Great Brits abroad

British embassies and consulates have complained of frivolous enquiries
from UK nationals recently, including:

* A mother asked the consulate in Florida to help her teenage son
pack his case and give him a lift to the airport as he was feeling under
the weather
* A traveller wanted the high commission in Zambia to phone his work
to explain he would not be in work because he was unable to get a flight
* A holidaymaker visiting Italy wondered where they could purchase a
particular pair of shoes
* One caller asked: "I'm making jam - what ratio of fruit to sugar
shall I use?"

More at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8196865.stm

--
(*) of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate
www.davidhorne.net (email address on website)
"[Do you think the world learned anything from the first
world war?] No. They never learn." -Harry Patch (1898-2009)

"David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*)" wrote in message
...
British embassies and consulates have complained of frivolous enquiries
from UK nationals recently, including:

* A mother asked the consulate in Florida to help her teenage son
pack his case and give him a lift to the airport as he was feeling under
the weather
* A traveller wanted the high commission in Zambia to phone his work
to explain he would not be in work because he was unable to get a flight
* A holidaymaker visiting Italy wondered where they could purchase a
particular pair of shoes
* One caller asked: "I'm making jam - what ratio of fruit to sugar
shall I use?"

More at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8196865.stm

--
(*) of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate
www.davidhorne.net (email address on website)
"[Do you think the world learned anything from the first
world war?] No. They never learn." -Harry Patch (1898-2009)

Back in the late 70s I was in South America. Crossed Lake Titicaca from
Peru to Bolivia overnight only to find (when I arrived in La Paz) that a
coup had happened while I was on the boat. The two sides were even taking
occasional potshots at one another. It never occurred to me to seek
assistance from the Embassy - I just sat it out in an hotel until I could
get back to Peru.

The only time I have actually contacted an embassy was when our passports
were stolen. The passports were in a sort of purse that our son had given
my wife and she wanted it back. She reasoned that once the thief had taken
what he wanted he would have discarded the purse so we went back to the
scene of the crime and started rummaging in bins like a pair of tramps.
After a minute or two a youngster came up with the purse minus money but
with passports - I was so relieved I gave him a few Euros, took the purse.
I had to phone the embassy back to explain what we had done - I reckon the
man thought I was either mad or had made the whole thing up (and who can
blame him?).

David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*) wrote:
British embassies and consulates have complained of frivolous enquiries
from UK nationals recently, including:

* A mother asked the consulate in Florida to help her teenage son
pack his case and give him a lift to the airport as he was feeling under
the weather
* A traveller wanted the high commission in Zambia to phone his work
to explain he would not be in work because he was unable to get a flight
* A holidaymaker visiting Italy wondered where they could purchase a
particular pair of shoes
* One caller asked: "I'm making jam - what ratio of fruit to sugar
shall I use?"

More at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8196865.stm


Reading the story carefully it seems each embassy is dealing with, on
average, something less than one case a day. (they don't work weekends...)

About a third of them are lost passports.

As they don't say what proportion are considered frivolous cases it
sounds like our diplomats are looking for some spare time to organise
even more cocktail parties at our expense rather than sort out people's
problems for them.

What on earth do they think we pay them all that money for?

--
William Black

The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing.
If you can fake that, you've got it made.

Alan S wrote:

On Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:36:16 +0100, (David Horne,
_the_ chancellor (*)) wrote:

British embassies and consulates have complained of frivolous enquiries
from UK nationals recently, including:

* A mother asked the consulate in Florida to help her teenage son
pack his case and give him a lift to the airport as he was feeling under
the weather
* A traveller wanted the high commission in Zambia to phone his work
to explain he would not be in work because he was unable to get a flight

That one sounds pretty reasonable to me if he had no other way to
contact his employer.

I wonder how he managed to contact the high commission...

--
(*) of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate
www.davidhorne.net (email address on website)
"[Do you think the world learned anything from the first
world war?] No. They never learn." -Harry Patch (1898-2009)

William Black wrote:

David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*) wrote:
British embassies and consulates have complained of frivolous enquiries
from UK nationals recently, including:

* A mother asked the consulate in Florida to help her teenage son
pack his case and give him a lift to the airport as he was feeling under
the weather
* A traveller wanted the high commission in Zambia to phone his work
to explain he would not be in work because he was unable to get a flight
* A holidaymaker visiting Italy wondered where they could purchase a
particular pair of shoes
* One caller asked: "I'm making jam - what ratio of fruit to sugar
shall I use?"

More at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8196865.stm


Reading the story carefully it seems each embassy is dealing with, on
average, something less than one case a day. (they don't work weekends...)

About a third of them are lost passports.

As they don't say what proportion are considered frivolous cases it
sounds like our diplomats are looking for some spare time to organise
even more cocktail parties at our expense rather than sort out people's
problems for them.

What on earth do they think we pay them all that money for?

I wouldn't expect consular staff to be dealing with the issues above...

--
(*) of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate
www.davidhorne.net (email address on website)
"[Do you think the world learned anything from the first
world war?] No. They never learn." -Harry Patch (1898-2009)

David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*) wrote:
Alan S wrote:

On Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:36:16 +0100, (David Horne,
_the_ chancellor (*)) wrote:

British embassies and consulates have complained of frivolous enquiries
from UK nationals recently, including:
* A mother asked the consulate in Florida to help her teenage son
pack his case and give him a lift to the airport as he was feeling under
the weather
* A traveller wanted the high commission in Zambia to phone his work
to explain he would not be in work because he was unable to get a flight
That one sounds pretty reasonable to me if he had no other way to
contact his employer.

