This is gonna be my last blog- shall resume after another 5 months.
I know this post will be read by whoever matters in the Marine industry. I do have a wide spectrum of readership via my blog site.
It has become fashionable of late for Western Chemical and Oil terminals to play God and King makers with sailors.
The US terminals are the worst.
Previously only Saudi immigration and Iranian Immigration did this to us.
Quoting some bullshit clause of ISPS-- they do NOT allow sailors to go ashore.
Who has given these people this authority? Who are they to restrict sailors shore leave?
In my last port in USA, the terminal said " We will allow only 5 people to go ashore!"
This forced me to put my foot down and say " Sorry, All my crew will go ashore, and I will go ashore too!"--and I did -- just to show I am a free man and do NOT run a slave ship.
This Houston terminal ( a girl ) sent back my Muslim Indonesian fitter 3 times from the gate -- first for NOT using a approved car to the gate, 2nd time for NOT wearing a helmet , and third time for -- hold your breath--for wearing Bermudas which fell short of his shoes by 15 inches.
Finally he decided NOT to go ashore, he had NOT been ashore for 4 months . All he wanted was to buy a laptop from Best Buy for his son.
Would she DARE to do this to a Christian blue eyed and blonde man?
All Masters must take up the matter in black and white if any US terminal restricts shore leave. This also applies if food is NOT allowed to be brought to ship by the Chandler.
Only the US immigration can curtail shore leave!-- and that too with valid reasons-- provided you are NOT in their black list. And I am sure slavery does NOT exist in USA anymore.
We shall see!
We shall over come!! This is why MLC 2006/ ILO will soon be a SMS manual. The human element is paramount.
CAPT AJIT VADAKAYIL
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