Passport drama, part the fourth
I'm back.
The whole process was quicker and more successful than I could have hoped. It was, however, every bit as bound up in red tape as the laws of comedy dictate.
I walked into the passport office to discover 12 people ahead of me in the pre-check queue. The office was hot enough to fry a block of tofu on the floor and as dry as my father's wit. Boy, I sure was glad I brought that can of ginger ale with me. I reached into my bag and pulled it out. I was about to crack it open when a voice screamed 'NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!' The security guard was shaking his pencil at me in disapproval. 'No drinks in the passport office'.
When I got to the pre-check desk, the woman looked over my form and assigned me a number. I made a bee-line for the corridor outside so I could drink my ginger ale. Of course, it occurred to me that bringing a can instead of a bottle was pretty stupid. If I opened it, I'd have to finish the whole thing before going back into the office to wait my turn.
Eventually my number flashed onto the screen and I approached the passport-issuing desk. The woman glanced at the photocopy of my driver's licence and advised me that I had done it wrong. I had photocopied only one side of the licence. But the instructions that came with the application form didn't say anything about copying both sides. She laughed at my foolishness and informed me that there was information on both sides, so any idiot would know to copy both sides. But the only information on the back is the expiry date. She shook her head, clearly amused at my astonishing ignorance. The form, she patiently said, required the date of issue of the driver's licence, so how [please, for the love of pete, tell us how] could I fail to understand that they would want to see the photocopy of the date of expiry as well? It's just so obvious!
That was the last time she looked at my driver's licence. She didn't actually need it for anything. I had already put the licence number on the form when I had filled it out. That was all she needed. When the process was complete, she very helpfully shredded the copy I had made. You know, to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands...
I drank my ginger ale in peace as I walked back to the office.
The whole process was quicker and more successful than I could have hoped. It was, however, every bit as bound up in red tape as the laws of comedy dictate.
I walked into the passport office to discover 12 people ahead of me in the pre-check queue. The office was hot enough to fry a block of tofu on the floor and as dry as my father's wit. Boy, I sure was glad I brought that can of ginger ale with me. I reached into my bag and pulled it out. I was about to crack it open when a voice screamed 'NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!' The security guard was shaking his pencil at me in disapproval. 'No drinks in the passport office'.
When I got to the pre-check desk, the woman looked over my form and assigned me a number. I made a bee-line for the corridor outside so I could drink my ginger ale. Of course, it occurred to me that bringing a can instead of a bottle was pretty stupid. If I opened it, I'd have to finish the whole thing before going back into the office to wait my turn.
Eventually my number flashed onto the screen and I approached the passport-issuing desk. The woman glanced at the photocopy of my driver's licence and advised me that I had done it wrong. I had photocopied only one side of the licence. But the instructions that came with the application form didn't say anything about copying both sides. She laughed at my foolishness and informed me that there was information on both sides, so any idiot would know to copy both sides. But the only information on the back is the expiry date. She shook her head, clearly amused at my astonishing ignorance. The form, she patiently said, required the date of issue of the driver's licence, so how [please, for the love of pete, tell us how] could I fail to understand that they would want to see the photocopy of the date of expiry as well? It's just so obvious!
That was the last time she looked at my driver's licence. She didn't actually need it for anything. I had already put the licence number on the form when I had filled it out. That was all she needed. When the process was complete, she very helpfully shredded the copy I had made. You know, to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands...
I drank my ginger ale in peace as I walked back to the office.
this is the word of sic @
12:52
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