Would NZ accept TSA style “security” at airports?
Filed under: Getting to New Zealand, Life in New Zealand
If you take any notice of world news, you will probably be aware that there are issues in the US (where else) regarding the next level of “security” measures being foisted on the travel public. The issue is that the TSA (Transportation Security Administration – a government agency) has been using high level X-Ray scanners for a small proportion of travelers. These basically give an image of your body underneath your clothes. I don’t think too many of us would be comfortable with that. You can choose to opt out of this – but at that point you are then given a pat-down. Now this is NOT the usual pat down you get if you happen to set off the metal detectors becuase you have a forgotten hair grip in your pocket!
No – this is a full pat down, which includes having your breasts groped, and having someone feel between your legs.
It is being likened to sexual assault, something I can fully understand. I would not accept that. I am not alone in that, and there are now hundreds of complaints being made in the US about these screening procedures. These procedures were even being done on children, Now the TSA has said that children under 12 are exempt – but that still leaves teenage children at the mercy of adults touching them in a way that is considered inappropriate, but somehow is allowed when the US Government does it. Why?
The images from the full body scanners are not supposed to be saved or stored, however Gizmodo has managed to get hold of 100 of these “they will never be stored” images. Apparently the people involved are relatively lucky in this imager was not taking the clearer pictures where little is left to the imagination.
Theres a very good blog showing the issues with this latest “Security” measures, from John Tyner, who refused a body scan and a pat down. Please do read it if you ever intend to fly to the USA. You need to know just how you could be treated, and that you are likely to bullied and threatened if you choose to stand up for your right to be treated with dignity.
The TSA believes “if you don’t like it – don’t fly”. Which is why we refuse to travel to the USA, and have done since they started requiring fingerprints for us to travel there. We are clearly not the only ones who refuse to travel to the US, and it looks like rather than things improving over time, the “security” is getting more extreme, not less. And “freedom” in the USA is a distant myth – with too many people willing to give up their dignity (and that of their children) for the sake of a 1 in 25 million chance of being caught in a terrorist plot on an airline. It’s barmy.
And the barmiest thing of all:
TSA estimates that fewer than 2 percent of the 2 million passengers screened daily, or 40,000, are given the patdowns.
This is what people really need to get their heads round with airport security (in fact any security). This is a procedure that is being carried out of just 2% of the people you are flying with. 98% of the travelers on your plane will NOT go through this extra screening – they could well have set off the metal detector and got an old fashioned pat down. So all this grief, all this mis treatment of people, all this groping of peoples genitals – covers a whopping 2% of the flying public. If the danger was real, everyone would have go through it. Not just 2%. 2% isn’t going to “catch” another “underwear bomber”.
So what does this have to do with New Zealand?
Well, there is an issue with travel to and from NZ. When we first came here, we could not choose to fly with Air New Zealand, as they only fly from the UK via the US. As more and more people refused to fly via the US, Air NZ opened up flights via Hong Kong. I think that says quite a bit about how many people won’t fly via the US.
But more worrying, as a result of the latest media interest in the new scanning procedures, the Dom Post ran a (totally unscientific) poll on whether people thought the pat downs were justified.
It worries me that more Kiwis aren’t mad about these issues. 40% thinking this behavior is acceptable is actually worrying.I wonder if they realise just what these patdowns entail. I hope that if ever the NZ government loses the plot and for some strange reasons think that these invasive and demeaning measure will somehow stop terrorists, that the NZ people tell them to get stuffed. It wont. The only terrorists here are the TSA who are treating the American Public like paces of crap and hoping that continued fear will keep the public in line. Unfortunately it seems to be working.
Interestingly – in Australia, the “security du jour” is an explosives test, where people are ”randomly” taken out of the normally security line and given an extra test. Now its annoying, and honestly, I’d love to know if they have ever found any explosives residues, cos I imagine it’s just as pointless. What I can say is that is It is not in the slightest bit random.
You see, until this trip, every single time I have been though an Aussie airport, I have been given this extra screening. I finally figured out why I was being targeted. It’s becuase Hubby takes longer than me to re-pack his laptop up, and I wait for him before heading off to the shopping area. I’m a target becuase I’m standing around. I got through without being screened this time, because I didn’t wait around at the security check, but went on through. This meant that poor hubby got the explosives test instead of me, because he was waiting round too long.
That means the test isn’t random. Which suggests that neither are these scans or patdowns – which begs the question – how are the staff really choosing who to screen? Are they even aware that they actually aren’t picking random travelers?
There are many things to be afraid of in this world, but giving in to terrorism like this is not the way to fight this. The people who flew those planes into the WTC have managed to completely alter the American way of life and sense of what freedom means. If you chose to fly to or from the US, or in the country – you have no freedom.
