Shift #4
With funds dwindling I enter this day with the sweet knowledge that on top of everything else, I will need to correctly process at least eight visas one way or the other, or we will be flat broke. The pressure is starting to really mount here.
It's time to face the music. "NEXT!!" After a couple of easy approvals with everything in order, a rather large woman presented with an entry ticket, but no permit. Her eloquent response to the need for one notwithstanding -- "Bullshit! I paid good money for ticket!" -- she was denied. The next guy's name was 'Maxim' on his passport but 'Muxim' on his permit, requiring me to take a fingerprint identification to verify his identity. All of this nonsense just takes up more time ...
Then entered Mrs. Marli Fiske. She was excited about the border opening -- apparently she was now to visit her son in Arstotzka, who she hasn't seen in six years. That is a tragedy, but the regulations state that her permit being two days expired is a great tragedy. I considered letting her through anyway, but only for a few minutes. I can't afford to take food off the table of my family, and all she needs to do is get a new, updated permit. She cursed me as she left, expectedly. Ironically, the next guy through had his passport expired by a few weeks, and I forgot to check that, earning my first citation of the day. Can't afford this ...
Then came another fingerprint challenge in which the prints matched up, but the aliases did not and it didn't occur to me to check those. Citation #2, and another afterpromising start this day was heading straight down the crapper once again. Then a familiar face showed up ...
"Ok, hello again! Now I have passport! Arstotska still greatest country for sure!"
A more obvious forgery I've never seen ... this thing is just ridiculous. Seriously? Who is this supposed to fool, exactly?! I may suck at this job -- but I don't suck that much. Among the many reasons I could choose, I deny this because "Cobrastan is not a real country."
"Ok, ok. You no like passport, I understand. I'll come back with a better one."
A real one, let's hope. You are becoming a nuisance. A hilarious one, but a nuisance nonetheless.
** I couldn't get the screenshot to take here for some reason. It was rather hilarious though, with 'Pre-approved Ok' listed at the top, the whole thing obviously handwritten, gender listed as 'Men', expiration date in 2013(30 years from now!!) and the approval code of 1234-OKOK pretty much takes the cake. It'd be hard to make a more ridiculous, obvious fake than this thing. I did learn though that his name is Jorji Costava. I guess we'll be seeing more of him ... **
One more and we are done -- a local Arstotzkan, and I didn't notice his height didn't match the ID! Another citation, and this being my third of the day it is accompanied by a 5-dollar fine. What a disaster the last few hours were ...
Statement
Savings -- 15
Salary(6) -- 30
Fine -- -5
Rent -- -20
Food -- none
Heat -- -10
Balance -- 10
We go without food again and still lose money. Our fortunes are circling the drain.