[News] USA Testing to be dropped

[Kinky Gerbil]

Sorry to repeat post from Holiday thread - feel it needs highlighting.

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/travel/news/2022/06/10/travel-covid-test-requirement-us/6657199001/

Be a lot of upset companies now this pointless test is gone.

 

[Superphil]

Was hoping this would be announced before we travel to Pennsylvania in September

 

[Happy Exile]

Going to New York in July and this is amazing news. On that note, if anyone's got any tips for New York please do share. I've not been before. Spoke with a mate who was there a couple of weeks ago and described as like nothing he's seen before in years of going. Seems like they are in a no-mans-land where weed is decriminalised but as yet not licenced to be sold but is being sold everywhere anyway, and the levels of use are astronomical as years of prohibition come to an end. He's pretty open-minded about things but was still taken aback by what he said was a level of anti-social behaviour and lawlessness and aggression which was off the scale compared to previous years - not directly because of the weed, but the sense now that anything goes and there's not enough police to do anything about it. Hopefully it might calm down a bit over the next few weeks!

 

[dazzer6666]

Hotel we were in this week was doing a roaring trade in tests to return for Yanks…….

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

Seems like they are in a no-mans-land where weed is decriminalised but as yet not licenced to be sold but is being sold everywhere anyway, and the levels of use are astronomical as years of prohibition come to an end. He's pretty open-minded about things but was still taken aback by what he said was a level of anti-social behaviour and lawlessness and aggression which was off the scale compared to previous years - not directly because of the weed, but the sense now that anything goes and there's not enough police to do anything about it. Hopefully it might calm down a bit over the next few weeks!

Everywhere you went in New York it reeked of weed, so they realised they were were wasting their time and legalized it. It has become a lot more lawless and aggressive post pandemic particularly on the subways with more random attacks and a general feeling of unease, so I would say exercise some caution and you will be fine.

Enjoy NYC

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Going to New York in July and this is amazing news. On that note, if anyone's got any tips for New York please do share. I've not been before. Spoke with a mate who was there a couple of weeks ago and described as like nothing he's seen before in years of going. Seems like they are in a no-mans-land where weed is decriminalised but as yet not licenced to be sold but is being sold everywhere anyway, and the levels of use are astronomical as years of prohibition come to an end. He's pretty open-minded about things but was still taken aback by what he said was a level of anti-social behaviour and lawlessness and aggression which was off the scale compared to previous years - not directly because of the weed, but the sense now that anything goes and there's not enough police to do anything about it. Hopefully it might calm down a bit over the next few weeks!

West Village. Sadly The Spotted Pig has now closed but The Tavern on Jane and The Blind Tiger are still there. The west village itself is a lovely place to wander around.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Everywhere you went in New York it reeked of weed, so they realised they were were wasting their time and legalized it. It has become a lot more lawless and aggressive post pandemic particularly on the subways with more random attacks and a general feeling of unease, so I would say exercise some caution and you will be fine.

Enjoy NYC

It’s going to be interesting to see if the Weed smell is going to put people off going, I’ve seen a lot of complaints about it since the reopening in Nov

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

It’s going to be interesting to see if the Weed smell is going to put people off going, I’ve seen a lot of complaints about it since the reopening in Nov

It is pretty rank especially on hot days with very little breeze, it's worse just outside the big transport hubs like Grand Central. And yes, it may well put off some people from visiting

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

It’s going to be interesting to see if the Weed smell is going to put people off going, I’ve seen a lot of complaints about it since the reopening in Nov

I don’t smoke myself but I smell it often at home and on my city travels and can’t say it bothers me or impacts me. Out of interest, what sort of people are complaining?

 

[Marlton and Hove Albion]

Be careful at night and make sure you're around people. Around Penn St has become very run down. Lots of stores boarded up across the city. Its really quite sad to compare how things were 3 year ago to today. Out and about in the summer daylight should be fine.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

It is pretty rank, it's worse just outside the big transport hubs like Grand Central. And yes, it may well put off some people from visiting

Guess you have answered my question

 

[sydney]

Going to New York in July and this is amazing news. On that note, if anyone's got any tips for New York please do share. I've not been before. Spoke with a mate who was there a couple of weeks ago and described as like nothing he's seen before in years of going. Seems like they are in a no-mans-land where weed is decriminalised but as yet not licenced to be sold but is being sold everywhere anyway, and the levels of use are astronomical as years of prohibition come to an end. He's pretty open-minded about things but was still taken aback by what he said was a level of anti-social behaviour and lawlessness and aggression which was off the scale compared to previous years - not directly because of the weed, but the sense now that anything goes and there's not enough police to do anything about it. Hopefully it might calm down a bit over the next few weeks!

sounds like Paris ....i have been to NY a few times ...it has changed so much , i was last there in 2019 and despite living there before i was actually happy to leave , heavy atmosphere.

i wouldn't want to put you off going though ,definitely one eye opener...

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Was hoping this would be announced before we travel to Pennsylvania in September

Good, means we may travel to Connecticut in September now.

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

sounds like Paris ....i have been to NY a few times ...it has changed so much , i was last there in 2019 and despite living there before i was actually happy to leave , heavy atmosphere.

i wouldn't want to put you off going though ,definitely one eye opener...

It has unfortunately got worse with more random racist attacks particularly on American Asians. The amount of homeless and people with mental health problems has increased and is not really being addressed.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

I don’t smoke myself but I smell it often at home and on my city travels and can’t say it bothers me or impacts me. Out of interest, what sort of people are complaining?

It’s an issue in Orlando as well.

Mixture of people really, there isn’t a certain type - I’ve not been to New York since the change, but apparently it’s bad, really bad and everywhere.

I found it has gotten worse in Vegas, but Its Vegas.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Be careful at night and make sure you're around people. Around Penn St has become very run down. Lots of stores boarded up across the city. Its really quite sad to compare how things were 3 year ago to today. Out and about in the summer daylight should be fine.

The same as in any of the world's mega cities l guess, you just need to exercise common sense.

 

[Bozza]

Great news - I was going to book tests for our July trip this weekend.

I'd been holding off but with BA.4 and BA.5 sending infections up again, I figured with cases likely to rise over the next month or two, there was little chance of the testing requirement being removed.

With Bozza jnr in school and Mrs B working in education, I was convinced our Feb trip would be scuppered but we managed to all be negative at the right time. I feared we weren't going to be so lucky come July.

 

[sydney]

It has unfortunately got worse with more random racist attacks particularly on American Asians. The amount of homeless and people with mental health problems has increased and is not really being addressed.

its ****ed up mate , thus my commenting on the BLM stuff in Minneapolis when Floyd got weighed in ....heavy , heavy shit mate .......it's not like that in British society ....not as i know it anyway...

 

[sydney]

Great news - I was going to book tests for our July trip this weekend.

I'd been holding off but with BA.4 and BA.5 sending infections up again, I figured with cases likely to rise over the next month or two, there was little chance of the testing requirement being removed.

With Bozza jnr in school and Mrs B working in education, I was convinced our Feb trip would be scuppered but we managed to all be negative at the right time. I feared we weren't going to be so lucky come July.

i thought you were going to Albania..!!!!?

 

[Live by the sea]

Since covid NY has definitely suffered more with anti social behaviour & some rising crime . I tend to stick to the upper east side of Manhattan when I go , very little trouble there .