Jim and I went to the heavily guarded, highly secured American embassy to explain a problem with our second passports: extension to 2002 is noted in the back of our book and embassies, consulates and border guards don’t understand or accept this. The first woman I spoke with stated, “It’s policy to do it this way and it’s really not our problem. It’s their problem”. I tried not to explode and asked to see the Consul.

A few minutes later, a 20-something-looking Kristin Gustavson spoke to me through the Plexiglass window, “It’s policy not to issue another second passport after the first one is issued. We just amend the date and state an additional two years have been added on the next to last page of the passport. This is policy.” She didn’t seem to understand that border guards who don’t read English are ‘our’ problems and trying to get them to accept an amendment located in the back is another of ‘our’ problems. When we asked again to see the Consul, she claimed she was in fact the Consul.

At one point she suggested we contact the American embassy in the country we’re about to visit and have them ‘deal with the matter’. Shocked, I replied, “So what shall we do in Sudan or Iran where there is no embassy? And where embassies exist, do you really think an employee is going to drive to the border to make sure the officials there will accept our passport.” Her response, “No, but the US embassy official could call the border.” Trying to contain my outrage, I answered, “But there are no phones at many border points in this world.” Finally she said, “Contact the US State Department. I can’t change policy.”

Jim asked her if this method of extension made sense to her. “Yes,” she responded. When Jim then asked, “Why?”, she replied, “Because it is policy.”