Missing my Africa hunt

BIGOLMULEY

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LAST EDITED ON Mar-26-07 AT 08:34PM (MST)[p]No Passport. I have been applied way in advance, but the idiots who run processing can't seem to figure it out. My wife's passport showed up, but not mine. I spent the extra money to expedite them, and for some reason mine is not here.
If I cancel the trip I am out a ton of non-refundable money. I leave tommorow night, and my passport has not even been processed yet. They told me I could fly to SF and pick it up, but you have to have an appointment and they are all booked up until friday. This is going to cost me a ton of money, it is the government so I know I will not be able to get anything out of them.

So what would you do? I am thinking I will send my wife, and come in a couple of days, but that is going to cost me an extra $2600. Or should I just bail, and eat the $2500 that I will lose, Plus the 160,000 skymiles I used for the tickets. (Worth $4400.00) The Safari guys are expecting me and I would feel bad not going, but ......

What to do, what to do. Of course they won't even tell me when it will arrive, so I can't even move my flights anyway.

Jason "The Big Ol' Muley"
 
Id head for SF and be standing at the door when they open.Expain it to someone and just stand there like you arnt going anywhere.They will fit you in..Or ask to talk to a supervisor,then start to cry it works for my wife...
 
Who in the world did you go through to get your passport? Sounds like the run around to me - my company uses an organization in downtown SLC that has been fantastic and flawless with expedited passports. Bummer you might miss it - I'd get to SF and see what you can't do to expidite - surely get your money back from the idots that couldn't get it here like they should have!

my $0.02
 
Sounds like you might have screwed yourself. If you go to SF, odds are they will have mailed it before you get there. A friend at work had to go to Kazakhstan (sp), and the government expedited his, and it still took almost 8 weeks. Just write it off and collect on your trip insurance. Oh yeah, if you booked a hunt and bought tickets without the passport in hand, you better have bought insurance. Bet it won't happen again!
 
Both my wife and I renewed our Passports back on Feb. 2nd and was told that should have them within 6 weeks. Well just read a week ago that their were swamped with Passport app's and would take about an extra 2-3 weeks. We did ours at the local main P.O. and the guy there was probably the most hardest worker I have ever seen in a P.O., he knew his stuff and even did the pictures right there. We were in and out of there in about 15 minutes.

Good think I had not planned anything right away, hope that something happens soon in your case and fget to make the trip, good hunting.

Brian
 
An update. No trip insurance, and no I won't do that again. First time for this. I guess I should not have trusted the Passport people. We had them in 10 weeks ago, expedited 2 weeks ago. Problem is they won't let you talk to anyone who would know anything. Just a whole lot of automated messages.
They have over 500,000 applicants at the moment, way bogged down. But all is not lost.

My wife and friends are heading off on schedule, I have changed my flights and pushed them back a day. They redeposited my skymiles (for free, they felt bad) and I have another flight for the next day, (which I can push back each day that it is not here.) Yes, I have to pay for the flight, but now I have the miles back to go somewhere else (Alaska, ? Yukon,? or any other hunting destination) My wife feels bad, so I may get another hunt out of this.

I asked the passport people(takes almost an hour to get a real person) what would happen if I showed up in SF with no appointment. They said I would never get in, so I will wait. Should be tomorrow, I have been moved up to Priority status. whatever.
Good learning experience though, never trust the government.

Jason "The Big Ol' Muley"

At least I have my AZ lope tag to dream of while I wait.
 
Dang - sorry for the disappointmentand hassel you are going through. Passports didn't use to be a problem at all, but now you need one to fly to Mexico. Can't just use your driver's license any more.

Good luck with it all.

UTROY
Proverbs 21:19 (why I hunt!)
 
Same exact thing happened to my dad a month ago. He paid the fast turn around fee so he would have it back in time for his red stag hunt. Well it says u pay the extra money and it is a sure thing well its not. They shipped his passport to the east coast to be done and it came one week after the for sure date. He still went as it showed up on the last hour before his flight left. U are right, u cant talk to no one for these things. Its enough to just about push a guy over the edge.
 
That sucks bigtime Jason! But you are going to Africa and I am not, so I won't feel to bad ;-) I hope it all works out good for you or Leah will have to shoot all your animals hahaha.


:( Somebody didn't like bouncing betty :(
 
NOTICE TO EVERYONE........

It won't be long till you will be required to have a PASSPORT to travel from STATE TO STATE, THIS IS NO BULLCRAP EITHER.

If you plan on doing any traveling by flying, you will need a PASSPORT so better get one and have it handy and renew it before it expires.

I waited 30 years this time to renew mine, and paid the FULL PRICE right at $100.00 The wifes was not quite yet ready to expire, the cost was around $65.00 I think

Brian
 
Jason, we've got our fingers crossed for you. Hope it works out for the best, and will give you something to laugh about in the future. Get over there, have a great time and better hunt, and let us know how it goes.
 
