Dear explorer colleagues!
Every now and then the question arises, what, exactly, does constitute a so-called "country point"? I.e, when does a person have the bragging rights to say they have 'been' to a certain country?
Let's discuss and make our Society rule for once & all. Please voice your comments and thoughts below.
Some issues:
- if a person travels through a (narrow piece) of country, without leaving the coach or train, that shouldn't be a point
- if a person leaves the train station or airport for a couple of hours about the town, does that count? How about walking both sides of a int'l border?
- how about territories that are quite different from the ruling entity? For example, would Puerto Rico be considered simply another trip to the good ol' U.S? Or Greenland or Reunion Island Denmark & France, respectively? Or should territories like this get at least 1/2 point?
Other issues?
Let's try to solve this, and see who has the biggest bragging rights!
Yours truly,
Paddlewick, esq.
2 comments:
One mostly agrees with the reasoning of our esteemed colleague, but the devil is, indeed, in the details.
I, for one, propose the following requirement for a point: the time of occupying the territory must be no less than one hour; and during this time, interaction with no less than one local citizen or inhabitant must occur, not counting those individuals catering to service and transportation unless material goods or good & staunch beverages change owner.
This means that a jaunt from airport to town for a couple of hours for a cocktail and idle chat with the bartender at a gentlemans' club would count for a point, as would crossing the border and engaging in a game of kick-the-ball with the locals.
Concerning territories: a particularly convoluted conundrum is posed by good old Antarctica. One proposes that any land entry on the continent provides a point, as does any spot unclaimed by another nation - if any such exist - but visits to Antarctican land claimed by other nations do not count for further points.
Wensworth, HMRSE
After some slight perusing, yours truly has determined that there are six so-called subnational commonwealths, all subject to the United States: in addition to Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands are an exotic case; however, the states of Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia likewise designate themselves as such.
One suggests that Puerto Rico and the Islands award a point only if said states do; and they would only if any and all US states do.
This may not be as preposterous as it sounds: we have the problem of the European Union to consider and compare to. One is inclined to award only a single point for the whole of US, but 27 points alltogether for each of the EU states.
Tricky business indeed; do our esteemed members even know of the governance of some of the more exotick farscapes? How do we treat Australian territories? Does China divide itself into governing sub-entities?
Should we, perhaps, consider the highest common governing authority as the primary factor - rendering the EU into a mere one point goal - or should any territory with a president, sovereign ruler, prime minister, or other chief-of-nation be the rule of thumb?
YT,
Wensworth, MPACMOHMRES
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