The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1947-12-27

@aTOft cuts Impossible. You
must continue on through the
mall.
The police headquarters is
located some distance from the
ABA office, but I reached it by
taxi in about 10 minutes. | was
excessively passed from one
cisrk in one room TO another in
n different room to another in
q different office until finally
sal down with one official who
seemed prepared TO do business
lie questioned me in French con.
cerning my entire family his.
tory, filling in two sides of q
large form in pen and ink. This
required considerable time, but
i thought | could see the end;
as he completed the form. But
q second copy was required. In
stead of making a carbon copy
when the original was prepared,
this chap calmly-and with no
hafTy-proceeded to copy the
original, again in pen and ink.
lie then took me to another
office where my passport and
the forms We're turned over to
another clerk. This man exam
ined the documents leisurely
and finally filled out another
form. After making some leng-
thy notations in a large book, he
passed me on with my papers to
a third man. This chap initiated
some of the forms, stamped my
passport and returned some of
the documents. TO be turned in at
customs on departure from the
country. This part of the job
was now completed. Total time:
l hour, 80 minutes. Several
dozen other people of Greek and
other nationalities were going
through the mill at the same
time.
On returning to the ABA Of
fice, ] was advised that before
the ticket could be purchased,
must 60 TO the Bank of Greece
To obtain authority to pay my
fare in Greek drachmai. A Mr..
Nicolaides was the man to see.
l was given document stating
that permission was requested
90 buy the ticket.
The Bank of Greece was with
IN walking distance, and | found
Mr.. Nicolaides on the second
floor. A harried individual, he
worked deliberately, under ter
rifle pressure. Two telephones
on his desk, people standing
both inside and outside his office,
in long queues, asking for serv-
iqe. He carefully examined my
papersl and driectcsi me to go
down 10 the foreign exchange de-
fsartTnent on the first floor,
change my money into drachmai;
return 10 his office and he would
issue me the proper authority 10
buy the ticket.
40 the foreign exchange desk,
my passport was again exam
ined, and ON receiving my trav-
oilers cheques for $40, the
cterk made out another form
this time in triplicate, but using
caibon paper. He handed me a
small ticket and directed me 10
anotber window where the
money would be- paid over. Once
this operation was completed,
returned 10 the first counter to
GET my currency declaration
form (required on entrance t.
the country endorsed, thence
hack upstairs 10 Mr.. Nicolaides.
We initialled one of the money
receipt forms had obtained
downstairs and passed all the
papers over To girl at a desk
nearby, who made out another
fern, passed the papers to an
other clerk who affixed some
revenue stamps and then hand
ed them to third clerk. This
man made some notations in
large book and passed the pa
pers back 10 Mr.. Nicolaides. The
latter initialled the papers ane
turned them over TO the frs
Risa, who filed most of them II
a desk tray and handed me my
pesanit to buy an airlines ticke
with drachmai. Ut cannot, under
the law, be bought with any oth
ar currency Total time:
hours. IS minutes, by the clock.
The cost of the airlines ucke'
was S37, and had cashed S4o
az my travellers cheques were
in $40 and $40 denominations
But on purchasing the ticket
disceyered that q Greek tax hae