"Ugly American"

[stardust]

Hello,

I gotta tell my story in detail of one of my trips to Europe a few years ago and my experience with what I believe is one of the worst cases of "Ugly American" that I have ever witnessed.

Having flown 11 hours straight accross the Atlantic to Gatwick airport myself and a friend landed there in what should have been the beginning of a wonderful trip for the both of us to Europe and an opportunity for my friend to visit the origin of his roots from which no member of his family had done since the Kaiser was in place back in the early 1900's.
As I mentioned booze had been consumed the entire trip aboard airforce 69..lol and my personal small bottle of southern comfort had been consumed as well by my friend who I refer to as only as "Defoe" This set the stage for the nastiest of all trips in which I hope is never remotely duplicated in the next 1000 years.
Upon landing we proceeded to the customs clearance and took our place in line as I watched Defoe through the corner of my eye in an opposite line from. His stagger was evident but he had somehow managed to stabalize himself in what I can descibe as a second wind of sorts and seemed to be negotiating well. Myself being relatively sober figured it was all routine as this was a typically simple procedure.
Routine was not the order of the day as this trip had all the trappings of "Bad Carma gone worse". As I reached the female officer and was asked where I was going I replied "well were not sure yet but were taking the chunnell to Europe". She asked if I had addresses of my destination and I replied "no" she asked how long etc... and I replied"I dont know" She continued to look at my passport and curtly glance at me rudely for some reason. She then said " I need an adress where you are staying". I said " I dont know".
After some 6 or so minutes of her questions and my " I dont know's, it was eveident she had it out for me and in a way I also had it out for her for some reason but in any case I was being honest and her questions seemed to be a bit too probing for my liking. She finally let me clear but not without a look of consternation and politeness that even lacked the typical british fashion as I was accustomed to.

Upon taking a train from the airport and shaking a few "so called proffesionals of the state who were in tow close behind it became once again eveident that this trip was gonna be more than routine. After popping on a train and moving back three cars and then watching my following friends lose me us we depated that train before it left and I waved to my would be escorts and we caught the next one out to the train station to catch the chunnell.

to be continued

Stardust