State Department's Y2K Warning for Overseas Travelers

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You'd think the same warning would be issued to U.S. citizens in their own states and local communities...

Link and quote:

http://www.techserver.com/noframes/story/0,2294,12633-21362-156624-0,00.html

WASHINGTON (Jan. 27, 1999 2:18 p.m. EST) - The United States on Friday warned its citizens planning to travel abroad over the coming New Year holiday that the Y2K computer glitch could cause them significant problems.

In a worldwide notice to U.S. citizens, the State Department said that while many countries, businesses and utilities were addressing potential Y2K problems, others were not.

Those "with more limited resources or expertise, or who are not paying appropriate attention to the problem, may experience significant difficulties," the notice said.

Of particular concern are the transportation, financial, utility and telecommunication sectors, it said, adding that U.S. citizens abroad might wish to "consult their insurance companies to ascertain if policies cover Y2K-related problems.

"All U.S. citizens planning to be abroad in late 1999 or early 2000 should be aware of the potential for problems and stay informed about Y2K preparedness in the location where they will be traveling," it said.

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), February 02, 1999

Answers

Good catch Kevin.

One of the speakers at the Seattle Year 2000 Expo alluded to this. Never know where the "leads and clues" will pop up.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), February 02, 1999.


My daughter's grandparents live in Australia and have invited us for Y2K. I expressed my concerns over "the crisis" with my ex-husband's parents and they told me that I had a "terrible outlook on life"! Anyway, I'm making plans to visit this coming Yuletide and I've done this knowing that I may never return. Given my general feeling of optimism I've, nevertheless worried incessantly about when I'll ever get back to the USA (if!), what will happen to my cats, my friends, what sort of USA I'll come back to if "communications are restored" and so on. If I'm in "oz", there's no need to prepare here in USA, and if I come back, everything slowly but surely falls apart and I have nothing when I return. People are assuring me that my PC will work and when I say what about the phone lines, the power grid, they are going ... those will never go down (!). I assure you that these are reasonable educated people who don't get it, I guess. Lucky for them they live in the country and have organic gardens, huh? Well, when I handed in my passport apps no one said anything to me about never coming back and, listen here, (if I was the US gov.? I would probably want to get rid of as many people as I possibly could!] Riots are nasty. I am so worried about my friends, many of whom are "like me". [VILLAGE IDIOTS!]

Siobhan "the savant"

-- siobhan "the savant" (trulyfey@skybridge.com), February 02, 1999.


The State Department warning could have just as easily been addressed to U.S. citizens in their own country. The following was NOT issued by our government, but take a look at what the same warning would say by just dropping a few words from it...

The United States on Friday warned its citizens [that] over the coming New Year holiday that the Y2K computer glitch could cause them significant problems.

In a notice to U.S. citizens, the Department said that while many businesses and utilities were addressing potential Y2K problems, others were not.

Those "with more limited resources or expertise, or who are not paying attention to the problem, may experience significant difficulties," the notice said.

Of particular concern are the transportation, financial, utility and telecommunications sectors, it said, adding that citizens might wish to "consult with their insurance companies to ascertain if policies cover Y2K-related problems."

"All citizens in late 1999 or early 2000 should be aware of the potential for problems and stay informed about Y2K preparedness," it said.

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), February 02, 1999.


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