fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #2736 ]

[ SECRET POST #2736 ]

⌈ Secret Post #2736 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 051 secrets from Secret Submission Post #391.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

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I honestly get that about Europe portrayed in some fics.

Not so much the way we talk, but just general descriptions of places, how stuff works, how people interact.

I think not so long ago I read something that had a tight border patrol between two EU countries and I'm thinking: a) that's not right and b) that's researchable, surely. But then, it IS fanfic, and I do have slightly different expectations than from a novel.

But then I've seen some canon that gets it somewhat wrong, too.

I know it's not quite what you mean, but yeah...

It's true that there are different expectations, but still. Make some effort, you're putting something out there that's going to be associated with you in some way.

My feeling is that it doesn't have to be perfect, and sometimes even intentional fudging of facts is okay, but an author, no matter if it's published or fanfic, should at least try for some accuracy. IMO.

I does get me out of the story. If the rest of the fic is good, I'll keep reading, but it does mess up my suspension of disbelief.

a tight border patrol between two EU countries

Waitwaitwait, you mean this isn't a thing? Granted, I've only entered via airports, sooooo....Can you, like, walk merrily between two countries, without getting challenged and/or being searched? (Or shot, if you're going into the U.S.)

Yes. You're American, I think (so am I, that's not meant to be an insult), so basically think of it as like interstate borders. No passport checking, no border guards, nothing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Area

AYRT

I'm Canadian, so my "or shot" was a bit snarky, sorry. :-) Thanks for the info, that is something I never knew. Interesting! (Though I've yet to have any desire to go to Europe/see Europe, at least now I know it's fairly easy.)

Sounds like you're the kind of visitor we can do without, though. :D

Feel free to stay on the American continent and deal with the craziness south of your border, we already have enough problems of our own without needing to import them, thanks anyway!

DA

Wow, that was uncalled for.

(no subject)

hiyami - 2014-07-01 05:51 (UTC) - Expand

You can't be content just bashing the US, now you have to get the poor Canadians who have nothing to do with this into it because they share a landmass with us? You do realize that's like me insulting you for Russia's problems, right?

(Also, the faux-cheery tone is pretty insulting.)

Sounds like you're the kind of resident your country can do without.

wow.

I see the smiley face on your comment, and yet it is so at odds with the rest of your comment, that I really don't know what it means. Maybe: "Europe: Stay Away. Have a nice day."

Do european countries have problems with illegal immigrants? Could I just like pop over and set up camp or do you have laws on who can rent apartments/buy houses?

They do, but those tend to be from outside the EU. When it comes to buying houses and moving in, your EU-country ID only allows you to stay for 90 days, for anything further you need special permits that you can get if you're going to university there, or have a job (and your employer vouches for you I presume - not sure on how it works). And obviously when you're from a non-EU country you get all the controls and searches, stay for as long as your visa allows, and depending on your country of origin you get watched more or less closely.

People from EU countries are quite mobile. I basically lived my whole life on a residence permit in a country that I don't have the nationality of (I'm a bit of a weird case, but people like this exist).

There are tight border patrols on the borders of the Schengen area. Once you're inside, it's assumed that you have been searched and granted access with a proper visa/passport etc, and you won't be required to show your ID and papers at every new border.

Yeah, you can just cross the border. The old border patrols are pretty much abandoned. They can still search you, I guess, if they are looking for smugglers or something, but yes - you basically just get a "welcome to X country sign" et voila, you're past the border (this only goes for EU members, obviously)

AYRT

Cool!

Interesting. Must have been the countries they went to (or the times?) because watching 'Long Way 'Round' (Ewan McGregor and his friend Charlie on motorcycles around the world), they had some issues at checkpoints and things.

I'd have to see it. Do you remember which countries it were?

Oh, wow...lemme see.....
This gives you an idea (from Wiki): London to New York City, via Western and Central Europe, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Siberia, and Canada. It was in 2004.

It's a very cool, very fun, sometimes very touching show - definitely watch if you get the chance!

(no subject)

kallanda_lee - 2014-07-01 15:24 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

tabaqui - 2014-07-01 15:34 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

kallanda_lee - 2014-07-01 16:14 (UTC) - Expand

Bonus: Here's a pretty famous picture of a part of the border between Belgium and the Netherlands in Baarle-Nassau

You will still get searched at airport, so you don't try to take dangerous stuff on the plane. And you'll sill get searched between when leaving the EU (or worse, entering it).

But yeah, once in - you can pretty much go everywhere.

Ha, fantastic.

My family live on the Dutch/Belgian border. I used to take the dog for a walk from one country to the next all the time, and back again, in half an hour on country roads.

Definitely no border controls. It was pretty much like this, except with road signs.

In fact, it's really hard to remember to bring my passport when I fly from one EU country to another, since I cross borders so frequently without one. I got caught out once and had to do a mad passport dash to fetch it.

I'm only about 20 min. drive from the nearest border. I definitely have crossed borders without a passport before (my bad). Technically I'm "out of the country" at least once month.

I'm currently in Germany, and have gone to France and Switzerland in the past few months.

For France, we bought train tickets, got on the train, and went to Paris. No border control whatsoever.

For Switzerland, we drove in. They stopped our car to check that we had bought a sticker allowing us to drive in Switzerland, and then waved us through.

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