http://nypost.com/2017/08/13/the-ever-ri...nt-policy/

The numbers are horrifying: 2,408 people dead in the Mediterranean; 365 dead in North Africa; 35 dead in Europe.
A rash of horrific terrorist attacks this year? No, just Europe’s policy — or lack thereof — toward immigrants, and its grisly toll over seven months. Europe’s ad-hoc entry system is cruel to war refugees and cruel to economic migrants, too.
Two years ago, as newcomers arrived on boats across the Mediterranean via lawless Libya, crowding coastal areas of Greece and Italy, Germany did something that won plaudits. Chancellor Angela Merkel informally suspended the requirement that asylum-seekers register in their first port of entry, allowing people to make their way further west. The implied promise of German residency created chaos.
Merkel’s policy ostensibly targeted Syrians fleeing ISIS and war. But the message reached the world. More than a million people crossed that year. Some war refugees found a safe haven. More than 350,000 Syrians applied for asylum. But with no way to record who has entered, it’s impossible to know if asylum applications are representative of where migrants are from....

A friend who travelled to France this summer said there are numerous "no go" zones in the South of France. The country has changed radically from her past trips.

I can only imagine what Milan has become. When I was there in the mid-90s there were very large numbers of young African/North African males, apparently homeless, hanging around parts of downtown.

who'd a thunk dunked 'er....

you have to be stoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooopidddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddduhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh to think that was a good move relative to "policy"

#mobrulesreckoning

it's gonna be real fonzies when the uber rich get taken down.....

nuts zongo is gonna be fishing or dead by then.....

Quote:Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

#dipshites

There are certainly places in Europe that are unrecognizable from just 15 years ago.

Mass migration has already caused irreparable harm to the culture of many parts of Western Europe.

I want to make a trip to Europe in 2018 to experience the architecture there. I'm actually wondering if my moderate skin tone could cause problems. Anyone been there in the last 12 to 18 months? Do I have anything to worry about?

(08-16-2017 08:11 AM)bullet Wrote:  A friend who travelled to France this summer said there are numerous "no go" zones in the South of France. The country has changed radically from her past trips.

I can only imagine what Milan has become. When I was there in the mid-90s there were very large numbers of young African/North African males, apparently homeless, hanging around parts of downtown.

I was in Nice and Milan in late June. What no go areas are you referring to in Milan? What part of the center are your referring to?

By the way, are you saying that the presence of young African/North African males make an area unsafe?

I keep hearing all these stories of no go zones. Why won't any of you guys ever name some neighborhoods?

(08-17-2017 08:50 AM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(08-16-2017 08:11 AM)bullet Wrote:  A friend who travelled to France this summer said there are numerous "no go" zones in the South of France. The country has changed radically from her past trips.

I can only imagine what Milan has become. When I was there in the mid-90s there were very large numbers of young African/North African males, apparently homeless, hanging around parts of downtown.

I was in Nice and Milan in late June. What no go areas are you referring to in Milan? What part of the center are your referring to?

By the way, are you saying that the presence of young African/North African males make an area unsafe?

I keep hearing all these stories of no go zones. Why won't any of you guys ever name some neighborhoods?

People who appear homeless who are just standing around apparently with nothing to do. You purposely left off the part about homeless.

This wasn't people working and going about their business. It wasn't far from the Cathedral in Milan but I don't remember exactly where. Many more than around Houston's Greyhound Terminal.

My friend was in the vicinity of Montpelier and Nimes.

(08-17-2017 06:48 AM)oliveandblue Wrote:  I want to make a trip to Europe in 2018 to experience the architecture there. I'm actually wondering if my moderate skin tone could cause problems. Anyone been there in the last 12 to 18 months? Do I have anything to worry about?

I've been to 21 countries in Europe in the last 2.5 years. I'll be going to 3 additional ones next month.

You will be fine anywhere in Western Europe. If you see a bunch of drunk young males of any color congregating on the streets, just give them a wide berth, like you should do here too. I certainly do. Go.

I feel safer there than I do here. At least the idiots over there aren't usually armed.

Eastern Europe can be a bit worse. I've been with people of color there before. Most of the tourist places you'll go will be fine.

There are a few places I would not go if I were a person of color. Anywhere in Russia is one. Armenia and Georgia are two others. Those would be no go areas. Rural/less tourist dependent areas in Poland, Hungary, Greece, and the former Yugoslavia can be done, but its best to stay in nicer hotels and eat in nicer restaurants in those areas (pretty easy to do - the nice places are still really inexpensive). Speaking American accented English and dressing like the tourist you are helps too (you might look a bit foolish to the locals, and you don't need to overdo it, but if they see you as a Western tourist, there's a much greater chance that they'll leave you alone). At night, don't hang out with drunk locals. Europeans tend to be naturally wary of outsiders in general.

Also note that 'bad service' isn't usually because you are of color. Its usually because everyone gets crappy service there. And the further East you go, the worse it gets. Going out at night? Not a problem. Remember racists are usually losers to begin with. They can't afford to patronize nicer/expat bars.

If you've got specific questions about a specific country, I can provide some guidance.

I'm actually taking a group to Eastern Europe next month. We're going to some pretty iffy places (Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania). We're not visible minorities, but we're targets of the same people.

But if you're going to Western Europe, I wouldn't worry about it - at all.

(08-17-2017 08:58 AM)bullet Wrote:  

(08-17-2017 08:50 AM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(08-16-2017 08:11 AM)bullet Wrote:  A friend who travelled to France this summer said there are numerous "no go" zones in the South of France. The country has changed radically from her past trips.

I can only imagine what Milan has become. When I was there in the mid-90s there were very large numbers of young African/North African males, apparently homeless, hanging around parts of downtown.

I was in Nice and Milan in late June. What no go areas are you referring to in Milan? What part of the center are your referring to?

By the way, are you saying that the presence of young African/North African males make an area unsafe?

I keep hearing all these stories of no go zones. Why won't any of you guys ever name some neighborhoods?

People who appear homeless who are just standing around apparently with nothing to do. You purposely left off the part about homeless.

This wasn't people working and going about their business. It wasn't far from the Cathedral in Milan but I don't remember exactly where. Many more than around Houston's Greyhound Terminal.

My friend was in the vicinity of Montpelier and Nimes.

LOL. Around the Duomo? That's a pretty high end area. For miles in any direction. I did note that the area on the NW side of the main train terminal in Milan isn't the best neighborhood. But if you look on the streets, you see people walking around etc. The locals didn't seem to be concerned about security.

There's a big difference between 'feeling' unsafe and being unsafe.

Apparently homeless? That might or might not be the case. Remember that many Europeans don't have yards and parks can be far away. There's also less vehicular traffic. So people hang out in the streets. One of the most annoying things about my time when I lived over there was all the damn noise from people just hanging out in the street outside my house at all hours of the day and night. Most of them were white btw.

Quote:If you see a bunch of drunk young males of any color congregating on the streets, just give them a wide berth, like you should do here too

I have one problem with your statement Tom (well two, but this one jumps out at me)... Why should I give them a wide berth?