Archive > The Amazing Race 14
TAR14 EP1: 'Don’t Let a Cheese Hit Me' (Switzerland)
Kiwi Jay:
Any chance it wasnt true and they are eliminated soon?
Belle Book:
Leg 4 or Leg 5 isn't very early in the Race, but it's still early. And that's where I was thinking LaKisha & Jennifer would go out anyway -- more Leg 5 because I thought Leg 4 would be an NEL, but you might be right, Joab.
Belle Book
apskip:
--- Quote from: DrRox on February 17, 2009, 10:32:58 PM ---
--- Quote from: georgiapeach on February 17, 2009, 06:34:40 PM ---It is possible they were told to take taxis though, based on that interview about being told to use one customs entry over another.
--- End quote ---
When Jennifer/Preston find the "train station" it is the one in Chiasso, Switzerland. That border crossing at the southern end of Lake Como is very congested. In the GE shot, traffic on the Italian side of the highway is backed way up. It may have been suggested in the added on instructions about getting there by taxi, but I think that they were being told, was to go to the train station to clear customs and not on the highway (autostrade) customs.
--- End quote ---
Dr. Rox,
When the teams hit Paris or Frankfurt they would have to do the U.S. to Europe customs clearance there. Due to the arrival date of Nov. 1, the old policies were still in effect so entry at the Zurich airport would have required a second, easier customs clearance. From Milan teams would be clearing customs on the train (always very easy by my experience) to Switzerland except possibly Preston and Jennifer who would have had to do it in a taxi.
The new policies are as follows effective 12/12/08:
Switzerland last night dismantled its check points at its borders with Germany, Austria, Italy and France, after the country officially became a member of the passport-free Schengen zone.
But its membership of the now 25-country zone will prove short-lived if the Swiss fail to vote ‘Yes' in a referendum on the freedom of movement of Romanian and Bulgarian citizens scheduled for 8 February 2009.
However, the passport-free entry does not happen in reality until March 31 2009 under Schengen zone rules. It is clear that they did not impact on AR14 but will on any Amazing Races going to Switzerland in the future.
Switzerland rejected European Union membership in 1992 but is now affiliated with 25 countries (almost all EU members) on this,
cba:
--- Quote from: apskip on February 26, 2009, 12:14:57 PM ---
--- Quote from: DrRox on February 17, 2009, 10:32:58 PM ---
--- Quote from: georgiapeach on February 17, 2009, 06:34:40 PM ---It is possible they were told to take taxis though, based on that interview about being told to use one customs entry over another.
--- End quote ---
When Jennifer/Preston find the "train station" it is the one in Chiasso, Switzerland. That border crossing at the southern end of Lake Como is very congested. In the GE shot, traffic on the Italian side of the highway is backed way up. It may have been suggested in the added on instructions about getting there by taxi, but I think that they were being told, was to go to the train station to clear customs and not on the highway (autostrade) customs.
--- End quote ---
Dr. Rox,
When the teams hit Paris or Frankfurt they would have to do the U.S. to Europe customs clearance there. Due to the arrival date of Nov. 1, the old policies were still in effect so entry at the Zurich airport would have required a second, easier customs clearance. From Milan teams would be clearing customs on the train (always very easy by my experience) to Switzerland except possibly Preston and Jennifer who would have had to do it in a taxi.
The new policies are as follows effective 12/12/08:
Switzerland last night dismantled its check points at its borders with Germany, Austria, Italy and France, after the country officially became a member of the passport-free Schengen zone.
But its membership of the now 25-country zone will prove short-lived if the Swiss fail to vote ‘Yes' in a referendum on the freedom of movement of Romanian and Bulgarian citizens scheduled for 8 February 2009.
However, the passport-free entry does not happen in reality until March 31 2009 under Schengen zone rules. It is clear that they did not impact on AR14 but will on any Amazing Races going to Switzerland in the future.
Switzerland rejected European Union membership in 1992 but is now affiliated with 25 countries (almost all EU members) on this,
--- End quote ---
Custom clearings have been rare between the Swiss and surrounding countries borders for almost three years already - by train and by car / taxi. The voting by the Swiss citizens whether or not to joing the Schengen rules was in June 2005 and was pretty much established in reality just weeks later. I'm travelling between Austria and Switzerland frequently (since Sept. 2006), most of the time by train, sometimes my dad pays a visit and drives me. I had to show my passport and state whether I've got something to declare at the customs a total of three times travelling by train (out of more than 50 journeys) and not a single time with the car - not even when I moved and our car was obviously totally loaded. I have seen Taxis passing without being held up, too.
I have a friend who frequently travels to Italy and she says it's the same at the boarders there.
As additional information - Nov 1/2 was a weekend and then there's lots of traffic at the Switzerland - Italy borders due to many short weekend vacations by south Swiss people to Italy. Plus, Nov 1st is a catholic holiday (Italy is mostly catholic and so is south Switzerland).
To clear up the last paragraph in the post above:
It was not the European Union Memberships that Switzerland rejected in 1992; as a matter of fact, we have not had votings on whether to join or not because it's clear from polls it would result in a very clear "no". The 1992 voting was on the EWR (short for "Europäischer Wirtschaftsraum", I believe that would be "European Economic Area" or something similar in English. It's basically an agreement between the member countries of the European Union and those of the European Free Trade Association (of which Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland are the member). Norway and Iceland joined it. So did Liechtenstein, but because in customs and finances Liechtenstein is part of Switzerland and Switzerland rejected to join, neither could Liechtenstein.
apskip:
cba, while what you say is technically correct, again I find it misleading. Voting down the EEA was equivalent to not proceeding with the European Union in 1992. The bassi for my conclusions is:
Switzerland is a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). It took part in negotiating the European Economic Area agreement with the European Union. It signed the agreement on 2 May 1992, and submitted an application for accession to the EU on 20 May 1992. However, a Swiss referendum held on 6 December 1992 rejected EEA membership. As a consequence, the Swiss government decided to suspend negotiations for EU accession until further notice. Its application remains open.
I am going in my airline flight information to call their flights "LX", their airline code. I can't remember exactly back to my travel agent days, but I do not think it used to be LX.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version