I hope one day they wake up and realise what they have given up, and decide that the only real way to fight terrorism is to refuse to give up your freedoms. In the mean time – well done to John Tyner for standing up to the TSA and refusing to be terrorised by a bunch of bureaucrats. And I remain grateful that I live in country that continues to refuse to give in to the sillier “security” abuses.
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The most stunning jewelery I have ever seen.
Filed under: Cost of living, General Budgeting, Things to do
Unfortunately, the website is “under construction” so you cannot drool over the keyboard. But I popped up into the city today (in search of Tunes – to help me breathe more easily – I didn’t find any). I came across the strand arcade, which I had previously skipped due to overexertion in other malls. The Strand Arcade is a smaller and less ornate version of the QVB – still very pretty though.
Love & Hatred grabbed my attention like nothing else has. The name alone grabbed me. It was all dark wood and dim lighting, with medieval style religious icon paintings in the window. I went in, though it looked ultra expensive (which it turned out to be as it happens). Not only did it look medieval, thats the style of the jewelery, but the shop also smelled divine – cloves and scented woods – a bit like mulled wine and banquets. It actually felt like I was walking into a castle chapel – I even felt the need to whisper!
Now this isn’t cheap stuff. The lowest prices were around $500 for simple earrings. Some of the necklaces are several thousands. But the detail is simply stunning. A fair amount of the jewelry is religious in nature – crosses and rosaries, but all of it has medieval themes.
I really hope that one day In the not too distant future I can afford to buy something from here – I don’t have quite enough left of my Sanity Allowance just now to splurge. But one day – I will be back!
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Why the hell does WizWireless want to charge 5.4% Credit Card Surcharge???
Filed under: Banks, Cost of living, General Budgeting, Interest Rates, Credit Cards & Mortgages in NZ
I’ve just had a rather rambling email from WizWireless, our Internet provider, who among other things have said that prices are going up form some people (but don’t actually seem to have told us who and to what – communication is not a high skill of theirs I often have to ask for clarification) and that they will now allow you to pay by Direct Debit or Credit Card.
But they are going to charge a massive 5.4% surcharge on Credit Cards.
WTF???
If their merchant services are charging them that much – they need to change banks, and if they aren’t, then WizWireless need to hang their heads in shame for profiting from bank charges at our expense.
I’m sick of this. It’s rampant here in Australia – all over the news this week (well before a royal engagement announcement anyway) was the fact that about 60% of businesses here are planning on charging CC Surcharges. Cos of course they aren’t already charging an arm and a sodding leg! Restaurants and Hotels seem to be the worst. The Hilton – to whom we paid over $100 for 2 main meals and 2 glasses of wine (using a Bogof deal from the entertainment card) snuck on a 1.5% CC Surcharge at the till.
Turns out we are exempt from the surcharge that the hotel charges. Like I’ve said before – a lot of people will remove the charges if you ask them to. The guy at the hotel asked me in a confused tone why I didn’t want to pay it! What the hell can you say to that?
Um – cos you are ripping me off and I kinda object to that?
I went with:
Because my bank is already charging 2.75% to pay your bill, I really don’t see why I should have to pay another 1.5% to your bank to cover your bank charges as well as my own.
I have asked WizWireless to justify the charge, especially as it is so ridiculously high, and why I should pay their bank charges as well as my own. Depending on the response, I may pass this to the Consumers Organisation.
To Businesses.
If you don’t want to take credit cards – then don’t take them – but don’t charge us for the privilege of trying to pay your sodding bills – which are already way too expensive.
So think twice (or three times) before becoming a customer of WizWireless. This was a great company to deal with before it got taken over (again – I think we are on the 4th incarnation since we put our Radio Mast in 5 years ago). But it’s getting more and more expensive, and now it’s not a straightforward choice on price – they are catching up with the other options. I think it’s time to look at those options. They may well still be cheaper, but I think I’ll actually check and try and fine a company thats a bit easier to deal with.
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Shopping in Sydney – Part 3
Filed under: Cost of living, General Budgeting, Life in New Zealand, Things to do
A better day of shopping g today mostly I think because I went a bit old school and dcided to try the department stores rather than malls: Myers and David Jones. Note to self for next time: Myers doesn’t have a food hall. I was after some foodie goodies. It does however have multiple floors of clothes and shoes to gaze at lovingly if you like that sort of thing, and sad though it may seem – I was quite taken with the fact that they sell Dunlopillows. ($109 which sell for about £22 in the UK – gulp – but hey – not available in NZ and I’m very particular about my pillows!) Also found the most gorgeous purple champagne flutes, which I would have bought a dozen of, except I’m sure they wont make the flight home in one piece. Dammit!
