PT

by Peter Saint-Andre

2003-03-08

I just stumbled on a class of people who call themselves PTs. PT stands for perpetual traveller, permanent tourist, prior taxpayer, passing through, practically transparent, and a number of other phrases triumphant. A PT is a sovereign individual who does not have a permanent home and does not belong to any one nation. PTs usually have multiple passports so they can travel anywhere and always be considered a tourist, not a citizen (tourists are usually treated in a much more friendly manner). Sometimes they have portable trades like English teacher or musician, but often they have created significant wealth and do not want to forfeit that wealth to greedy governments. Yet they don't look or act wealthy -- their modus operandi is to keep a low profile, to appear middle class or even slightly impoverished, to fit in and never stick out (they seem to have absorbed in a highly practical way the Epicurean ideal of living inconspicuously). They value freedom pragmatically, not just theoretically. They have figured out how to find freedom in an unfree world. Fascinating.


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