New update. THEY LOST MY PASSPORT APPLICATION!!!!!!!! Idiots. My wife is flying to Africa as I write this. I am on my way to San Francisco tonight to go to the processing center for an emergency appointment. Don't know why they would not do that for me a couple of days ago. Am redoing my flights once again, if everything works out O.K. I should be on the plane tomorrow night, we shall see. Ticket to SF within hours of departure is not cheap.

Jason "The Big Ol' Muley"
 
Holy Hell!!! maybe you aren't supposed to go? Don't get eaten by a Tiger or a llama.....

:( Somebody didn't like bouncing betty :(
 
BigOMuley--I live in SF and you can call me to see if I can help out in anyway--- 415-713-9434---unfortunately I don't work for the gov't, so I can't help you out there, but maybe I can help you out by picking you up at the airport and delivering you to your hotel or whatever--can't make any promises, but if you want to go ahead and call me and we can see if I can be of assistance---chris sutton
 
chris, thanks for the offer. My uncle lives there and have not been able to get a hold of him yet. My flight gets in at like 11:00pm. its the only flight I can get. If I can't get a hold of my uncle, I may give you a call. That is late though, but I really appreciate the offer.

Jason "The Big Ol' Muley"
 
Jason--why don't you call me before you leave or email me [email protected] or [email protected] that way I know whether to meet you---probably best to email me with your flight info, cuz if I need to pick you up I'll want to check the flight to see if it's on time--takes me about 20 minutes to get to the airport, so if I know when you're coming in I can be out front waiting for you---I have a big red dodge cummins turbo diesel pickup with a camper shell---chris
 
Hey Chris, I think it is very cool of you to go out and help out a stranger in need. This country needs a whole lot more people like you... I commend you on your good deed...
 
elkbowhuntingfreak-----thanks---pure accident that I took a look at the thread, but I have hankering to go to Africa and I check out everything pertaining to it to see if I can learn something---it's to frickin bad this is happening to Jason and since he's coming here on short notice and I live here it seemed like the neighborly thing to do(small town Nebraska up bringing)---I know if I had to fly into somewhere and do what he has to do it's nice to have someone familiar with the area and help out--one less thing to convolute the mind with----

Jason--make sure you bring your birth certificate and every thing else, drivers license and maybe a telephone bill or some bill showing your address---do you have the pictures---if not there's a place around the corner of the Passport office that takes the pictures for you--or there was a couple of years ago----chris
 
Jason--also I think you want to get there early, eventhough you have an appt., they just line you up and take you in and assign you a number and you wait to be called---earlier in line sooner you get in and out---this is what happened to me a couple of yrs ago---you have an appt but they just give you the # and you wait until it's called----chris
 
Jason is in line at the SF Passport office and the doors should be opening right now--chris
 
Chris, thanks for helping my good friend Jason, he would do the same. I can't imagine the stress of dealing with this mess. Hope the trip to Africa is good and worth it all. If you are ever in Utah we could repay you with a guided shed antler trip or something!! Lessoned learned for those preparing a similar trip, do your homework and pray the gov't does't mess you up. Good luck and a cheer for Jason!!! Swampage you deserve an awesome time in Africa, good luck. Justin.
 
Justin-- thanks for the offer and if I ever get up your way I may look you guys up---hopefully Jason can get this worked out today before his flight leaves for back home--he's really getting shoved through the ringer on this---chris
 
glad to report that Jason got his passport and he's at the airport waiting for his flight home and then off to Africa--chris
 
GREAT JOB CHRIS!!!! I KNOW JASON IS EXCITED ABOUT THIS. SO THANKS AGAIN. IT'S GOOD TO SEE PEOPLE AROUND HERE HELP EACH OTHER OUT. IT'S FAR TO UNCOMMON THIS DAY IN AGE.

BUGLEMN
 
Just heading to the airport for Africa, I am going to make it. Big thanks Chris, I really appreciate it.

Chris picked me up at the airport, had maps and a hotel all printed out for me, went way out of his way, thanks again!!!!

Everyone just get your passport now, even if you don't need it, lesson learned.

Jason "The Big Ol' Muley"
 
GOOD LUCK JASON!!!

PUT AN EXTRA BULLET IN ONE OF THOSE CRITTERS JUST FOR ME!!!

SOUNDS LIKE YOU CAN RELAX A BIT NOW!!!

THE ONLY bobcat EXPECTING SOME PICTURES SOON!!!
 
Hopefully he can relax and enjoy his trip. I know for me it usually takes the first two or three days of a hunting trip to slow down, relax, and enjoy the peacefulness of where I am at, and that is after just the normal chaos of life. What Jason went through in the last couple days, I just can't imagine.

Mark
 
Wow, man I hope this works out for you!

I am going to get a passport just in case,

how long are they good for? Where do you get them and what do you need to get them? What do they cost?
 
Good for 10 years. I went to my County Clerks office. But just ask and they will send you to the correct office. In this day and age even if you don't think you are going to travel out of the country it is a good idea to get one, you never know.

from the "Heartland of Wyoming"
 

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