March 3 : ilana

      We are on the plane to Atlanta, but it definitely wasn't a sure bet that we would make it. We left Waterbury, and then picked up Adamah before proceeding to the White Plains Airport. We were being checked in by a very pleasant attendant when her supervisor, Ilana, came over and started looking at my passport. She decided that the expiration date on my Liberian visa had been altered by persons unknown, and cast an accusing stare at me, before going into the back room for probably 20 minutes. She then came out and announced that I would not be allowed to fly because she suspected a forgery. Adamah was standing next to me as we tried to argue for some common sense, but she was having none of it. I pointed out the nature of our trip, and the fact that we are given the visas for free; there would really be no reason or point in me forging the expiration date. We then brought out the big guns, like Adamah's mother being President etc. but she wouldn't budge. Her concern was that if the Liberian authorities refused me entry, then Delta would have to pay for my flight back to the USA. Adamah pointed out the sheer absurdity of that, but she still wouldn't relent. I asked to talk to her supervisor, but she said that she was the supervisor. Adamah asked for her fax number there so that he could have the Liberian Ambassador to the USA send a letter testifying to my bona fides; she refused. We pointed out that on the computer, in the comment section of the tickets, they would find a note from high up in the corporate chain giving us free baggage transport, so someone up ere had a personal interest in our work. Finally she brought someone else over who suggested that we go to another building on the other side of the airport and talk to US Customs and Immigration. We left Diego and John with the bags, and went to the other side of the airport in a taxi.
   Once there, we explained the situation to a group of the agents. They pointed out the they have nothing to do with the issuance of Liberian visas, and therefore couldn't really get involved. But the guy in charge did look up my travel record, and noted that there was nothing suspicious going on there. In the meantime, Adamah got the Ambassador on the phone, and he agreed to fax to a letter on Embassy stationery indicating that I did indeed have a valid visa, etc. Also, I called Shawn, e assistant to the senior VP t Delta who had arranged our free baggage...and who had been kind enough to give me her cell phone number in case there were any problems. Eventually Ilana talked to the Immigration guys, who told her that I seemed like a reasonable character and it would probably be okay to let me get on the plane. She wanted to see the letter from the Ambassador first. She also noted that it was 3:40, and if we weren't ticketed by 4:15 we would not be allowed on the flight. We waited for what seemed like an eternity, and finally at 3:55 the fax from the Ambassador came through, and we rushed back in time to get our tickets.
    Several aspects of this: I'm sure glad we were traveling with Adamah; I doubt that the Ambassador would have done what he did on a Saturday afternoon for too many other people ! I'm glad I had connected with the senior VP at Delta and his assistant; the phone call from her to the supervisor must have helped ratchet up the pressure. And the Immigration agents went out of their way to be helpful, where they could have easily said " it's not my job" and left us hanging. Finally, I know Ilana was just doing her job as she sees it, but she was so rigid and devoid of common sense, in the beginning anyway; I'm glad that she finally saw  the light !
    Hopefully that will be the end of problems for this trip rather than a portent of things to come!


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