Thing is on leaving Myers I followed signs to David Jones. They are basically right next to each other, despite which the signs actually take you back in to the Westfield mall.
Arghhhhh
Even worse there’s no sign there telling you which way to go to get from there to David Jones. I guess that would spoil the gleaming templeness of the place.
Arghhhhhhh
Ah well what’s life if not an adventure. While trying to find my way I looked over a balcony and spied a woman drinking what looked like a decent strength flat white so I took a detour hoping I could find my way back. Three Beans Cafe in The basement level (seriously, I get it Sydney) and yes a decent flat White can be had! It also feels to me a wonderful eclectic NZ style cafe. I could become a fan I think.
Now I just have to find my way to David Jones.
Written from my iPhone @ Three beans.
…Time passes…
Finally made it to David Jones – up one level from the cafe and then pick one of two entrances to the store. I picked the wrong one obviously! Geeze – this city really likes winding me up. There are in fact 2 separate David Jones stores: Elizabeth St and Market St – and the food hall is in the Market St one. However – it has to be said that once I got there – it was well worth the hassle.
I could have spent a fair whack of money here, especially on a 1kg Pudding Lady gluten free and sugar free Christmas pudding. Only issue is that it’s $50.
So maybe not eh? Well all in all, the day did go better. I even managed to buy some Christmas pressies in a store while I was in the basement. And I’m figuring out my way round the inner city, and obviously look as if I know what I’m doing – cos 2 people asked me for directions. And I could give them!
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Shopping in Sydney – Part 2
Filed under: Cost of living, General Budgeting, Life in New Zealand, Things to do
It was time to face the prospect of major city shopping, so I started this morning with elegance – at the QVB – Queen Victoria Building. At least here, when you get bored of wall to wall expensive “stuff”, you can oggle at the gorgeousness of the building and the miles of stained glass. And at the moment, a rather swanky Christmas tree.
QVB is basically a palace of designer stuff, with a few cafes dotted around (got a nice long black at the Vienna Cafe on the top floor. You can also get high teas in the Tea Room – as sampled by Domestic Executive recently, and thus photographed to look exceedingly scrummy. I’m quite tempted to try one – and take the inevitable cost of the sugar overload.
This is somewhere where I just seem to wander round, soaking up the atmosphere, rather than shopping per se – but then to be frank, shopping bores me to tears at the best of times – and its not like I can really spurge right now anyway. I was rather taken with the jewelery on sale in the Metropolitan Museum of Art shop – but pairs of earrings start at about $200, so I just gawped for a while.
I also tried to look round a shop selling expensive hair accessories, but the guy running it thinks its perfectly acceptable to touch the customers, was decidedly “iffy” and thought that my T Shirt slogan (Bite Me – from Dracula’s at the Gold Coast) was probably an invite. 
If you visit – I suggest you hang around for the Royal Clock chiming on the hour – its rather something.
In the basement of the QVB are the more “average” shops, and handily a walk through to the Pitt St Mall, now home to a Westfield shopping centre. They were building this last time I was here, so it was nice to see it finished and not so much a pile a roadworks and rubble. Pit Street itself is just a pedestrianised area, and the Westfield center sit across that and the surrounding streets. Its actually a bit hard to describe, but then I got lost several times trying to wander round. The center is basically a gleaming black, glass and mirrored temple to rampant (exceedingly expensive) commercialism and designer overload. Great for people with wads of money to burn – or a credit card they don’t really care about – but I just felt a little depressed to be honest. Once again – the “normal” (read cheap) shops are stuck in the basement.
I think Sydney is trying to tell me something.
So, did I buy anything???
Well yes. I bought a book (shock, horror – thats a whole other post right there – coming up next). I bought a bar of Sugar Free chocolate (Darrell Lea Milk – don’t bother), and the piece de resistance – a pair of strappy black heels from Nine West! In fact that alone made the traipsing round endless rows of shops worthwhile. Why oh why cant we get a Nine West in Wellington? Not that I don’t love Mi Piachi – the only shoe shop in town that seems to sell shoes I like – but a little variety would be nice.
Apparently Nine West ship to NZ for $25, but really I think you do need to try shoes on. I probably would have bought something in a shop called Tree Of Life (ethnic clothing and stuff), but the shop assistant was just way to pushy, so I left – rapidly.
I think I’ve nearly had my fill of shopping to be honest – but I may give it another go today – just to make sure.
