First airline ticket bought with bitcoin.

[jjjrmy]

Hope you had a safe flight and you had no problems getting through security or anything.

[1713985965]

1713985965

[Vod]

My understanding after reading your post is that a plane ticket was bought using US Dollars.

BTC Economist, eventually most things must be converted to local currency at some point. The fact is I paid with bitcoin.

You gave someone bitcoins, but the ticket wasn't purchased with those bitcoins.  The conversion to local currency has to come after the purchase in order for the honor (First airline ticket bought with bitcoin) to be relevant, imho.   

[Nefario]

My understanding after reading your post is that a plane ticket was bought using US Dollars.

BTC Economist, eventually most things must be converted to local currency at some point. The fact is I paid with bitcoin.

You gave someone bitcoins, but the ticket wasn't purchased with those bitcoins.  The conversion to local currency has to come after the purchase in order for the honor (First airline ticket bought with bitcoin) to be relevant, imho.   

That's going to take a LONG time.

Also, no I did not make it ok, didn't make it at all. Well I did, as far as the airport in Seattle. More to come later.

[Nefario]

The ticket has come to nothing, here are the details of why.

http://blog.glbse.com/no-electronic-devices

[elk-tamer]

The ticket has come to nothing, here are the details of why.

http://blog.glbse.com/no-electronic-devices

That sounds like it was brutal. Great read though.
Did you sleep during that whole time? How long until you can apply for a new Visa?

[ctoon6]

that's some BS.

[Nefario]

The ticket has come to nothing, here are the details of why.

http://blog.glbse.com/no-electronic-devices

That sounds like it was brutal. Great read though.
Did you sleep during that whole time? How long until you can apply for a new Visa?

So from Sunday evening when I boarded the train to Beijing to when I arrived back home on Wed afternoon I had not slept or lied down on a bed, the entire time was sitting or standing. I was the living dead by the end of it.

I can apply for a visa right away but there is like a 2 month queue just for the application in Beijing. I could fly to the UK and apply there (which would probably take 2 weeks) since I'm British, and then go but thats a huge waste of money, and a lot of times been wasted already.

[indicasteve]

Wow...that sucks man.

I agree that it probably wasn't the best idea to go into detail about bitcoin to those CBP maroons.  I wouldn't talk to those guys about anything they didn't specifically ask about....especially anything more complicated than a ham sandwich.

Next time...ship all your electronics as a parcel before you leave.

Since you are British, perhaps you can fly into Vancouver Canada and cross at a land based border crossing?

IDK man...  better luck next time.

 

[molecular]

I don't care for china's way of doing things. They have very heavy censorship, and a communist government by nature is no good for any kind of investing.

This is also not mentioning some very unethical trafficking ventures they do in prisons.

If i had a choice i would defect from the world and conduct business in limbo.

I don't care for the USA's way of doing things. They have heavily biased corporate-controlled media, corrupt government, close-minded people and no consideration for other earthlings. They don't feel obligated to fullfill their part of international treaties. They do not feel they're bound by international law. They invade countries and fuck up other peoples lives based on greed.

Don't even get me started on their domestic and offshore prisons.

If I had a choice, I would ignore the US.

(oh, about the airline ticket and chinese bitcoiners: awesome! continue!)

[Nefario]

I don't care for china's way of doing things. They have very heavy censorship, and a communist government by nature is no good for any kind of investing.

This is also not mentioning some very unethical trafficking ventures they do in prisons.

If i had a choice i would defect from the world and conduct business in limbo.

I don't care for the USA's way of doing things. They have heavily biased corporate-controlled media, corrupt government, close-minded people and no consideration for other earthlings. They don't feel obligated to fullfill their part of international treaties. They do not feel they're bound by international law. They invade countries and fuck up other peoples lives based on greed.

Don't even get me started on their domestic and offshore prisons.

If I had a choice, I would ignore the US.

(oh, about the airline ticket and chinese bitcoiners: awesome! continue!)

Now now lets not get into a name calling contest.

[da2ce7]

come to Australia!  The land of the labour government and taxation.  But the people (on the most-part) are good. 

[molecular]

Now now lets not get into a name calling contest.

yeah, you're right, sorry. I got a bit carried away.

[Nefario]

come to Australia!  The land of the labour government and taxation.  But the people (on the most-part) are good. 

