Travel for business?

[Silverback]

Does anyone have to travel for business? If so, What do you think of it? I think many people believe it's great, time to get away, nice hotel, see new places, paid for too. But it's not what people think. It's not touring around doing what you want, it's working accept you do it in another city that typically looks the same as any other city (within NA) but you don't get your own comfy bed. You can't really go out, because you have to work the next day, and you're alone. How many bars do you hit up in Toronto by yourself? I could go on, but I'll leave it at that for now.

So, any traveller's?

<---- dislikes business travel.

 

[deep]

As per your screen name I have this mental image of a silverback gorilla in a tuxedo (haha monkey suit, get it?) crammed into a coach class seat with a kid crying beside him

Your in flight meal is obviously a banana

 

[pr0nstar]

Well I travel ... sometimes for work.
But it is within Ontario.

I'd love it if it wasn't Ontario!!!

But I still miss my comfy bed anywhere I go.. vacation, work, etc..

 

[H2Whoa]

As long as its less than 4 days I'm usually ok with it. I periodicaly go to Ireland, Atlanta, Montreal and Regina. The UK trips take the most out of me. Living out of a suitcase and sitting in airports loses its luster quickly. The customs grilling gets irritating also.

 

[Eclectic]

Business travel rocks my socks!

I got to get away from here for 3 months last year going to Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg helping train new people to the company.


Just got an office in Florida, hoping to fly there.

It depends on what you do though I think.

I did the typical 5 day work week and had weekends to myself.....so I got to tour.

If you just go for a day or two it may get useless cause you'll have no time to do anything.

But that's why you talk to your "associates" and find a bar.

You'll make many friends......

 

[vinder]

i hated it too. yes if you're there for weekends it can be ok, but you'd much rather be able to come home on weekends. sucks ass especially when you have to go to buttfuck middle of nowhere in the US.

and let's not get started on craving real homecooked food after a few days.

<-- not a big fan of business travel

 

[Silverback]

No bananas, had to settle for pretzels.

The customs people always make me nervous and I've haven't done anything wrong. I for some stupid reason, always get the random check! The US airports have military guys at the security check point now with large rifles. The security at Logan airport?!?! My god, insane! I wouldn't mind a trip over the pond once in a while, my travel is always within NA and from my point of view (working) they (Cities) all look the same. I'd much rather go home at night to MY place with MY stuff than some hotel room. Gotta love high speed at hotels now.

Rental cars can be fun though. Got a nice white crown vic, they really move.

 

[Silverback]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by vinder:

and let's not get started on craving real homecooked food after a few days.
</font>

Ack!! Eating out all the time? You don't realize how good those home meals are. The ones where you don't really cook anything, but you snack on this and that which fills you up? Trying out new restaurants can backfire too! Ever had a pile of blue cheese on a burger?

&lt;--- Didn't finish his burger this evening. Was rather disappointed with the whole dinner experience today.

 

[Silverback]

I sound like such a whiner.

 

[miguel]

i've had to do it and it sucks

you don't actually see any of the city as you're allways at your hotel or where you should be for work.

all you have to look forward to is the porn in your suite and the minibar.

 

[Trini]

I do.

I used to really enjoy it because my company used to really go all out by booking 5 star hotels, flying business class, luxary car rentals, unlimited expense account for food, entertainment and such.

But after a few times, your diet goes out of wack, you get bored in the after hours of work in a strange city with no friends and family around. I just used to miss the comforts of home and interacting with familiar people.

I have to do it, everytime I do, I dislike it more.

Dave

 

[Bull Go Ki]

I've got a question. For all you veteren flyers.

I have a criminal record for something very petty, which I was charged with years ago when I was 18.

Last year, on my way to New York via BUS, I got denied at the border by U.S. Customs. They checked my name in their system and denied me entrance to the States because of my petty criminal record.

I was wondering what the process is like traveling to the states by plane. Does Canadian or US Customs check you at pearson and do they input you name into a computer to check for a criminal record?

I may get a job which requires me to travel to the states here and there and im wondering if i'll run into any problems.

ez

db

I may get this job which requires me to travel. My question is

 

[coleridge]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Bull Go Ki:


I was wondering what the process is like traveling to the states by plane. Does Canadian or US Customs check you at pearson and do they input you name into a computer to check for a criminal record? </font>

Yes they can. And they're probably even more likely to do it these days.

