My home life recently has simply plummeted, with my dad alternately getting wasted in my living room and leaving me alone for days a time to go be with his girlfriend- across town. He's never there, and while I love him, I feel that he no longer knows what is best for me. I'm sixteen, almost seventeen, and I'm about to procure fake identification and leave within the coming six weeks. I have a job, some funds, but I feel very much alone in a world full of people, even people that share my views. I'm not a big fan of my soon-to-be stepmother, and I just want to prove to myself and the world that I can make it on my own. I want to start over in Europe, far away from the southern United States. I speak French and English fluently, and I'm sure that once I got there, it wouldn't be a problem. To top it all off, I'm escaping from a healthy felony charge that's been wrongfully pinned on me, one that I fear my attorney can't get me out from under.

I'm not posting this here to ask for advice, and I really don't care to hear that I need to "stay at home", that I "won't make it on my own". I'm smart, resourceful, articulate, hardworking, and confident in myself and my ability to- at least- survive.

The reason I am posting here is to ask if anyone has had any experience with this before, if anyone has any ideas to help me get out of this shithole ignorant place, or (truly the most important), if anyone is willing to let me chill on their couch in a European country for a couple of weeks. I have money, and will pay rent; hell, I'll even go in it for a flatshare if it makes you feel better. But I need to know that wherever I go, I have a place to sleep.

My only other problem is that by the time I get the ticket and make it over there, I'll be awfully tight on cash. I'm asking for ideas to make it overseas for cheap, or if anyone will pay part of my ticket up front as a loan in exchange for cash/skill exchange/sexual favors.

Please, only serious posters need comment.

Try to steal some money from your dad, he sounds like a bastard.

Do you not have any friends or relatives overseas who'd let you stay 'til you get more money together?

If I were you, try to find the cheapest hotel I could and stay there while looking for a job.

Good luck. You'll need it. I'm not doubting you or anything, but it's gonna be difficult.

quote:Originally posted by Opus:

I'm smart, resourceful, articulate, hardworking, and confident in myself and my ability to- at least- survive.

.

oh yes..you post your intent to commit a couple of further felonies on a public bbs. Shall I call up your IP and just check you at least had the sense to use a proxy?

And I very very much doubt that you have access or fund enough to procure the sort of papers that will get you into europe.

I have legitimate American papers. I can get into the UK. I just need to purchase a UK ID. And that's not as expensive as you think.

EDIT: Running away is a misdemeanor, not a felony. And purchasing UK papers in the UK has nothing to do with US law whatsoever. Besides, I cannot be prosecuted for speech; it's the doing bit that could be problematic.

[This message has been edited by Opus (edited 03-13-2007).]

quote:Originally posted by Opus:

I have legitimate American papers. I can get into the UK. I just need to purchase a UK ID. And that's not as expensive as you think.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

They are gonna eat you alive, kid.

Good luck. If you're everything you say you are, then I'm sure you can do it. Don't fall into trouble with the law over there, stay in hostels (or outside) until you can get a job and place to live.

Make good use of public restrooms to clean up. You'll need that first job. Make sure you get a visa that allows you to work.

Write letters to your dad and call him. He'll be glad to hear from you.

Thank you Toraton for being supportive. Ketch is a dirty old man.

Good luck. Come to Australia. Listen to Toraton, he is smart and wise like yoda.

quote:Originally posted by Opus:

Thank you Toraton for being supportive. Ketch is a dirty old man.

Yes but he is also a brit,a former criminal with a lot of knowledge and has several false identities and unlike you isn't american with no real idea of the situation on the ground here.

I am being supportive btw, just brutally honest.

5 years ago it would have been a breeze but Blair has closed so many 'loopholes' (ie taken away so many of our civil liberties) that it took me 3 months to be able to open a bank account.





[This message has been edited by jackketch (edited 03-13-2007).]

Hey, maybe he can stay with you, Ketch?

You can whip him into shape.

quote:Originally posted by ArgonPlasma2000:

Hey, maybe he can stay with you, Ketch?

You can whip him into shape.

Do you have any idea of the penalties for 'habouring an american'?????!

Jesus wept..thats almost as bad as the capital offence of 'speaking arabic with intent to communicate'

[This message has been edited by jackketch (edited 03-13-2007).]

