Originally Posted by Dedworth
Tell me about it!
I haven't mentioned this until now ... but reading Mhae's graphic account of her nightmarish experience has just reminded me of my OWN "brush with bureaucracy gone mad" on returning from a belated honeymoon trip to Paris last month.
The incident occurred as my wife and I were about to join the midday Northbound Express [or so we thought!] at London's Kings X Rail Terminal. Two queues had formed and - as it so-happened - WE'D inadvertently picked the wrong one. I duly handed over my ticket for inspection ... only to be asked for my Senior Rail Card - which, naturally enough, I couldn't produce on demand since it had been stowed away in another wallet that was inside the suitcase I'd packed a few hours earlier. Despite my attempts to reason with the guy that I couldn't have purchased the ticket at the concessionary rate in the first place had I NOT had the Card,the awkward
persisted in his argument that I wouldn't be allowed to board the train WITHOUT it - adding that I'd have to make my way to Customer Services (on another platform) notwithstanding the fact that we were laden with two sets of luggage, and it would've taken ages to open up and rummage through my case to retrieve the other wallet, as the only obvious alternative. All this ... with about five minutes to spare before the train was due to leave!
As I stood there remonstrating with this jumped-up jackass, I hadn't seen my wife dashing off hurriedly in search of the Customer Services kiosk (or whatever it was) ... I'D been tooto have even noticed she was no longer there! It was only when I saw her clutching a small rectangular card - which she gave to the ticket inspector - that I realised she'd been gone at all.
That done, it was a case of "... 'Ave a pleasant journey, Ma'am ... Sir ...!" Grrr, cheeky sod!
Not Cebu Pacific, nor for that matter, a scam - and, perhaps even to some extent,- but it shows that these "over-zealous" types are everywhere!!!
