Don't let it stop you. Despite the anecdotes most people pass through the border with no issues at all, certainly no more than the grilling you'll get flying into parts of Europe (UK and Denmark come to mind from my personal experience - nothing too crazy just a lot of questions vs some of my US crossings where they barely look at you).

Likewise with the violence you'll see in the media. Most of America is safe and people aren't walking around waiting to shoot someone.

It would be like saying you won't visit any of the great European cities due to terrorism concerns. The perceived risk is much greater than the actual tiny risk.

Being in EU, we don't know the grilling at UK, Denmark or any other EU (Schengen participants to be specific), (it's more or less like going from one state to the other in USA), so the comparison doesn't help much to parent poster.

Schengen residents returning to the area from trips outside of it surely pass through border control and immigration screening?

My most recent travel to Europe took me through Madrid and Copenhagen on the way to London - I recall seeing everyone (EU residents and non EU residents) waiting in line to clear immigration into the UK. On those same trips I also flew through France and Germany - those were all like domestic US flights without any additional screening but the UK definitely seemed to screen everyone. I also know multiple EU residents/family members who have had similar experiences with UK immigration being less than friendly when returning from the US.

Google also suggests that many EU countries have reintroduced border checks due to security concerns - https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/border...

Passing from one state to another in the US doesn't involve any stop or screening.

Yes, we just show our passports to the person at a booth or show it to a machine that I assume checks for the biometrics things and off we go.

It's no where near what I had to go over when I visited USA, each time after long exhausting flight - a long queue and at the end a guy that asks you stupid questions e.g. "do you have your flight back tickets with yourself?" (no, this is XXI century, I have it in an email), "how many times have you been here?" (where "here" might mean the city or the country, whichever you answer you will be wrong).

Oh, and don't say "hi" to them (trying to be polite, English is not my first language), I once did and was asked "Do we know each other?".

Correct. My main issue is that in fact I worked (led development / designed the whole security system) at an encrypted email service and CEO claimed police investigated into us before we ran out of money. It might be bullshit, but I'd rather not risk getting humiliated by some asshole at border control, especially considering how much more interesting many countries in EU are.

If you're a stereotypically ethnic Polish person (just guessing from the username) no one is going to even look cross-eyed at you if you can speak English at all.

The 21 year drinking age is still idiotic and actively harmful.

The only advise I would give on this angle is more that one should carry their passports (or some other form of ID) with them if they want to enter US bars / drinking establishments or even just want to order a beer.

The United States (from my perception) seems to have far more establishments serving alcohol, whose policy is to ask identification for everyone (or if not everyone, a ridiculously over-heavy subsection of their clients, eg "we check ID for anyone under 35"). Probably for CYA reasons.

I don't ever recall any place in Europe asking for ID when buying a beer over in there (even when I visited when I was in my mid 20s). Whereas, I still occasionally get asked for ID in the United States in spite of being over 40.

Most places in the US will criminally charge the server for selling alcohol to a minor. In my jurisdiction it is a misdemeanor with a $5000 fine for a first offense. Police regularly conduct "sting" operations to catch minimum wage store clerks. The business might also face a penalty but the primary punishment falls on the clerk/server/bartender.

It's all pretty bonkers.

That's because in most of Europe you can buy beer from 16. Even in mid 20s most people are obviously not 16 any more.

> If you're a stereotypically ethnic Polish person no one is going to even look cross-eyed at you

Why is that? Are Polish persons more grown up looking?

Careful not to bite the hand that feeds you