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| Is your embassy helpful? |
| Yes |
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29% |
[ 5 ] |
| No |
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70% |
[ 12 ] |
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| Total Votes : 17 |
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dmb
Joined: 12 Feb 2003
Posts: 8397
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 Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 9:32 am Post subject: |
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| Apologies. Didn't mean to trip you out. I hate when that happens to me. |
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Sweetsee
Joined: 11 Jun 2004
Posts: 2302
Location: ) is everything
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| Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 9:45 am Post subject: |
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| No worries. In fact, I knew something bizarre was about to happen and I'm just glad it's out of the way! |
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deezy
Joined: 27 Apr 2004
Posts: 307
Location: China and Australia
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| Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 1:34 pm Post subject: |
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The Aussie Embassy didn't respond to my attempts at contact when I was stuck in a Chinese hospital for a month either, badly injured. No, I shan't rely on 'em.
...and way back when, in the misty days of the pre-Iranian Revolution, the British Embassy was equally unhelpful...."Oh no" (in their best British twang), there's no problem for British people in Iran"...."but but but"...we said..".the machine gun fire is getting closer and closer to our home"....
Then we had to leave, one suitcase each, kids in tow, with 6 hours notice. |
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Guy Courchesne
Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 9650
Location: Mexico City
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| Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 2:22 pm Post subject: |
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Wow, war stories. Didn't expect that. I was thinking more along the lines of how good a marguerita does your ambassador make and which embassy has the biggest party on Canada Day/Independence Day/Anzac Day/your_country's_holiday_here_Day
Shmooj got it...  |
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Ben Round de Bloc
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1946
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| Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 2:56 pm Post subject: |
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I don't know how universal this is, but here are a couple of quotes regarding the American Consulate in the city where I live. I think the entire article is worth reading for any U.S. citizens who are visiting or living here.
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The American Consulate in Merida, Yucatan
Should you be arrested, we cannot intervene and spring you from jail. We will visit you, provide vitamins, reading material and a list of attorneys for you to contact, follow your case to be sure that you are being treated fairly under Mexican law, and protest any mistreatment that you might receive, but that is all. We do not intervene in business disputes, even if we think that you are in the right. We are happy to provide advice on what we think you should do, however.
http://www.yucatantoday.com/culture/eng-asktheusconsul.htm |
| Quote: |
We have Consular Agencies in Cancun and Cozumel that report to us. We cover the states of Yucatan, Campeche and Quintana Roo. We interview applicants for non-immigrant visas [to the USA] from these three states and the state of Tabasco.
http://www.yucatantoday.com/culture/eng-asktheusconsul.htm |
This is the topic that I hear the most complaints about from locals, especially those who aren't among the very wealthy class. The most common complaints I hear are that locals who apply for visas are treated incredibly rudely and that there's lots of discrimination regarding who's granted a visa and who isn't. |
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Guy Courchesne
Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 9650
Location: Mexico City
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| Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 3:07 pm Post subject: |
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Ben, you should see the US Embassy here in DF. Almost daily, there are very long lines of people stretching around the block for the visa application process. The Embassy here must make a tidy little profit, charging something like 1000 pesos per application, not refunded if you are denied. That and the 1-900 line they run...
The place is a fortress though. No parties. I heard that a group of Marines get together once a month for a bar crawl. |
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Lover
Joined: 14 Feb 2005
Posts: 86
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| Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2005 5:53 am Post subject: |
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| Your embassy is specially of not any help if you are an American! |
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Sweetsee
Joined: 11 Jun 2004
Posts: 2302
Location: ) is everything
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| Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2005 5:59 am Post subject: |
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| That's right. Plus, if you have broken any laws it would be best to keep it quiet. What they don't know can't hurt you! |
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Stephen Jones
Joined: 21 Feb 2003
Posts: 4124
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| Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2005 9:56 pm Post subject: |
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The British Consular service in Saudi is pretty good. A few years back when you would automatically be put in a cell if you had a traffic accident, it would always turn up to visit the same day, and contact your sponsor and pressure him to get you out. The present ambassador also did a good job of going around cheering everybody up last summer.
When I was in hospital in Sri Lanka a couple of years ago the consul, or one of his assistants, took the train up to see me and ask if there was anything he could do.
In Spain they are pretty useless though - a lot depends I think on the number of citizens they have to deal with and there are a lot of Brits in Spain. There are many worse amongst the developed countries there though. A Spanish poiceman in Barcelona once told me how many foreign missions did absolutely nothing when the police informed them one of their subjects was detained, as they are obliged to do.. |
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