But, considering how important the document is and after the performance on the Tuesday, I really had no alternative but to phone the consulate in Madrid to chase it up and, in doing so, complain. They put me onto the courier, who, after I'd explained again, said they'd tell the driver it "just wasn't good enough."
Well, it wasn't. And, she was dead lucky to still have a job.
No, I don't say that flippantly. If I'd told one of my company's (any of them) customers they were too far away and refused to deliver, or lied to pretend I'd been somewhere and been caught out, I'd be on the dole, deservedly.
Another worrying issue came out of that conversation though: the office was telling the driver (I appreciate the hurry up) that I needed the passport to fly the next day. What I don't like about that (apart from the fact that it was a lie and, as an excuse will soon wear thin), is that this confirms to me that the couriers know what those packages contain. They should not / do not need to know.
All it would take is an employee who is anti-British or thinks they're underpaid and, let's face it everyone in Spain IS underpaid and you have a "perfect" environment for thefts of these valuable, saleable items.
(Yeah, yeah, so it's got a chip. The crooks will be well ahead ...)
Anyway, I thought Britain was trying to tighten security on passports, but this new delivery system, seems entirely counter productive, if you ask me. No, I'm not saying that any passports will definitely go missing, but this just does not seem like the best way to go about helping to prevent that possibility. And after that, now I really angrily resent all the additional costs, stupid photo requirements, extra journeys and unnecessary hoops I had to jump through.
