Passport Nightmare

"For a trip to Mexico with her two children, Bay Area resident Marina Marguet did everything by the book: She applied several months in advance and even paid for expedited service. According to government advisories at the time, she should have had the passports in three weeks. When eight weeks had passed, she went to the San Francisco office, where she wound up waiting nine hours." Hey, slave, be sure to get your government's permission before you leave the country.