“I wouldn’t let you fly”

Quick post to say how on earth I managed to leave Copenhagen…

First up I’d like to thank these people for providing me with documents which helped me to leave Denmark:

Jill Harpley
The Head of Student Registry
The International Office
Beaver

Thanks guys. It worked.

For those who ain’t in the know, basically I was in a situation where I was trying to leave Denmark without a passport because the Chinese Embassy are slow as constipation. Apologies on that but its true. They were still processing my Visa, and it wouldn’t be done until the day after my flight. Terrible behaviour. So I was in a jam: Either stay in Denmark and just accept I’ve lost my flights, and have to pay accommodation and living costs for another week. Prolly around £150 at least in total. Or I could attempt to leave the country with no passport. After all, the Brits can do anything right?

No brainer decision, here at least. So I wake up at 7 and embark for Lufthavn. I wasn’t exactly excited because I rated my chances of leaving at around 20%. But that said I was in possession of my record card from Student Registry, a letter from them stamped and signed saying I was who I said I was, a similar one from our College Adminsitrator (Jill!) and a photocopy of my passport. And my provisional. Fingers crossed.

So Lee and I rocked up to check in. Hurdle one. Possibly the hardest one… Lee obviously got through with no problems. Lucky passport having mother******. Me on the other hand? Heh. Well this would be my first hurdle. Initially they seemed to have no problem with me cruising through check-in with no passport. Then they called in the supervisor… who called (apparently) British Immigration. They, no no lets say she claimed that upon entrance to Britain they would cancel my passport and renew it immediately.

!?!?!?

“This would cancel my visa to China, yes?”
“Yes”

ARGHNOOO. Basically. This would possibly be the worst case scenario. Arriving on British soil but having ot buy a new passport, and not being able to get a visa in time to go to China. That was the closest I’ve been to being physically sick by just hearing someone speak. There wasn’t a lot I could do. I begged to speak to them on the phone, and the woman just wasn’t hearing me. I said my goodbyes to Lee, shook his hand and trudged to the other side of the check-in area. I was too damn lazy and depressed to go back to the apartment. Honestly I don’t think I’ve been that devastated. Ever. Honestly A-Level results day was better than this. I just had to watch my mate go through check in and onto the plane, whilst I sat down a moped around in a seat that firstly smelt of piss and secondly had a family with screaming effing children who needed to pipe down on the other side.

Fuck that. I’m going on facebook. Lets check the wifi, I thought. 40kr for 30mins!? WHAT!? But then I thought whats 40kr when I’m possibly stuck here for another week, and forked it over, (hi Mastercard).

Alexander speechless. That was the facebook status the second I logged in. Then I logged off because I didn’t really want to face the replies of “did you not make it then?”. Vomiting in the airport isn’t cool anyway. Since I had 30mins to kill though, and I wanted my kroners worth I thought why not get my moneys worth. Lets get onto IPS (Identity & Passport Service) and ask them perhaps? So I did. Apparently I wouldn’t get my passport renewed, but they weren’t convinced I could get on the plane. Great. Two conflicting sets of info. A flight that leaves in an hour? Of course I tried. The people at check in were shocked I was going to try this, but let me through anyway. What wasn’t cool was explaining my plight to multiple sets of security checks explaining why I didn’t have my passport.

Again
And again
And again

Was all worth it though, seeing Lee in Departures. He couldn’t believe it. And nor did I until I landed in Gatwick and didn’t get my passport cancelled or renewed. Good times.