 

[miguel]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Bull Go Ki:
I've got a question. For all you veteren flyers.

I have a criminal record for something very petty, which I was charged with years ago when I was 18.

Last year, on my way to New York via BUS, I got denied at the border by U.S. Customs. They checked my name in their system and denied me entrance to the States because of my petty criminal record.

I was wondering what the process is like traveling to the states by plane. Does Canadian or US Customs check you at pearson and do they input you name into a computer to check for a criminal record?

I may get a job which requires me to travel to the states here and there and im wondering if i'll run into any problems.

ez

</font>

---------------------------------------------

they can look you up.. and they usually do deny you when they choose to look you up and find the red flag in their computer. this has happenned to soem friends of mine. maybe there's something you can do, an immigration lawyer would be able to answer those questions a bit better. a friend of mine had this problem and managed to get permission to
travel to the states after getting some legal work done. i can't remember if his record was from when he was under 18 though.

 

[miguel]

by the way you go through US customs at pearson.

 

[janiecakes]

is there any way someone could get a pardon for a petty little offense so that it would be easier for them to travel?

i seem to remember hearing something about that, i'm gonna go and see if i can find anything.

 

[Nesta]

I travel for work, but as a tour escort/guide. I get to see all of the famous attractions and momuments, and I get to stay in all of the best hotels and eat at all of the best restaurants. And I'm not talking about no shitty cities either, I mean Rome, Venice, Florence, Lugano, NYC, Montreal, Ottawa. Atlantic City, etc...

 

[Balzz]

I did a fair bit of travelling last year for my job as part of our IT integration team. It was interesting - they put me up in nice suites too. I stayed in the same Embassy Suites as Pres. Bush did when I went to Little Rock, Arkansas. Woohoo! Ok, it wasn't really that exciting.

Unfortunately, I've been to a few god forsaken places too like Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. The town isn't even on a freakin weather map.

 

[Adam Duke]

Hey Nesta, any openings at your work?

@m.

 

[*SiLver*RoBoT*]

I travel quite frequently and hate it. It's not as glamarous as it seems, although I get to stay in some swanky hotels. Mostly it's work for 2 days and go back to the hotel and sleep.

There was a period of time where I was left the office on Tuesday and come back Thursday, leave Tuesday and come back Thursday for a period of 2 months. Got very tiresome dealing with customs.

There are some benefits like eating sweet meals and clients taking you out. I've got to goto some really nice places, but have had my fair share of no so nice....

Janiecakes - I'll find out the info for you. I have a friend that had to go through the process you were discussing about.

*over*and*out*

*SiLver*RoBoT*

 

[janiecakes]

thanks silver robot.

bull go ki, i found out a little bit of info, it looks like you can get an exclusion waiver package from US immigration, and you fill it out and send it in, and they will look at your charges and the reasons you need to enter the US and if they think everything is ok, they'll grant you a multi-entry waiver.

 

[Ditto Much]

they new about all of my immigartion frauds and about the dropped charges agianst me from 98 in under a minute at Pearson.


They're accurate, and they're none to pleasent when your like me.

 

[*SiLver*RoBoT*]

www.pardonscanada.com

Janie - check that site out - apparently has good info.

*over*and*out*

*SiLver*RoBoT*

 

[Bull Go Ki]

Thanks for the info everybody.

janiecakes, thanks for the US immigration advice, i'll be giving them a call tommorow for more details.

www.pardonscanada.com is a service which takes care of all the administrative details involved to process your pardon, but there service costs like $500+ not inclucing the admin fees involved.

Im going to take care of mine by myself and save a couple 5 hundred bucks. anyone else in the same boat can check out http://www.npb-cnlc.gc.ca/infocntr/factsh/pardon.htm for more details and the application.

The website states that, A pardon does not guarantee entry or visa privileges to another country. but what have i got to lose.

ez

db

 

[jynx]

I travel all the time for my job(within Ontario)wish it was overseas...I love it though....sure I spend some time in meetings, but my companies give me free stuff, pay for everything(hotel, travel, food) I get to check out new places, visit friends and hit up bars and get paid for all of it.