If I can chill with one of you blokes in Australia (especially if I can get part of the ticket), I will be on a plane in seven days. Seriously.

Ah, perhaps a trade? I have this really excellent PC for sale, and if you'd like, I would give it to you in exchange for your hospitality. I believe Toraton knows what I am referring to. Query with more details.

I'm genuinely interested to know how this goes.

Keep us posted, yeah?

Which part of Europe, anyway? Come to the north-east of England and see the scum that comes along with it. You'll want to go back to America.

quote:Originally posted by jackketch:

a former criminal

ooh, ooh. Like what?

quote:Originally posted by 404_error:

ooh, ooh. Like what?

I've told my tales of crime here often enough. But suffice to say that I am probably one of the few men alive who has gone into a court, pleaded guilty to two or (was it three, i forget )counts of attempted murder/armed robbery/some other stuff and walked out with 2 years probation when the DA was going for 7 to life (learn the lesson people, get a GOOD lawyer).

Op, a little tip for you if you do come to the UK.

No one here can tell the difference between a canadian and an american accent. Telling people you're canadian sorta makes you almost-british by default in the minds of most people and would explain why you have brit ID.

Sweetheart, you sound very smart and you think things out pretty thoroughly.

However, I just don't understand how....your father leaves you alone "for days at a time while he is across town" and so to remedy that you want to be alone forever in a foreign country?

If you go through with it, best of luck. But, it's going to be fucking rough and it's not in your best interest.

I think i should really move this to BI but there seems to be genuine interest here so I'll leave it for one of my fellow mods to decide.

W.W.M.D?

quote:Originally posted by jackketch:

I've told my tales of crime here often enough. But suffice to say that I am probably one of the few men alive who has gone into a court, pleaded guilty to two or (was it three, i forget )counts of attempted murder/armed robbery/some other stuff and walked out with 2 years probation when the DA was going for 7 to life (learn the lesson people, get a GOOD lawyer).

Hmm, do you have double jeopardy protection over in Britain?

My problem is not that my father neglects me.. it is that he neglects me while assuming total control over my life, all the while claiming that he is both infallible and knows best. Bollocks.

quote:Originally posted by ArgonPlasma2000:

Hmm, do you have double jeopardy protection over in Britain?

No that was one of the rights Blair took away from us.

However on a side note that particular trial was in Germany not the UK.

quote:Originally posted by Opus:

My problem is not that my father neglects me.. it is that he neglects me while assuming total control over my life, all the while claiming that he is both infallible and knows best. Bollocks.

Hmmm that's kinda normal for Dads and goes with the job.

quote:Originally posted by jackketch:

Hmmm that's kinda normal for Dads and goes with the job.



I don't think it should be. My Dad is like that even though he hasn't been living in the same country (or even continent) since I was 9 (I'm 19 now).

Since you speak Frech, why not join the French Foreign Legion? Anyone in Europe know if he can join any European military to gain citizenship? If he can, maybe he could join the military of one of those countries that are never at war.

quote:Originally posted by postdiluvium:

Since you speak Frech, why not join the French Foreign Legion? Anyone in Europe know if he can join any European military to gain citizenship? If he can, maybe he could join the military of one of those countries that are never at war.

That kind of deal the US has where you can join the military on a greencard then become eligible for citizenship after 1 (or 2 years) of duty is very rare. Most armies in Europe are not as in much dire need of manpower as the US.

If you're Jewish you can join a branch of the IDF.

I was looking into the French Foreign Legion awhile back, and the French have made it tougher to get into from what I understand. It seems to me, you can't just go into it anymore, you have to prove you are not a criminal running or any of that stuff.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Sweden is very accepting of foreigners. There laws are written so you just go over there, and they have to take you in, and you can get on food stamps there, until you get a job and such.

Get emancipated first, then you'll be treated as an adult and can do anything an adult can.

I think you should stick to Jack's advice. He knows what the hell he's talking about.

This sounds like a typical "omg I hate my parents I WANNA RUN AWAY" teenager rant. But on speed or coke or something.

Calm down, cupcake. Your false paperwork will blow up in your face before you even leave the country. You may *think* you're smart, articulate, and blah blah whatever, but if you can't worm your way out of a felony charge, you can't worm your way out of the country.