I wonder how he managed to contact the high commission...


E-mail, phone, via the FCO in London, note in cleft stick...

If it was a new operation they may not yet have a phone. Phone
installation in the 3rd World can take months unless you know who to bribe.


--
William Black

The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing.
If you can fake that, you've got it made.

David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*) wrote:
William Black wrote:

David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*) wrote:
British embassies and consulates have complained of frivolous enquiries
from UK nationals recently, including:

* A mother asked the consulate in Florida to help her teenage son
pack his case and give him a lift to the airport as he was feeling under
the weather
* A traveller wanted the high commission in Zambia to phone his work
to explain he would not be in work because he was unable to get a flight
* A holidaymaker visiting Italy wondered where they could purchase a
particular pair of shoes
* One caller asked: "I'm making jam - what ratio of fruit to sugar
shall I use?"

More at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8196865.stm

Reading the story carefully it seems each embassy is dealing with, on
average, something less than one case a day. (they don't work weekends...)

About a third of them are lost passports.

As they don't say what proportion are considered frivolous cases it
sounds like our diplomats are looking for some spare time to organise
even more cocktail parties at our expense rather than sort out people's
problems for them.

What on earth do they think we pay them all that money for?

I wouldn't expect consular staff to be dealing with the issues above...


True, but I have a nasty suspicion that this may be all the silly ones
they have...


--
William Black

The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing.
If you can fake that, you've got it made.

William Black wrote:

David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*) wrote:
Alan S wrote:

On Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:36:16 +0100, (David Horne,
_the_ chancellor (*)) wrote:

British embassies and consulates have complained of frivolous enquiries
from UK nationals recently, including:
* A mother asked the consulate in Florida to help her teenage son
pack his case and give him a lift to the airport as he was feeling under
the weather
* A traveller wanted the high commission in Zambia to phone his work
to explain he would not be in work because he was unable to get a flight
That one sounds pretty reasonable to me if he had no other way to
contact his employer.

I wonder how he managed to contact the high commission...


E-mail, phone, via the FCO in London, note in cleft stick...

If it was a new operation they may not yet have a phone. Phone
installation in the 3rd World can take months unless you know who to bribe.

He was asking the commission to _phone_ his employer- it's not clear
where that employer is. (As he's called a 'traveller' it could be in the
UK.) UK mobile phones can roam in Zambia...

--
(*) of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate
www.davidhorne.net (email address on website)
"[Do you think the world learned anything from the first
world war?] No. They never learn." -Harry Patch (1898-2009)

William Black wrote:

David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*) wrote:
William Black wrote:

David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*) wrote:
British embassies and consulates have complained of frivolous enquiries
from UK nationals recently, including:

* A mother asked the consulate in Florida to help her teenage son
pack his case and give him a lift to the airport as he was feeling under
the weather
* A traveller wanted the high commission in Zambia to phone his work
to explain he would not be in work because he was unable to get a flight
* A holidaymaker visiting Italy wondered where they could purchase a
particular pair of shoes
* One caller asked: "I'm making jam - what ratio of fruit to sugar
shall I use?"

More at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8196865.stm

Reading the story carefully it seems each embassy is dealing with, on
average, something less than one case a day. (they don't work weekends...)

About a third of them are lost passports.

As they don't say what proportion are considered frivolous cases it
sounds like our diplomats are looking for some spare time to organise
even more cocktail parties at our expense rather than sort out people's
problems for them.

What on earth do they think we pay them all that money for?

I wouldn't expect consular staff to be dealing with the issues above...


True, but I have a nasty suspicion that this may be all the silly ones
they have...

I don't believe that for one minute. Look at the ridiculous calls to
emergency services in the UK as an example.

--
(*) of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate
www.davidhorne.net (email address on website)
"[Do you think the world learned anything from the first
world war?] No. They never learn." -Harry Patch (1898-2009)

Martin wrote:

On Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:01:29 +0100, (David Horne, _the_
chancellor (*)) wrote:

William Black wrote:

David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*) wrote:
British embassies and consulates have complained of frivolous enquiries
from UK nationals recently, including:

* A mother asked the consulate in Florida to help her teenage son
pack his case and give him a lift to the airport as he was feeling under
the weather
* A traveller wanted the high commission in Zambia to phone his work
to explain he would not be in work because he was unable to get a flight
* A holidaymaker visiting Italy wondered where they could purchase a
particular pair of shoes
* One caller asked: "I'm making jam - what ratio of fruit to sugar
shall I use?"

More at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8196865.stm


Reading the story carefully it seems each embassy is dealing with, on
average, something less than one case a day. (they don't work weekends...)

About a third of them are lost passports.

As they don't say what proportion are considered frivolous cases it
sounds like our diplomats are looking for some spare time to organise
even more cocktail parties at our expense rather than sort out people's
problems for them.

What on earth do they think we pay them all that money for?

I wouldn't expect consular staff to be dealing with the issues above...

It sounds like silly season anecdotes.

"A woman unhappy with the size of her newly-enlarged breasts and a man in
search of shoes also sought help"

It's entirely believable given some of the calls that UK emergency
services get! I'm puzzled why William thinks that Brits abroad are so
intelligent they wouldn't get up to similar antics.

--
(*) of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate
www.davidhorne.net (email address on website)
"[Do you think the world learned anything from the first
world war?] No. They never learn." -Harry Patch (1898-2009)