Korean Job Discussion Forums

[philipjames]

Can our governments (UK, Canada, Australia etc) or a branch thereof locate where we are on the globe through tracking our passport use? It came up in a bar conversation last night, and I had often wondered about this.

Thanks,
Jameson

[zuburi]

Trying to stay off the grid, are we?

...I don't have an answer for your question.

[Zenas]

If you have a visa, yes.
_____________________________

[mikeyboy122]

yes. when you enter another country you're entered into an international database. It's not interpol anymore, sorry I can't remember the name. The only way to "get off the grid" is to leave the country without their knowledge. Then your passport would be canceled so no one could alter it and try to do nasty things. Or so I've been told. Not gospel, however. Best to keep it legal lest we wind up in one of those dirty little cells full of people with squinty eyes that love the other American "beef". I've also heard in the future "chips" will be embedded for your added "protection". Hmmmm

[xingyiman]

[maeil]

[red_devil]

[demaratusinTW]

Click, and they can vaporize you, man, like gives you the willies knowing you're not exactly anonymous here.

I saw a guy get slugged by the government and sent to Mexico for life.

[12begonesoon]

There are plenty of books out there that can school you on disappearing. It really isn't the most difficult thing to do at all. I tend to think that it would be regretted one day in the future though.

[oskinny1]

[moosehead]

I know some Ks who actually live and work w/o id cards because they're against them.

it's my understanding most (all now perhaps?) money is embedded w/tags so when you walk thru a detector at the airport they know if you are carrying cash and how much.

what's really scary (to me anyway) I read an article about dogs who sniff out pirated dvds -

*edit* that is, they are trained to sniff out the plastic from dvds and I suppose an alert signals it's likely to be pirated ones

I don't know if that's just for major dealers but I am a bit concerned about my next trip home because I have a large dvd wallet w/maybe 100 in it.

[WoBW]

I thought they swiped your passport to read the info at the bottom of your passport information page. Then that gets stored on a database to show when you enter or depart a port in a country.

However, does that necessarily mean that, say, UK officials would know what is on the Korean entry/departure database? Who knows.

[pootle]

I don't think they do keep track. The country you enter or leave may put your information into a national system if their systems are computerised, which many are not, but I don't think that information is shared globally. Unless maybe your name makes the computer go ballistic and show a big fat flashing 'Oh my god, we've been looking for him for bloody ages.'

Most governments encourage their citizens to register with the local Embassy for their home country or with an online system, like that which the UK Foreign Office operates, so that they can locate you in times of disaster (earthquakes and the like). Not sure if they bother to come looking though and I have no intention of trying out their response rate.

I've been in and out of many countries over the past few years and I don't believe that the UK powers-that-be have any clue where I am - as proved by HM Customs and Revenue!

[schwa]

I think the above poster has the answer. Our embassies wouldnt ask us to register if they already knew we were here.

[aka Dave]

If you're American, the NSA has probably tapped your phone and Dick Cheney is listening.