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Comment by moduspol | Hacker News Reader

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I don't think people fear what the media will do to them. People have rational fears about what some governments can do to them, and some governments are very eager to show their willingness to ruin people's lives.

People became afraid of visiting North Korea because one (1) person got arrested for committing a goofy crime. An American president even made it a crime for Americans to visit as a result of one (1) person facing legal repercussions for their crime. Maybe that fear is a result of bad media diet, but I don't think the fear of visiting NK is irrational.

Now consider a state that just arrested 400+ South Koreans and is holding them in brutal conditions. [1] Or even being a tourist and trying to leave but getting arrested. [2] The odds of something bad happening are far higher than if you'd chosen to visit North Korea. For a lot of people, that risk isn't worth whatever benefits, if any, travel might offer.

[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj6xe5d6103o.amp

[2] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/05/i-was-a-brit...

You can't drop a comment like that without offering alternative media sources, or at least explaining why you assume they don't have a diverse media diet.

Maybe should read mainstream media or ask your neighbor Canada

Canadian here. I have no plans to visit the US for the foreseeable future. This is upsetting to me since I have multiple long-term friends who live there that I'd like to visit. I don't feel safe so I'm not going!

You’re only hurting yourself and your friends. At least in LA we’re as pissed off about the current admin as anyone else and love it when people visit.

Individuals in the US, even if a vast majority, being nice and happy that you visit doesn't stop the possibility of legally being held at a port of entry for any reason, even with a valid visa. This isn't new, although the frequency of this happening and reported has gone up.

Canada stopped and denied entry to my wife for a five year old DUI until we coughed up a $250 fee which felt like a bribe. This was ten years ago.

I cannot understand this sentiment. If you commit a crime in a country and don't pay the fine, why would you be surprised if they made you pay the fine next time you crossed the border? Even if it were a parking ticket I wouldn't find Canada's actions here objectionable, and DUI is a lot more serious than that. Unless I've misunderstood the scenario you're describing.

She didn’t commit the DUI in Canada, she did in the US. We were in the country for three days (Victoria) and didn't even have a car, so she couldn’t have recommitted the offense even if she wanted to, which she obviously wouldn’t want to.

She committed a serious crime and didn't pay the penalty which normally in the US comes with additional criminal penalties for non-payment. They would have been perfectly justified to extradite her and take her to jail.

Also how can you say that she couldn't offend again? She could easily rent or drive another.

I think you don't understand what has happened here. OP's wife has a DUI in the USA. Canada does not normally allow people with a DUI into Canada. In exchange for $250, they allowed her in. This is both a surprise and a nuisance for OP.

It sounded to me like she paid her US fine and thus ceased to be a scofflaw. After further reading it looks like convicted criminals can apply for a temporary residence permit for CAN $239.75.

This may not be needed if 5+ years have passed without further misdeeds and may apply to be deemed rehabilitated.

This covers individual evaluation of your case and may be denied. It probably also serves to keep the riff raff put especially Americans who otherwise may take a day trip to share their further drunken driving adventures with their least lucky Canadian friends.

It is hard to contextualize this as a bribe with poster as a victim when the very reasonable alternative is simple denial.

You have no right to visit Canada and they can charge you as much as they please and its your responsability to do your own homework as far as travel requirements.

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/se...

I don't understand the comparison. Was she at risk of being locked up for days or weeks? People aren't worried about being denied entry. People are worried about having their rights violated.

We were in fact worried about being locked up.

Because that’s a common thing while trying to get into Canada? Are there examples of this happening that made you worried?

There is no way I am flying to the US from Europe. I always wanted to go though, it's a shame.

Consider actually traveling, I’ve been to two different countries recently and one had protests about tourists and the other had shirts. The next two I’m looking at going seem to be similarly hostile.

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