But hey, have fun trying. What's worse, really? Sticking it out with your dad for one more year and maybe risking some jailtime for whatever the fuck you did, or the long list of felony charges awaiting you when you get caught with false paperwork?

i dont know if this has been posted or not, but just emancapate(i know its spelled wrong) yourself, if you almost 17 then i know you can. and u will become your own legal gardiuan.

Yeah... why don't you just move away to another town, or hell even another state. Or even Canada. But going so far away from home for the first time, being tight on cash. Don't think I'm saying you can't make it, or you're not smart enough to make it, I'm just trying to be realistic.

You're gonna end up one of the victims of a SAW movie.

Just stay where you are. You'd need immigration papers, working permits, and all kinds of other shit thats hard to get when your switching countries. It would be almost impoosible when your only 17.

Your job will be useless when you get to england or wherever.

You know you'll be working a twat job for piss poor pay? and it'll be a bitch to get that job? and rent in europe, especially england, is pretty fucking steep in the places where there's work?

how big are these funds? seriously consider working your ass off for a little while longer, hoarding all the money you can and make some finite plans.

DO NOT come to the south east of england if u come, it is the biggest shithole in the world

Status report!

Hmm, knowing what it's like to bounce around houses and countries, I offer a room in my apartment to you. It's not actually a room, it´s the living room but the couch is also a bed. Many people have crashed in my house for weeks at a time, and as long as you get a job and help with the rent a bit, you can stay as long as you like, even though I don't know you, or you me, Jack'll vouch that I'm a bighearted person. :)

I live in Spain, in Barcelona, if you know fluent french you'll be fine here, because Catalan (barcelona is part of catalunya) is very close to french. I don't ask any questions or have any conditions, I just remember how hard it was to survive on my own, and how hard it still is, so I'll always give out all the help that I can afford to. :)

There's always an open invitation there.

Jack'll vouch that I'm a bighearted person. :)


Yes.

very very much a lot.

(and PP I don't mean your recent offer of a holiday bed but the fact you offered to put yourself on the line for me and mine this time last year.)

Im assuming that hes left for some where. He hasnt replied back in awhile. If you need a place to stay i live in idaho and ive got a room. I know its not out of the country but its alot easier to get here than Canada. P.S. I live in Coeurdalene, Id. 30 min from spokane.

I'm going through my old threads I started, and decided to update this one. I'd like to tell everyone where I am, what I did, and how I'm doing. I occasionally post some decent advice in this forum, so I think maybe people will be willing to read a little about my life.

Since that last post, I made serious plans to escape the country. In fact, I actually went so far as to post on Craigslist offering sexual favors in exchange for a plane ticket. I tried every website, every available out-of-country person, and every scheme I could to get out. And then something happened.

I decided to quit passing the buck on my dad, and stay. A lot of my problems were my own fault, and he, in retrospect, was never as distant as I thought he was. He cares about me a lot, and my new stepmother is actually great. He's better now with her in his life than he ever was before. We bought a new house, I got out from under that felony with only 4 months probation (reduced charge), and I broke up with a long term girlfriend that was only bringing me down.

These day, what am I up to? I'm a happy stoner, doing all kinds of drugs, which I know isn't smart but it's just a part of my philosophy. No women around, mostly by choice (not feeling up to the hair-pulling joke of a highschool relationship ATM). I'm a national merit scholar semi-finalist, soon to be finalist, and I've made plans to attend the University of Chicago in the fall, Humanities major and French minor. I've got a lot ahead of me, and things are looking up. I do my best to stay positive and optimistic, and that's doing worlds for me.

On the whole, let me tell anyone who is merely dissatisfied or even very dissatisfied with their home life: it's better to tough it out for a year or two. It isn't as long as you think, and if things are bad, they'll either get better or stay the same; neither outcome warrants running away. Hell, my parents are paying for me to vacation in Europe alone this coming summer, so you might see a thread asking for a place to crash sometime within the next few months.

I know this is long, and I'm sorry about that. I don't want to make it longer than it is, but if you have any questions about me or my situation, feel free to ask. Thanks for caring enough to read it, if you got to this point.

Much love to all of my TOTSE family,
Opus

good for you for working it out instead of just running away from your problems.

and once you go to college, you'll be free!

Dude I'm at Little Rock. Arkansas FTW.

Oh yeah? Hit me up on AIM sometime. Or another system. Links are right there.