It's been a while.

I came back from the United States at the end of September. Kansas City. The majority of which is actually in the state of Missouri rather than Kansas. The sort of fact you'd normally never know unless you actually spent some time there. You know now. I spent a month out there in the late summer heat, acquiring knowledge about a software platform for the firm that I work for. An interesting month. Didn't start well though!

I'd never been to the States before. They really have no idea how to welcome you to their country. There I was standing in a queue to get through Passport Control after a nine hour flight in Minneapolis Airport before getting my connection and this miserable looking Homeland Security chap wanders up and starts giving me the third degree! This guy, greying in his fifties, armed, he was really over the top.

Why was I there? Why couldn't I learn this stuff from home? As if any company is going to go to such expense to send you somewhere if they can just stick you on a series of conference calls or webcasts instead. What was on my laptop? Did I have videos on it? What if he was to boot it up? On and on. He was really aggressive, clearly deliberately trying to be intimidating. His partner I'm sure was doing all that NLP observation stuff the police do in interviews. I hope my keeping my eyes firmly on my aggressor firmly disappointed him. When they finally moved on to someone else the guy behind me, who they left alone, was really shocked - couldn't believe what he'd seen. Relieved I guess that it had been me and not him. He was there for a Rotary exchange - perhaps that's more acceptable then a business visit. In my case a mate of mine went out to Dallas a few years back and got the same so it was kind of half expecting it. Even so it left me feeling pretty empty and quite angry.

So, views? What the hell was that all about? Has anyone had that when going over as a tourist? Is this just a guy thing or have you women out there had to put up with something like that? You know, I've been to some unfriendly countries and never been treated like that on the way in. I still can't work out why treating someone on a business trip in such a manner is of any assistance to a country where the economy needs all the help it can get and where the state really needs all the friends it can muster...

Conclusion... must try harder Uncle Sam.

Fortunately the people of Kansas City were far more friendly...