lane roads, but my wife doesn't so much. What shocked me was the scarcity of places to have a quick lunch on the North Shore. And then, after turning onto HWY 1, there's literally nothing for miles and miles of miles and miles.

The drive back on 169 was more interesting. That's a main route from the cities to the north, so there are more amenities along the way. It takes longer, though than the other route, I discovered, and then you end up on the wrong side of the Twin Cities at rush hour, which is not a wonderful thing.

Still and all, I did get to see some of Minnesota, and that's a good thing. Got to see the bears, too. We're big fans.

[Wellstone ruled]

15. North Shore is a bit

sparse for amenities once you leave Two Harbors. And yes,hit the Twin Cities at rush hour is trip in it's self. Lived on the Northwest Side just off the Hwy from hell,694.

[MineralMan]

16. Well, we live in the northeast corner of St. Paul.

and yes, 694 is a horror at rush hour, in both directions. Oh well. We still have our winters to enjoy here!

[Wellstone ruled]

18. Especially South St Paul at the River.

[MineralMan]

19. Fortunately, both my wife and I work at home, so

we can choose when to venture out. Rush hour is not our choice, ever.

[Wellstone ruled]

20. Way to go.

Trying to avoid flunking Retirement again,failed five previous attempts. After nearly two decades of B to B Service in the Southern Metro,know the drill.

[Hortensis]

14. "Mom, he's touching me!"

Some memories I will carry vividly to the grave.

[MineralMan]

17. In my family, as a kid, it was "Mom! Brother's LOOKING at me!"

We didn't have flat screens playing DVDs in the back seat then. No seat belts either, back in the 1950s. It's a wonder we survived all that, to be sure.

[Hortensis]

21. Oh, yes! "He's LOOKING at me again!"

Wincing still at what have become happy memories. Perhaps someday memories of our small grandchildren bent over, intensely focused on tiny screens and keyboards will bring a smile too. Doubt it, but what we would have given for that distraction anyway.

Also remembering we drove our first as an infant for two weeks around 6 western states in a padded dresser drawer on the floor behind the driver's seat...

Speaking of "safety," you know what I was missing the other day? The sight of one tiny shoe by the side of the road, or lying all alone in a parking lot. That doesn't happen any more.

[MineralMan]

7. Lots of Aussies in the LA area for Disneyland, etc., too.

There are so many other places they could go. I think things like this will affect tourism from many countries a great deal.

I hope they get this under control pretty soon.

[tblue37]

8. It already has. Tourism is down already, and promises to keep dropping. nt

[Wellstone ruled]

11. Here in Vegas,

it is all about the Strip. The Numbers for Feb should be interesting,but,these numbers tend to be juiced.

[tblue37]

6. The former prime minister of Norway, also with a diplomatic passport, was

detained for hours and aggressively questioned in NY, because he spoke at a human rights conference in Iran THREE years ago!

[MineralMan]

9. We're pretty stupid and insular in the United States, it seems.

If we're holding up heads of state and important government officials from our allies, imagine what an ordinary traveler must go through. Here I thought tourism was an important industry in the US, bringing money into the country. I guess not, eh?

[stillcool]

12. wow..

they must have put together some list.