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Ever the slackers and disorganized fools, we realized when we went to the McHoul wedding that our passports were going to expire in about two weeks. We were actually really grateful to have decided to go to the wedding or we would have learned about the expiration after it took place. That would have been an ugly and embarrassing discovery made at the PAP airport or possibly revealed in Miami, as we were being cuffed and detained. Blame would have been placed, insults hurled, feelings hurt. 'Whose responsibility IS THIS?' we would ask one another.
(For those keeping track - for sure this is Troy's department. Just sayin.)
Expired passports seem like a bad idea ... And so, our day began at the U.S. Embassy.
The movies and television frequently lead the American viewer to believe that an Embassy is a place of refuge. If you watch enough high-action programming, you might believe Americans abroad only need to get to their embassy and everything will be okay. The embassy is a beacon of truth and justice in this dark world. The embassy stands ready to assist in any manner. The embassy is your friend. With bombs going off behind you, just run for your embassy, they'll fling the doors open for you.
False.
In our dealings with our embassy we've learned that they don't actually want to have to interact with us if at all possible. The manner in which most (not all) employees conduct business is unfriendly, bordering on rude. After we got everything turned over to renew our passports they informed us that the passports would be delivered to our house. We have a friend that attempted to go that route with his renewal and as far as we know he is still in search of his passport. Troy said, "No. I don't want it delivered. If it is coming here to the embassy anyway, I live nearby - I'll come pick it up."
It is, after all, a fairly important document, one we'd like in our hands as soon as possible, so why not cut out the middle man? Makes sense to us. Troy was informed that he is required to hire the messenger service because the Embassy doesn't want him to have a reason to come back into the building. They (the American Citizens Service unit) are "reducing their traffic". (As it turns out, they are ALSO increasing our chances of not having our passports.) Listening to the bureaucratic-speak about where our documents would be "deployed" was slightly aggravating, mostly because of the lack of common sense.
After watching the inner workings of government ineptitude while adopting Phoebe post-earthquake, we recognize that most everything they do because of "policy" or "procedure" is code for "charging you money to keep our lives easy and yours annoying and inconvenient".
The passports take 7 to 10 days to come back but the messenger service says we'll have them in 30 days. I'm the first to admit I am no math wizard but something tells me there is a bit of a problem with that. It is almost as if 20 days are in between the passport arriving and the passport being handed (in theory) to us. Call me a skeptic; call me a jerk, but I'm not super thrilled with my passport being in an undisclosed ambiguous location for three weeks. I'd rather just have it in my hands. I guess you could say it's my policy. Ahem.
11 comments:
oh my....i read your post and had to respond b/c i recently had to go to the US Embassy in Phnom Penh Cambodia. you are so right...not even friendly to its own citizens. crazy! it was the most gut wrenching experience and sad. there is no discretion at all and local Cambodians are rejected publicly often for trying to obtain a visa. it's seriously so heartbreaking to watch time and time again. i saw five different people in my visit and no one seemed to know much, but the last man was the most helpful and nice which was a surprise. the embassies are a weird place.
We had to have our daughter's passport renewed at a consulate in China. We took our paperwork and pictures up and paid the fee. I'd been to the consulate before so I knew to bring something to do. After turning in our paperwork and paying, we were told to sit and wait. I couldn't imagine what else we needed to do. After two hours, we were called up and the guy at the window said "So you are here for a new passport." Then he flirted with my not quite 18 year old daughter and told me that I really needn't have come.
We needed her old passport so she could go on a school trip, so they said they would e-mail us when the new one arrived (no other way to keep the old passposrt). We never got an e-mail or phone call so after three weeks, we called and called and called. They talked to us like we were idiots and told us to come and pick it up.
Just total ....I don't even know what to call it.
Don't feel alone...this wonderful customer service at the US embassy is worldwide. I hope your passports arrive!
Your blog post made me laugh. Thanks! Love reading your blog. Both my husband and daughter had their passports renewed in PAP and used the messaging service to pick them up. We had no problems, to give you a little peace of mind. Just don't lose the receipt they gave you!
I've never had to get a passport, so I don't have any experience there. But my one experience with an embassy was surprisingly positive! In 1974, when my good friend from college and I were 23, we went to visit her brother's family in Washington DC. One day we were walking down Embassy Row, looking at the huge, beautiful mansions that were the embassies of many foreign countries. Suddenly a huge downpour caught us unexpectedly, so we ran up onto one of the huge porches on one of the embassies to get out of the rain. I doubt that they are so open and accessible nowadays! We just meant to stand there for a few minutes, until the rain let up, even though we were already soaked. To our surprise, the embassy door opened and we were invited to come in out of the rain. They gave us towels to dry off with and were very kind to us! I wish I could remember which country's embassy we were in. I'm sure nothing like this would happen in today's atmosphere of high security!
Um, I wonder if the employees there were transferred from the embassy in Bogota, Colombia? Sounds like the same fools, er, I mean government employees!
UGH....is Good Luck the right thing to say here?
I'm not sure....
John and Beth had a similar issue getting Michael's passport to leave Haiti way back when.
John was told, "there are no passport books"
WHAT? The little blue book?
You are out of those?
After several trips back and forth and four weeks of waiting....one was amazing found when an extra $50 was offered. hmmm.....
(*can I post that? is that PC? Feel free to delete) :P
I love the because we were just talking with several other missionaries about the same problems this week! We never have good luck and they seem to make up rulesmas they go!
Good luck!
Nikki Stolberg
"we recognize that most everything they do because of "policy" or "procedure" is code for "charging you money to keep our lives easy and yours annoying and inconvenient." LOVE THIS! Not only true of embassies, but most government interactions, and really, pretty much the policy of all bureaucracies everywhere. Great quote!
I totally blame the US Embassy for my huge debacle in Haiti. They knowingly fed us to the wolves. Such major ineptness. Just reading your story makes me furious. I have much unresolved anger! :-) And you are totally right, prior to my experience I had that exact movie version if them in my head.
I, too, thought that a U.S. Embassy should be a place of refuge for U.S. Citizens. WRONG!
I have spent far too much time at the embassy in Ghana. It is NOT a fun place to visit. I have even been refused entry multiple times ... just because. I had all of my I.D. I knew who I needed to see. But, the gun-toting guard would just say, "No. Come back tomorrow (or next week)."
Ugh!
Hope your passports find their way to your hands ... in less than 30 days.
:) :) :)
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