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Originally Posted by amitoj This is unbelievable.
You do realise you could have avoided all this simply by verifying the details on your passport when u got it renewed!!
Amitoj |
Oh sure hindsight is always 20-20!
my point was that the bureaucrats that be often have you over a barrel. I had 2 other choices at that stage
a) go to the officer who had helped me (but she was gone for the day)
b) canel all my business meetings in Europe and start over after I got my passport
Ok I made a mistake of not verifying my passport but similarly both the Indian and UK govts allowed me to travel on an "expired" passport come to think of it I even flew back to India from the US on this passport. It was only the contientious Germans who noticed.
Ok I made a mistake but if one does, does one have to run from pillar to post for 4 days to have it corrected esp when there is evidence to prove that it was a simply typographical error. That is the country we live in.
To compare the level of service provided by other Govts. When I was in Taiwan I was pickpocketed and was relieved of my Green card on the way to the airport. Instead of flying on to the US I flew to India. Made a statement at the US Counsul in Mumbai and got me a letter asking the US INS official at NYC to let me in. THe whole process at the US Counsul in Mumbai took
1 hour and I was not even a citizen of their country. No bribes. No pleading. Nothing. Just 1 factual statement.
I can cite many more examples of service I recieved from the Govts of Germany, Denmark, Sinagapore and Switzerland (which BTW are even more responsive than the US).
Do you notice that India is one of the few (and only major country) where it's citizens have to verify their passports on
entry. Have you seen this in the EU or US? The idea here is to prove that the Indian Bureaucracy treats their brethern very poorly and wont move unless bribed. Funnily Whites are treated with kids gloves by the same officials.