Last Tuesday around 4 PM I got a call from Megan saying that the State Department people she talks to agree that this is a special case but their higher-ups are holding to line that if I noticed it was damaged at the beginning I should have sent it back at the beginning. To make sure that we get the passport back in time for the cruise, she advised me to get my butt to a post office and get that application in and overnight and expedite it. Okay, she didn’t say that exactly, but that was the general idea. She’s still holding to hope that we’ll be able to get the various fees refunded after the fact.
I called Mike and asked him if we could meet at a post office because both parents have to be present to apply for a minor’s passport. It’s good child protection for parents who want to sneak their kids out of the country without the other parent knowing but it’s annoying for those who have to try to work it out to get both parents to the post office during post office hours. I rounded up Ben and all the paperwork and headed over to the post office at 4:35 PM. Mike, after shooting through traffic and ended up getting there at 4:58 PM. We get to the counter and start the process. The lady took some paperwork and said she’d be back after she made some copies. While she was gone, an elderly gentleman behind us in line started throwing up. Not once but twice. The smells filled the waiting area but we couldn’t leave! Mike did go out to the car to get him a bottle of water which he refused. BTW He was feeling better when we left. The lady ended up having to put some newspaper down on the vomit before getting back to help us. After everything was said and done, we’ve ended up forking out $174.50.
PS My check to the Department of State cleared my bank account on the 7th!