I know, I was there fou a couple of months (in 2000 also), people complain about the poisonous animals (spiders/snakes etc.) but I actually enjoyed that part. Top it all off I got bit by a bull ant, god those things are HUGE and NASTY.

I just might do that, but not for the time being, I need to focus on making GLBSE better now rather than all the paperworky bullshit.

[m3ta]

If i had a choice i would defect from the world and conduct business in limbo.

QFT.

[cypherdoc]

so they have a copy of your wallet.dat?

where are you now?

[elggawf]

that's some BS.

Not really - now keep in mind I only skimmed the article - it sounds like they asked the boilerplate question of "do you have enough money to support yourself for your stay". Vague answers will work here, specifics generally will not if you're deviating from the holiday-norm. Trying to explain cryptocurrency to customs is about the dumbest thing one could do short of saying "man this chock of coke in my ass is really uncomfortable".

The fact is it sounds like OP tried to come in with assets he intended to sell while here - to my knowledge, the US ICE types don't view Bitcoin as an exchangeable currency, the best they view it as is an asset that can be sold. I'm no immigration lawyer, but I don't think "well I have some Bitcoins I can sell" is the same thing as "well I have $4,000AUD that I'm going to convert to USD" no matter how much Bitcoiners wish that were so.

[pekv2]

The ticket has come to nothing, here are the details of why.

http://blog.glbse.com/no-electronic-devices

Heya Nefario, there are a whole lot of problems with US and Canada customs. You could have all the correct credentials, credit card, bank card, sponsors=US/Canadian citizen that sponsors you, if that agent you walk up to woke up on the wrong side of the bed, he'll deny you.

The computer systems, they run names, finger prints, iris recognition scans. You could come from a country that the US/Canadian computer systems cannot access, the guy could be a murderer/drug lord/arms dealer and get in to USA or Canada. Now for an example, I am a US citizen, I try to get in to Canada, they run my name through the computer system that they have access to US's computer systems, they ask if i have any criminal record, yea, I have a dui, they run my name find the dui, other records pop up from 1996, Paraphernalia and Grand theft auto, which I was never convicted of, but the records still show the reports. I get denied. But the murderer is able to get in because the US or Canadian computer systems don't have access to his country's computer systems because "they might be a poor country and or don't keep record". This is all as an example.

I am sure that US systems have access to British systems which Canadian is ruled under, as we all are allies.

This is so problematic it actually screws over a US citizen that wants into Canada or a Canadian that wants to get in to the US.

Since you are British, perhaps you can fly into Vancouver Canada and cross at a land based border crossing?

It would be worse, as it shows on his passport that he had tried to get in from china, and now he is in Canada trying to get in the US.

They will deny him without flinching.

---------

Sorry to hear about your loss trying to get here to the US. Best thing to do is go forward with a visa, get a sponsor if possible or a few references showing you have a few friends. If you do get in within the next year or more, do not stay any longer than the the time they give you. You might ask for 4 months, they might give you two weeks.

Since around 2007, they connected these computer systems all together to fight terrorism etc. Add to it, it screws over the tourists.

The entire situation with the borders/customs is screwed. Lookup youtube videos of denial of entry from and to the USA. You will find a lot of disturbing videos how cocky the customs agents are & we are neighbors.

Good luck to you in the future.

[elk-tamer]

Now for an example, I am a US citizen, I try to get in to Canada, they run my name through the computer system that they have access to US's computer systems, they ask if i have any criminal record, yea, I have a dui, they run my name find the dui, other records pop up from 1996, Paraphernalia and Grand theft auto, which I was never convicted of, but the records still show the reports. I get denied. But the murderer is able to get in because the US or Canadian computer systems don't have access to his country's computer systems because "they might be a poor country and or don't keep record". This is all as an example.

It's an example with a lot of specific detail.

[pekv2]

It's an example with a lot of specific detail.

What can you say, I'm open minded. I know a Canadian friend that was recently denied from coming into the US because that person had 2002 charge and not conviction, just because you are not convicted does not mean you could cross, it shows all records whether or not convicted.

This is by all means showing how stupid customs can be.

[Nefario]

so they have a copy of your wallet.dat?

where are you now?

Eh no they don't have a copy of my wallet.dat or any of my passwords. I think I mentioned in the article that both the phone and mobile had almost nothing on them.

I'm back home in China now.