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Attempt at shopping in Sydney – part 1
Yesterday, I had my first chance to go shopping in Sydney. Now, I’ve done this before, but between my last visit to the city and now, theres been some changes – some new shopping centers in the central city. I decided that I wasn’t quite ready to face a crowded, cosmopolitan (and expensive) city experience, so chickened out.
And went to 
instead.
Which first thing on a Monday morning isn’t actually crowded, it’s not expensive, and I guess some people probably consider it cosmopolitan.
Now getting to IKEA in Sydney is actually fairly easy – its $5.40 return on the train to Rhodes shopping centre. Theres no signs at the railway station to tell you where to go – so head for the shopping centre – IKEA is inside. So theres no stonking huge bright blue building to head towards. Least ways- eventually I found it.
First thing – I checked whether they have started shipping to New Zealand yet. They haven’t. Then I went shopping.
Normally, I tend to work out what I want before hand, but this was when having to deal with the rampaging hordes at Birmingham’s IKEA in the UK, but as I haven’t seen inside one of these stores for over 6 years, and this one looked fairly quite, I went for a slow meander. To be honest – its almost a waste of time, on account of you cant actually get a couple cheap sofas in a suitcase (not even one as big as I took out with us -empty). But eventually, after once more muttering imprecations at Auckland City council for denying us access to cheap, big bookcases – I made it to the marketplace.
I actually didn’t buy a whole lot – 6 mugs @ 99c each (last time I bought some simple mugs in NZ they were 11.99 each!), 2 small lamps for $14.99 each (that’s something we really desperately need in NZ – cheap lighting options!) and a LACK side table - becuase I saw it in flat pack as I heading for the tills and figured I could manage it.) And to be honest – this was exactly the point of going.
You see the LACK table cost $19.99 about $25 NZD. Now its not exactly high end quality – but then I’m on a budget – I’m not after solid oak here. At the Warehouse – also not high end quality – in fact as cheap and nasty as you can get – the nearest equivalent – the Reside Side table is $59.99. Which is a bit of a con really. I have one of the reside tables – the coffee table – and its not holding up very well to be honest. The LACK coffee table is more expensive – at $99.99, but that makes it just a bit more expensive than the Reside version, and I imagine it will still hold up better.
Things then took a slight turn for the worse: by the time I got out of there, and went for what I personally felt was a well deserved coffee – it was chucking it down with rain. And I’ve got a five minute walk back to the train station – with an overlarge IKEA bag, and a flat pack side table which wasn’t as easy to carry as it looked. I did consider waiting it out – turned out not doing was a good idea as it was still chucking it down at 7pm! So with no brolly, I trudged (actually waded in some parts) back to the station.
Then of course I had to get from the station to the hotel – mercifully fairly close – but with the pourdown we had – 2 meters would have drowned a rat. And of course – I took the wrong exit from the Town Hall railways station, so ended up walking much further than I should have – now trying to handle the still oversized IKEA bag, a now wet and slippery flat packed side table, and a rather grumpy me.
Who didn’t have a spare hand to carry a damn coffee!
Next time I’m taking a taxi back – and to hell with budget considerations!
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Visiting sunny Wollongong
The nicest thing about the Internet is that you can meet and make friends with people you have never met, and then there’s always a small chance you get to meet them one day.
So it was with great pleasure we got meet someone had become friends with during our time playing Evony, who happens to live not that far from Sydney. It was a glorious day, and a chance to be the tourists, being shown around by a local with a true appreciation of the place.
Wollongong Harbour
The Bay and the swimming pools
The original “swimming pool”, some of which is still left.
The Blow Hole at Kiama Bay
The blow hole in action
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Giving up coffee for a week.
No, the world has not come to an end. I’m just in Sydney. And the coffee is just awful.
Now, to be fair, I’m sure there is somewhere in this rather large city that understands that a Flat Whit should not be steamed milk that has had a coffee bean gently wafted in it’s general direction – but so far – 3 tries – 3 unbelievably weak and awful coffee’s.
So I have decided that for 1 week – I am just giving up on the whole coffee thing.
On the plus side – my bacon and eggs this morning, courtesy of City Extra at Circular Quay was SALTY! Not sweet – it actually tasted like proper honest bacon. Actually, I also had a coffee there this morning – a decaff long black, which is my usual tipple. It was pretty good. Sad though it might sound for all the fancy places to eat in Sydney – this is probably my favorite. Basically cos its a 24 hour diner, and you can get a fry up for all of those 24 hours. Not that I have done that – but it’s the thought that counts. I could get bacon and eggs at 1.30am. And like it. If I needed it.
View from the ferry – from Darling Harbour to Circular Quay (and Breakfast)
Sydney Opera House from the Ferry.
