Lonelytraveller breaks the promise to travel overland for crossing the Pacific ocean to United States. He buys an e-ticket for a flight from Tokyo to Los Angeles with Singapore Airlines, then he reaches Narita airport to board it...
- Konnichiwa Sir, passport and ticket please.
- Hello, here is my ticket. And this is my passport.
- Tokyo-Los Angeles, one way only? Where are you from?
- Italy.
- Oh! Do you have a return ticket?
- No, because I'm going to South America, so I'll go back to Italy from there.
- Do you have a ticket to South America?
- No, I haven't. I have a bus ticket allowing me to go everywhere in US and Canada, so I can reach easily Mexico by bus... I think it's enough, isn't it?
- Oh! Sorry but Mexico is not valid. You need a return ticket to Europe or South America!
- Why a ticket to Mexico ain't valid?!?! Is perhaps Mexico one of the 50 States of the federation?!?!
- Oh! No it isn't. But a ticket to Mexico ain't valid for us.
- Listen, why should I buy a ticket to Europe from Usa if I'm going to South America, or maybe Argentina?!?!?
- Do you have a ticket to Argentina?
- Are you kidding me?!? No, I haven't, I'm traveling overland, look at my passport! I reached Japan overland from Italy... But I'm going South, how can I buy a ticket if I'm traveling by bus???
- Oh! If you book now a bus ticket from Usa to Argentina, that should be right!
- I guess the direct bus from Los Angeles to Buenos Aires is fully booked right now, but I could try with the bus from Los Angeles to New Delhi...
- Sorry. No return ticket, no check in. It's the law.
- Hey, it's not the law! I've already been in USA, I know USA pretty well and I'm sure there are no problems if I explain my situation at the officers at the border!
- Oh! Sorry but we cannot board you...
- So are you going to make me miss the flight, eh? Hey, I'm not a thief, I regularly paid for that bloody flight! And listen, if I have a return ticket or not, it's just a problem between me and the officers at the US border, not between me and you stupid airline!
- I'm sorry, Sir, but we cannot check you in.
Lonelytraveller understands it's just wasted time trying to have a regular conversation with that girl as she speaks the language of computers, not the one spoken by humans. He understands that all his journey is in danger and it could end soon just because of this stupid bureaucratic matter. So he decides to follow a different strategy...
- Ok, if I need a return ticket, please tell me where's an internet cafè to book it...
- Oh! There's an internet cafè at the upper floor!
- Thanks.
Lonelytraveller reaches the internet cafè. He has 44 minutes left before the departure of his airplane. He opens his email account, he quickly searches for the oldest mails there. He searches and searches among the mails received in 2005. 32 minutes left. He finds the electronic ticket of the flight used 5 years before to fly from Los Angeles to Dublin at the end of his journey from Alaska to Mexico. He opens the mail with the editor and changes all the details of that ticket into a new one. 25 minutes left. He prints the receipt of his "brand new" ticket and runs back to the boarding gate...
- Hello again. Here is the return flight I've just booked online...
- Oh! Aer Lingus to Dublin? Didn't you have to go to South America?
- I've changed my mind. Aer Lingus is a great airline with cheaper fares than yours. And I love Ireland too.
- One minute Sir, we have to check the code of the flight.
Lonelytraveller realizes he made a huge mistake in not checking previously the flight code. He waits and watches all those officers reading, calling, asking, in search of that fake code printed on his fake ticket. He waits for a while then tries the all-out...
- What's the problem now!
- We cannot find the code of your flight, Sir.
- Hey, the plane is taking off within minutes. It's not a problem of mine if you're not able to find the code of the flight I've just booked!
- Okay, Sir. Here is your boarding card...
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