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Expat Kiwis in Australia are having problems.
It really isn’t just Brits emigrating to New Zealand that struggle to make ends meet sometimes. Kiwi’s crossing the Tasman (which for them is pretty much like Europeans being able to live throughout Europe) are finding that the grass is not always greener. Personally having lived in NZ for a while now, I can’t say I really see the draw of moving to Aussie, but hey.
One of the issues that some are finding is that they can’t get benefits in their country. What shocks me is that they thought they would be allowed to. Especially given the stink the mere thought of immigrants to New Zealand bludging benefits causes here. But it seems having gone in search of better wages and living conditions, and not finding the work needed to get it – some Kiwis are resorting to begging.
[Sallie Army] says they seem to be getting a misleading message about opportunities in Australia.
“They come with this understanding from somewhere that it’s easy to get cheap rental accommodation and employment,” he said.
“When they get here they find that that’s definitely not the case and we’ve had most of that 40 turn up at our centre in really difficult circumstances.”
A spokesman for the Department of Immigration said as long as the New Zealand citizens were not in Australia illegally, the department had no stance on the issue
Very helpful of the Immigration Dept there I think.
I also imagine there is probably a time after which you would be eligible for benefits – much as in New Zealand it depends on the type of visa, and length of time in the country.
I think the lesson here if the is one is that emigrating doesn’t always improve your life, and in these financial times, it doesn’t really pay to emigrate to a new country without a job, income and home in place.
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Saving The Hobbits.
Today was Labour Day in New Zealand. And today was the day I attended my first ever Rally. This one was to show that people want to support Peter Jackson and the people that work for him – that we do not think he is a “spoiled brat” – and that he should not be vilified becuase he cant personally give a small group of actors an agreement that they can get standard terms and conditions on any and every job they get offered – even the ones he isn’t involved in.
To me – Peter Jackson and his team are the epitome of what is great about New Zealand. They don’t care that its a small country, they don’t care that theres only 4 million people here. They don’t care that we don’t yet have the best of everything in the world. All they care about is that here – you can BE the best in world – you can DO the best in the world, and you can damn well MAKE the best in the world.
I cant really compare this rally with others – but it was a very friendly and warm atmosphere.
The issue is still rumbling on: Warner Bros are speaking to Jackson and the Government Tomorrow. There are still some people who truly seem to believe that WB have somehow engineered all this to cop a better tax break from the NZ Government. To my knowledge – this is one of those things that just gets repeated so often – that people think it is true – but the only people saying it are the damn actors union and the journalists – and anyone who agrees with them. PJ hasn’t said he needs more tax break, and WB haven’t either.
The Actors involved (those who are prepared to say who they are) still seem to be coming up with a new version of the story every day. It has even been claimed that there was no international boycott – which is an interesting attempt at spin. There is no contrition – just a lament that they too want the Hobbit to be filmed here. That I actually believe. I honestly think that they just never expected PJ to take this snafu public – and let everyone know that his film was being held hostage. I don’t believe that they thought for one minute their actions would have the consequences they did. But they did have dramatic consequences – and continually refusing to front up and take some responsibility for the problems caused has just undermined the union, and a few actors in particular.
Sir Richard Taylor – Weta Digital
Sure – we need to fight for improved wages and conditions in New Zealand. But we need to do it for everyone. If this debacle has shown one thing – its that there are too many people in the unions here – the head of the Council of Trade Unions, Helen Kelly, for one who believe : “All workers are equal – but some workers are more equal than others”. Thats just not true. You do not have to be a member of a union to have work rights. Many of the people who would lose their jobs if the Hobbit was taken offshore are indeed union members – but they don’t count it seems. The unions should be fighting for everyone – not just a chosen few, and not just at a time its politically expedient for them – which right now in New Zealand seems to be the case. Becuase it is worth remembering that wages were kept low, and taxes high, and work terms and conditions were still appalling in New Zealand under the last Government -and that was at a time of financial boom.
Most of the staff made redundant at IBM could have used union representation. Not everyone has the will, the means or the sheer bloody-mindedness to take on a company that screws them over. But using your union to screw a company over for no other reason than you think it can get you what you want – even if they simply cannot do what you want – and they actually haven’t done anything wrong is a blatant misuse of that union – and the union movement.
Theres an interesting article here – an interview with Simon Whipp – hes the Aussie in charge of the Union. He makes it clear that they tried to talk with the producers of Outrageous Fortune, The Cult, and This is Not My Life – and failed. So my question is – seeing how your union members were actually involved in those shows – why the hell didn’t they refuse to work on them until standard T&C’s were written???? I can tell you – my life would have been significantly improved with a different set cast on TINML!
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